Orange

Sister cities

• Orange

History

The Orange region is the traditional land of the Wiradjuri people. Known as the people of the three rivers, the Wiradjuri people have inhabited New South Wales for at least 60,000 years. In 1822 Captain Percy Simpson arrived in the Wellington District and established a convict settlement which was called "Blackman's Swamp" after James Blackman; Simpson had employed James Blackman as a guide because he had already accompanied an earlier explorer, John Oxley into that region. In the late 1820s, the surveyor J. B. Richards worked on a survey of the Macquarie River below Bathurst and also of the road to Wellington. On a plan dated 1829, he indicated a village reserve, in the parish of Orange. Sir Thomas Mitchell named the parish Orange, as he had been an associate of the Prince of Orange in the Peninsular War, when both were aides-de-camp to the Duke of Wellington, whose title was bestowed on the valley to the west by Oxley. Initial occupation by graziers began in late 1829, and tiny settlements eventually turned into larger towns as properties came into connection with the road. In 1844, the surveyor Davidson was sent to check on encroachments onto the land reserved for a village, and to advise on the location for a township. His choices were Frederick's Valley, Pretty Plains, or Blackman's Swamp. Blackman's Swamp was chosen, and it was proclaimed a village and named Orange by Major Thomas Mitchell in 1846 in honour of Prince William of Orange. At nearby Ophir, a significant gold find in Australia was made in 1851, resulting in a sporadic population movement which is known as the Australian gold rush. Additional gold finds in nearby areas led to the establishment of Orange as a central trading centre for the gold. The growth of Orange continued as the conditions…

Geography

Owing to its altitude, Orange has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb), with warm summers (though with cool mornings) and cold, wet winters with frequent morning frosts. The city is relatively wet for an inland location owing to the orographic lifting brought on by Mount Canobolas, especially during the cooler months when snow falls; Orange is the snowiest major city in Australia. Compared with most population centres in Australia it has colder winters, especially in terms of its daytime maximum temperatures, owing to its elevation and westerly exposure. In summer, the average (and absolute) maximum temperatures are also lower than in most inland centres. Humidity is low in the summer months with the afternoon dew point typically around . The city features 99.8 clear days annually, with the majority of sunshine in the summer months, in sharp contrast to Sydney which has more sunshine in winter due to the foehn effect. The climate has enabled the area to be a major apple and pear producer, and a centre for cool-weather wine production.

Most-observed species

• Australian Magpie

  Gymnorhina tibicen (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  3,872
• Galah

  Eolophus roseicapilla (Vieillot, 1817) · Aves
  2,909
• Crimson Rosella

  Platycercus elegans (Gmelin, 1788) · Aves
  2,704
• Magpie-lark

  Grallina cyanoleuca (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  2,573
• Superb Fairywren

  Malurus cyaneus (Ellis, 1782) · Aves
  2,428
• Red Wattlebird

  Anthochaera carunculata (Shaw, 1790) · Aves
  2,333
• Pied Currawong

  Strepera graculina (Shaw, 1790) · Aves
  2,225
• Australian Raven

  Corvus coronoides Vigors & Horsfield, 1827 · Aves
  1,901

Most recent

• M 4.5 — 2026-04-14
  24 km ENE of Canowindra, Australia
• M 3 — 2020-11-20
  27 km S of Oberon, Australia
• M 4.2 — 2017-04-13
  23 km WSW of Millthorpe, Australia
• M 4.2 — 2006-10-21
  48 km ESE of Cowra, Australia
• M 2.7 — 2006-06-30
  21 km SSE of Cowra, Australia
• M 2.9 — 2005-02-20
  19 km S of Cowra, Australia