| JUNEE - NEW SOUTH WALES - 2663 |  |
Population: 4,000, Height above sea level: 320m; Latitude: -34.5222 Longitude: 147.3500 Location: 475km south west of Sydney Highway: Olympic Way Nearest Major Town: Wagga Wagga Nearest Airport: Wagga Wagga Touring Area: Riverina and The Murray |
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 Panorama over Junee |
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In 1876, Christopher Crawley acquired 520 acres on conditional purchase where he built a hut
and an hotel, now the Hotel Junee. Eight years later he built Monte Cristo Homestead on the
hill behind the hotel overlooking Junee. Fully restored and furnished, this award winning
homestead contains antiques and period furnishings and paintings and is open to the public
daily from 10am. to 4pm. Junee is better known as an important rail centre, the roundhouse (1945) is the largest in the southern hemisphere. The roundhouse consists of a central turntable where locos or rolling stock can be moved to the central turntable, rotated to an available bay of the 42 which radiate from the turntable, and moved into it for maintenance and repairs. it now serves a dual purpose as an operational roundhouse and a Rail and Transport Museum The railway line runs right through the centre of the town and the 1883, Victorian style station now houses the Information Centre as well as providing services for the travelling public. The Junee and District Historical Museum in an old wooden house in Peel St. takes a detailed look at the history and heritage of Junee. Cootamundra, Junee and Coolamon are at the centre of a vast Canola industry and in Spring the rolling hillsides around Junee are extensive panoramas of brilliant yellow canola tops and wattle. In 1952 the largest wheat terminal in the southern hemisphere was built at Junee, having a capacity to hold 153,000 tonnes of wheat. One of the features of Junee is the number of magnificent old hotels with shady verandahs and wrought iron balconies. One of these, the Red Cow, took its name from Jack Longhurst's habit of tethering his red cow out front every day, buying a billy-can of rum and topping it up from the cow to enjoy rum and milk. It now houses a collection of Murray Cod trophies, reflecting the many which were caught in the creeks around the area, particularly near bushranger Captain Moonlight's lookout. Towards Cootamundra, around 15km. along the Olympic Way, the Illabo Clock Museum displays some 800 clocks and timepieces and is open to the public. A little further on is the Hotel Shirley at Bethungra, a beautiful old pub built in 1886 as a Cobb & Co station. Junee is a wonderful place to live in or to visit. You cannot escape its history and heritage which is visible on every corner. The short detour from the Sturt, Newell or Hume Highways is well worth it.  Main street of Junee PLACES OF INTEREST: ACCOMMODATION & SERVICES:
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© Copyright Peter W. Wilkins