Merricumbene

Merricumbene New South Wales
Merricumbene air strip
Merricumbene Location in New South Wales
Coordinates	35°44′03″S 149°53′43″E
Population	14 (SAL 2021)[1]
Postcode(s)	2622
Location	43 km (27 mi) S of Braidwood 40 km (25 mi) NW of Moruya
LGA(s)	Eurobodalla Shire
Region	South Coast
County	Dampier
Parish	Merricumbene
State electorate(s)	Bega
Federal division(s)	Gilmore
Localities around Merricumbene: Araluen Monga National Park Buckenbowra Neringla Merricumbene Buckenbowra Neringla Deua River Valley Deua River Valley

Merricumbene is a locality in the Eurobodalla Shire, New South Wales, Australia. It is located about 43 km south of Braidwood and 40 km northwest of Moruya in the valley of the Deua River.^[2][3] At the 2016 census, it had a population of 19.^[4]

The area now known as Merricumbene lies on the traditional lands of Yuin people.^[5] The National Museum of Australia has a breastplate made by settlers, around 1845, for "Timothy, Chief of Merricumbene".^[6]

The locality was site of gold mining and there was a mining village of the same name.^[7] Alluvial gold mining appears to have begun around March 1859.^[8] The Moruya or Deua River Goldfield was proclaimed on 31 August 1865. A number of small portions of land exist on both sides of the river, indicating that the mining settlement occupied both banks of the river, over a significant length, below the confluence of the river with Araluen Creek.^[9] Gold reefs were mined briefly, in the area, during 1911.^[10][11][12] A gold dredge was working at Merricumbene in 1901.^[13] A later dredge commenced operation in the river, in December 1912,^[14] but it was overturned by floodwater in June 1913.^[15]

It had a "half-time" school from 1893 to 1904.^[16] In its early days, Merricumbene's only road connection—such as it was—was via Araluen; from 1858, there was a pack-horse route to the coastal plain at Moruya.^[17] Araluen and Merricumbene were later connected to Moruya, by the Araluen Road, constructed in 1867-1868.^[18]

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Merricumbene (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022. 
2. "Merricumbene". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
3. "Merricumbene". OpenStreetMap. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
4. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Merricumbene". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
5. Studies, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (10 January 2021). "Map of Indigenous Australia". aiatsis.gov.au. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
6. "Aboriginal breastplate for Timothy, Chief of Merricumbene". trove.nla.gov.au. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
7. "GOLD NEWS". Empire (Sydney, NSW : 1850 - 1875). 12 July 1859. p. 3. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
8. "LOCAL INTELLIGENCE". Goulburn Herald and County of Argyle Advertiser. 30 March 1859. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
9. "Parish of Merricumbene, County of Dampier [cartographic material] : Land District of Moruya, Eurobodalla Shire, Eastern Division, N.S.W." Trove. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
10. "Mining". Braidwood Dispatch and Mining Journal. 8 July 1911. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
11. "ARALUEN". Braidwood Dispatch and Mining Journal. 15 July 1911. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
12. "Merricumbene Reefs". Braidwood Dispatch and Mining Journal. 28 October 1911. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
13. "ARALUEN". Braidwood Dispatch and Mining Journal. 27 July 1901. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
14. "ARALUEN". Braidwood Dispatch and Mining Journal. 1 January 1913. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
15. "From our Correspondents". Bega Budget. 28 June 1913. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
16. "Merricumbene School in the School history database search". New South Wales Department of Education. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
17. "GOLDEN ARALUEN". Australian Town and Country Journal. 24 May 1905. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
18. "PROGRESS OF PUBLIC WORKS". Empire (Sydney, NSW : 1850 - 1875). 23 October 1867. p. 2. Retrieved 13 January 2019 – via Trove.