Tharwa

History

Tharwa is the oldest official settlement in the Australian Capital Territory, proclaimed a settlement in 1862. Tharwa was named after the Aboriginal word for Mount Tennent, a nearby mountain peak which is part of Namadgi National Park. Mount Tennent was named after John Tennant, who was one of the earliest and best-known bushrangers in the region. Tennant lived in a hideout on the mountain behind Tharwa from which he raided local homesteads 1827–1828, before being arrested and transported to Norfolk Island. Tharwa Bridge, opened on 27 March 1895, crosses the Murrumbidgee River. Tharwa Primary School was opened soon after, in 1899. Tharwa narrowly avoided being burnt in the 2003 Canberra bushfires. More recently, the Tharwa community had two further challenges: closures and repairs to Tharwa Bridge due to extensive rot in its supporting timbers discovered in 2005, and the 2006–07 Australian Capital Territory budget announcement of its plans to close the Tharwa preschool and primary school. The primary school was closed in December 2006, but the preschool remains. The bridge was closed in September 2006 because of safety concerns, traffic then had to detour via Point Hut Crossing. The bridge reopened for light traffic (less than 5 tonnes) in August 2008. Following the completion of restoration works, the bridge was fully reopened for public use on Friday 24 June 2011. The works took two years and involved removal of the old bridge deck and barrier railings as well as installation of new cross girders and sway braces to the permanent trusses. Lambrigg is an historical property near Tharwa where William Farrer conducted his work on genetic selection for his wheat varieties. The De Salis Cemetery is a 19th century pastoral station cemetery on the banks of the…

Most-observed species

• Australian Magpie

  Gymnorhina tibicen (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  10,820
• Crimson Rosella

  Platycercus elegans (Gmelin, 1788) · Aves
  8,387
• Galah

  Eolophus roseicapilla (Vieillot, 1817) · Aves
  7,866
• Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

  Cacatua galerita (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  7,706
• Pied Currawong

  Strepera graculina (Shaw, 1790) · Aves
  7,428
• Australian Raven

  Corvus coronoides Vigors & Horsfield, 1827 · Aves
  7,074
• Magpie-lark

  Grallina cyanoleuca (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  7,027
• Red Wattlebird

  Anthochaera carunculata (Shaw, 1790) · Aves
  6,666

Most recent

• M 2.8 — 2019-09-25
  21 km WNW of Cooma, Australia
• M 3.7 — 2012-04-19
  36 km ENE of Tumut, Australia
• M 2.6 — 2007-04-29
  35 km W of Yass, Australia
• M 3.3 — 2006-08-13
  21 km NNE of Murrumbateman, Australia
• M 3.1 — 2006-04-21
  20 km NNE of Murrumbateman, Australia
• M 3.4 — 2006-03-02
  23 km NE of Murrumbateman, Australia