Crookwell is a small town located in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia, in the Upper Lachlan Shire. At the, Crookwell had a population of 2,641. The town is at a relatively high altitude of 887 metres and there are several snowfalls annually, especially during the winter months. The nearest major centre is the city ofGoulburn which is about a half-hour drive to the south-east of the town. Crookwell is easily accessible to the state capital of Sydney and also the federal capital of Canberra. Most employment is based on rural industries, and the district is renowned for potato farming. Crookwell is also home to what was NSW's first wind farm, which consists of 8 turbines, and is located a few kilometres out of town on the road towards Goulburn. A railway once connected Goulburn and Crookwell, which opened in 1902, but passenger services to Crookwell station ceased in 1974, and the last goods train ran in 1985. The line is technically not closed, but has been listed as out of use, and in some locations is now impassable.
History
Prior to white settlement the area was inhabited by the Gundungara people. The first Europeans known to be in the area were the exploratory party of surveyor James Meehan which camped 1 km south of present-day Grabben Gullen. John Oxley passed to the north and east later that same year. Crookwell was originally known as "Kiama". The area around Crookwell was first settled in the 1820s, and had received its current name by the 1860s. After this, selection of blocks occurred; and the population of was over 100 by midway through that decade. The first allotments were sold at the end of the decade. By the mid-1870s the population had already reached 1000 people.
Heritage listings
Crookwell has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
In the 2016 Census, there were 2,641 people in Crookwell. 85.8% of people were born in Australia and 91.4% of people spoke only English at home. The most common responses for religion were Catholic 34.9%, Anglican 30.1%, No Religion 14.3% and Uniting Church 7.8%.
Crookwell is approximately 2.5 hours drive from Sydney via Goulburn, and 1.5 hours from Canberra. Other than the main road to Goulburn, minor roads link Crookwell with Bathurst, Boorowa, Grabben Gullen, Laggan, and Taralga. Crookwell railway station is the terminus of the now disused Crookwell railway line. Crookwell has a small unpaved airstrip approximately 5 km south of the town.
Climate
Owing to its western location and high altitude, snow falls frequently during the winter months, with its snowfall often exceeding that of towns farther north in the Central Tablelands —owing chiefly to Crookwell's more southerly latitude, likewise better exposure to snow-bearing westerly fronts. Summers are warm and dry, with many severe thunderstorms. Winters are cold and wet; during westerly cold fronts, daily maximum temperatures struggle to exceed.
Media
Radio stations
Radio stations with transmitters located in Crookwell include:
Depending on location some Goulburn, Illawarra, and/or Canberra based radio stations can also be heard. Eagle FM and 2GN are Goulburn based but licensed to serve towns in the Southern Tablelands including Crookwell. In order to reach Crookwell, both have transmitters which relay the Goulburn broadcast but on different frequencies to Goulburn.
Television
Crookwell has a low powered transmitter broadcasting ABC Television. Residents wishing to receive a wider range of channels and in digital can attempt to receive signals from either Canberra, or Orange, although Crookwell is located in the fringe area of both transmitters. Another option is to use the VAST free-to-view satellite service, which offers a similar range of channels.
Newspaper
The local newspaper, the Crookwell Gazette has been published since 1885.
