Bundarra

Bundarra is situated in the North West of New South Wales, 47km south of Inverell and 76km north west of Uralla on the ‘Thunderbolt’s Way.’ Regional centres of Tamworth and Armidale area are within easy travelling distance of Bundarra. A small, but unique village with a population of 400 plus, Bundarra has a lot to offer.

Brief History

The town was established due to the ever increasing traffic passing through the area in the early 1800’s. Originally there was much copper and gold mining in the Bundarra area.

Fossicking is now more a tourist attraction than a way of life. Today the land is largely used for agricultural purposes, mainly sheep and cattle production and is still home to some of the original stations, such as Abington, Clerkness and Laura. Some of Australia’s finest wool is still produced here.  

Activities include fishing, canoeing, bushwalking and bird watching (Bundarra is one of the few places where you can still see the endangered Regent Honeyeater). The Gwydir offers a relaxing environment for family picnics and BBQs, or appreciation of the abundance of platypuses, echidnas, water birds and wildlife in general. 

Thanks to the strong bond between community members there are many clubs and groups to be involved in. The clubs cover a range of activities from an interest in horses, fishing, golfing, cricket, quilting and movies.  

As Bundarra is located on the banks of the picturesque Gwydir River, it makes a pleasant and peaceful place to stop and relax. The Gwydir River is a noted breeding ground for freshwater fish species such as cod, redfin, yellow belly, catfish, silver perch and bass as it winds its way down to Copeton Dam, and on to Bingara.   Copeton and Split Rock Dams are district features and offer popular recreational activities and Bundarra is a good place to stock up with supplies, gas and ice for your camping trip.  

There is a camping ground located in the centre of town with powered sites as well as a free camping ground at the beautiful Emu Crossing approximately 2.5kilometres from town where, when the river is flowing you can see platypuses feeding and playing in the late afternoon quite close to the river bank.

Other local attractions are the Courthouse and Bottle Museum and Granite Grove Iris Farm. If you are passing through on a Sunday, you may be lucky enough to catch sight of the Campdraft, clouds of dust and horse and cattle pelting are the obvious signs. Be sure to ask a campdraft official permission to observe. To the south along the Thunderbolt's Way between Bundarra and Uralla lies Mt Yarrowyck, an Aboriginal rock art site that was traditionally men’s territory. The track to the rock paintings is an interesting bush walk in itself.

Annual Events

January             Bundarra Agricultural Show

April                   Lions Club Goat Races

                          Bundarra Campdraft

September         Boogie @ Bundarra

                          Bi-annual Gwydir Rivers Quilt Show 

                    Pre-School Ball

            October             Bundarra Jockey Club Race Meeting

                                      Lions Club Campdraft

November          P & A & Agricultural Society Campdraft