Located near the Dorothea Mackellar Memorial Statue, the Gunnedah Water Tower Museum is a must see if visiting the area. Parking is easy because of the car park near the memorial, or on the road outside.
Only open on Saturday from 10 until 2 you need to time your visit ti go inside.
The art work by Jenny McCracken depicts soldiers of 7RAR waiting for Huey Helicopters, while the rear of the tower shows soldiers paying their respects beside the Long Tan Cross.
Water Tower mural: Soldiers of 7RAR waiting to be picked up by Huey Helicopters by Jenny McCrackenWater Tower mural: soldiers paying their respects beside the Long Tan Cross by Jenny McCracken
Inside the Tower
Penny FarthingMilitary exhibitMuseum DisplayDisplay on upper levelDisplay on upper level
The Rosewarne Memorial
Situated on the Quia Road, Rosewarne was a small community near Gunnedah. The residents erected this memorial to remember members of the Public School and other local servicemen of World War One. The memorial became forgotten and rarely visited because of the town’s closure. Relocated in 1998 the memorial now sits behind the water tower.
An information board next to the memorial describes its history and the men behind the names on the plaque. If you visit the water tower, take a few minutes to visit the site out the back, because this is something we should all remember.
Rosewarne Memorial
To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.
Located only 30 minutes north-west of Lithgow in the Central-West of New South Wales, the Portland Silo Art makes a great addition to any tour of the area. Unlike other silos, these are cement bins, rather than grain silos, representing the towns history as a cement producer.
Painted in 2018 by Guido van Helten the bins feature past employees of the cement works. Titled “The Foundations”, it pays tribute to the cement works and people who established the town of Portland.
Access to the site is easy, with plenty of parking available. With no fencing, you are able to walk right up to the silos to see the art up close. This is better than some other silo art we have visited, where a fence keeps you away.
The FoundationsPast Employees on the Old Cement Bins
To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.
Located on the north west slopes of New South Wales, Gunnedah has a long history of habitation by the Kamilaroi people. The town’s name means Place of White Stones in the Kamilaroi language. Within 45 years
Colonial settlers arrived in the area in 1833, taking advantage of the Patrick Plain fertile soil to farm sheep.
Getting There
Gunnedah was our second overnight stop on our road trip. Only a 90 minute drive from Dubbo, the road was in good condition the whole way. Direct from Sydney, it’s a five hour drive, but there are plenty of interesting stops along the way, the most notable of which is Coonabarabran.
Attractions
Gunnedah Town Centre
The Gunnedah town centre is full of old historic buildings, making a walk though town interesting. While there, look at the buildings’ facades as they are often nicely decorated and show the year the building was built. Over time many buildings have changed owners but the original builder is often still displayed on the facade.
In the centre of town near Wolseley Park a statue pays tribute to the coal miners who brought wealth to the town. Many miners failed to return home because of the dangerous work and this is a memorial to them.
Miners’ Memorial Wolseley Park
Red Chief Memorial
Located in the town centre, adjacent to the NSW Government Offices building in Abbott Street this is first memorial erected in honour of an Aboriginal historical identity.
Buried probably in late 1700`s. Cumbo Gunnerah was the legendary warrior and wise leader of the Gunn-e-darr people of the Kamilaroi tribe. He was buried, it is thought, in the late 1700’s in a manner befitting an Aboriginal man of great importance, that is in a sitting position, backed by a tree carved with totemic designs in his honour.
Red Chief Memorial
Silo Art
A beautiful piece of silo art now brightens one of Gunnedah’s old silos. Featuring Dorothea Mackellar and lines from My Country, it adds to the Mackellar presence in town. For our blog on the silo, click here.
Gunnedah Maize Mill Silo Depicting Dorothea Mackellar and Lines From My Country
Gunnedah Water Tank Museum
The Water Tank Museum contains artefacts from Gunnedah’s past, as well as an amazing mural on the outside, dedicated to the Vietnam War. To see our full blog and more photos click here.
Water Tower mural: Soldiers of 7RAR waiting to be picked up by Huey Helicopters by Jenny McCracken
Dorothea Mackellar Memorial Statue
In addition to the Silo art honouring Dorothea Mackellar, a statue of the poet riding a horse can be found near the Water Tower Museum. Our full blog and photos can be found here.
Dorothea Mackellar Memorial Statue
Pensioners Hill Lookout and Sculptures
This beautiful sculpture-filled park has great views over town, making it a must visit when you visit. An easy walk from the car park past the sculptures rewards you with magnificent views. Our blog and photos of all the sculptures is here.
Aboriginal Man Sculpture
Gunnedah Rural Museum
This is a fantastic place to visit especially for those interested in rural life in Australia from the late 1800s to late 1900s. We particularly liked the tractor and car collection, as they were extensive and in good condition. The museum also has a model railway out the front for rail enthusiasts. We really enjoyed this laid back huge museum. The full blog of our visit is here.
