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Curlewis is a parish and a rural village on the Kamilaroi Highway, 16 kilometres south of Gunnedah, New South Wales in Australia. The village boundaries are in the Gunnedah Shire local government area of the North West Slopes portion of the New England region.

Curlewis New South Wales
Commercial Hotel
Curlewis
Coordinates	31°07′S 150°16′E
Population	597 (2016 census)[1]
Established	1890
Postcode(s)	2381
Elevation	247 m (810 ft)
Location	16 km (10 mi) from Gunnedah 88 km (55 mi) from Tamworth 395 km (245 mi) from Sydney
LGA(s)	Gunnedah Shire
County	Pottinger
State electorate(s)	Tamworth
Federal division(s)	Parkes

History

Curlewis was founded by Henry Thomas Pike, a sawmiller from Norfolk who became the mayor of Gunnedah.[2]

In 1909, the railway station opened as a stop on the Mungindi branch line, but has since closed.[3] The station building was demolished in May 2013 after the roof was damaged by a storm earlier that year.[4] Livestock sales commenced in 1919 in Curlewis and were, for many years, held in alternate weeks at Gunnedah and Curlewis until improvements to the Gunnedah saleyards, eclipsed Curlewis's yardings and led to the yard’s closure.[2]

The lack of a nearby river has contributed to Curlewis having persistent water problems and water shortage. In 1950, the council had to de-silt an old earthen dam and erect a tank from which Curlewis residents could draw water. Reticulated water was connected to Curlewis in 1972.[2]

Population

In the 2016 census, Curlewis had a resident population of 597 people: 50.9% were males and 49.1% were females. There were 15.3% indigenous persons, compared with 2.8% indigenous persons in Australia. The most common form of employment for residents was coal mining 12.1%.[1]

Curlewis now has a hotel, a public school (with 49 pupils enrolled),[5] a general store, grain silo, police station, sports ground and a Rural Fire Service.

The Curlewis area is home to a large koala population and they may be seen on local farms, in the woodlands and village.[6]

References

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