Tumbarumba is a small town in New South Wales, Australia, about 480 kilometres (300 mi) southwest of the state capital, Sydney.
Tumbarumba is a small town in New South Wales, Australia, about 480 kilometres (300 mi) southwest of the state capital, Sydney.Tumbarumba is located on the periphery of the Riverina and South West Slopes regions at the western edge of the Snowy Mountains. The 2016 census showed the population of the town and surrounding area to be 1,862 people. Locals refer to the town as 'Tumba'.
To the south and east, the highest peak of the Snowy Mountains and mainland Australia—Mount Kosciuszko—can be seen.
History
The Aboriginal history of the region is contentious. According to the map developed by Tindale, the area that is now Tumbarumba lay at the boundary of the lands of the Wiradjuri and Walgalu peoples. Since the Wiradjuri word for the 'Walgalu' was Guramal, meaning 'hostile men', presumably there was little in common between these peoples, who spoke different languages. The Walgulu spoke the same Ngarigo language as the more easterly Ngarigo people of the Monaro region, and in more recent times these groups have been considered by some to be just one people, the Ngarigo, whose lands included Tumbarumba. There are different views on the origin on the word 'tumbarumba' and whether it derives from the Wirajuri or Ngarigo language. Tumbarumba and surrounds now lie within the Brungle/Tumut Aboriginal Land Council Area.The settler community was established in the late 1850s after gold was discovered in the district. The Post Office opened on 1 August 1860 but was spelt Tumberumba until 1915.A railway branch line was opened to Tumbarumba in 1921. The Tumbarumba railway line ran from Wagga Wagga through Tarcutta. The service has been suspended since 1987. The 21 km final section of the line between Rosewood and Tumbarumba opened as a rail trail in April 2020.
Gold mining petered out in the 1930s, and the region's economy now depends on agriculture and tourism.The timber industry dominates the Shire’s economy.
The name Tumbarumba may be derived from the sound of thunder. or alternatively from the Aboriginal words for "hollow sounding ground", "thunder", "sound" or "place of big trees".
Weather
Tumbarumba has a temperate oceanic climate; comprising warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters. Frosts are frequent and snowfall is fairly common in winter. The lowest recorded maximum temperature was 1.1 °C (34.0 °F) on 15 July 1966, and the lowest recorded minimum temperature was -9.4 °C (15.1 °F) on 13 July 1970.
Things to do
Tumbarumba provides a convenient base for visiting the Western Snowy Mountains area.
The town lies on the Snowy Valleys Way which Destination NSW advertises as a more leisurely and picturesque driving route to take between Sydney and Melbourne. The Snowy Valleys way links Gundagai and Beechworth passing through Tumut, Tumbarumba and Corryong.
Tumbarumba is also close to the 440 km Hume and Hovell Track. Access to the track is at the Henry Angel Trackhead, 9 km from Tumbarumba toward Khancoban. A half day walk from the Henry Angel Trackhead to 'Big Hill' providesviews of the western face of the Snowy Mountains Main Range. This walk passes old gold workings at the Burra Falls.
Tumbarumba is also the centre of the Tumbarumba wine region, a developing cool climate wine growing region with the first plantings in 1982. Several local wineries have 'cellar doors' with wines for sale.
The Museum and Visitor Information Centre on Bridge Street is open 363 days of the year, and the Tumbarumba Library and Archive on Prince Street is open Monday to Saturday, but check for opening hours.