AREA Covered:

Deniliquin, Conargo, Blighty, Mayrung, Pretty Pine, Wanganella & Booroorban.

Community Profile:

The Edward River Country Education Fund was formed in late 2008 and is centred in Deniliquin in Southern New South Wales. Presently the committee is comprised of members who represent both Deniliquin Council and Conargo Shire Council, and two very enthusiastic members of the Education Department who work from the Deniliquin High School.

Other committee members are interested business people who strongly support opportunities for young people who wish to improve their life skills and enhance their careers.

The town of Deniliquin was officially gazetted in 1850 when the Edward River was a busy crossing place for livestock moving north to the open grazing offered by the Black Soil Plains and south to the markets in Melbourne. We are situated some 800 kilometres southwest of Sydney and approximately 300 kilometres north of Melbourne.

Deniliquin and the district have a rich agricultural heritage. It was here that the Peppin Merino sheep was developed and the Peppin bloodline makes up the foundation of 90 per cent of the national flock.

The village of Conargo some 30 kilometres north of Deniliquin is the hub of Australia’s Merino stud sheep industry and is surrounded by outstanding flock sheep which produce a large percentage of the nation’s future breeders, wool and export income. Beef, fat lambs and dairy production, also form a major part of the income earning capacity of the district.

There is also a strong link with Cobb & Co whose horse drawn coaches traversed the Riverina Plains carrying passengers and light freight. The Cobb Highway has many information boards along its length where the horses were changed and rested and there is a drop log stable at Conargo that is a reminder of the only available transport of the early pioneers.

In recent years Deniliquin has steadily established a new and vibrant identity for itself. The creation of value driven and professionally marketed events focused on local culture and appealing to a youth market has generated a whole new dimension of industry in and around town. The events themselves attract visitors in their thousands with the exposure generated from the events resulting in an increase in overall visitation and wealth to the region throughout the year.

Almost everyone would know that Deniliquin is recognised as the Ute Capital of the World, or as the place with the “ute on the pole”. We have gone into the Guiness Book of Records for the most number of utes gathered in one place and despite several challenges we remain number one.

The population of Deniliquin is 8,000 and it covers an area of 130 square kilometres in contrast with Conargo Shire that has a rural population of 1,850 and covers and area of almost 9,000 square kilometres. The shire’s rich fertile soil supports a huge range of agricultural industries including stud sheep and cattle, feedlots, cereal crops, wool, fat lambs, dairying, market gardening, agro forestry, aquaculture, hydroponics, viticulture, piggeries, exotic animals and olives.

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