Edward River Council
About the area
Key Statistics
Location
The Edward River Council area is located in the Riverina Murray Region of south-western New South Wales, about 700 kilometres south-west of the Sydney CBD and 300 kilometres north of the Melbourne CBD. The Edward River Council area is bounded by Hay Shire in the north, the Murrumbidgee Council area and Berrigan Shire in the east, and the Murray River Council area in the south and west.
Included Areas
The Edward River Council area includes the localities of Barratta, Birganbigil, Blighty, Booroorban (part), Conargo, Coree (part), Deniliquin (part), Four Corners (part), Hartwood, Lindifferon, Logie Brae (part), Mabins Well (part), Mayrung, Moonbra, Morago, Moulamein (part), Myrtle Park, Pine Lodge, Pretty Pine, Steam Plains (part), Stud Park, Tuppal, Wandook, Wanganella, Warragoon and Willurah.Land Use
The Edward River Council area is predominantly rural, with a township at Deniliquin and villages at Blighty, Booroorban, Conargo, Mayroung, Pretty Pine and Wanganella. Rural land is used largely for agriculture, particularly sheep and cattle grazing and rice, wheat and canola growing, with some forestry. The Edward River Council area encompasses a total land area of 8,881 square kilometres.Name Origin
The Edward River Council is named after the Edward River which runs through the area, which was named after Edward Howe, the employer of John Webster and James McLaurin who discovered the river in 1840.Indigenous Meaning
The original inhabitants of the Edward River Council area were the Wamba Wamba and Perrepa Perrepa Aboriginal people.Settlement
European settlement dates from the 1840s, with land used mainly for grazing. Growth took place from the 1860s to the late 1800s, aided by the opening of the railway line and the establishment of several townships and villages. Land began to be used for rice growing from the 1930s, following large scale irrigation schemes. Gradual growth continued between the 1960s and the early 1990s. The population declined slightly during the early 2000s, falling from about 9,500 in 2001 to about 8,600 in 2011, and then increased marginally to about 8,800 in 2016.Major Features
Major features of the Edward River Council area include the Edward River, Murray Valley Regional Park, McLean Beach, Willoughbys Beach, Island Sanctuary, Waring Gardens, Peppin Heritage Centre, Yarkuwa Indigenous Knowledge Centre, Ute on the Pole, Deniliquin Stadium, TAFE NSW Deniliquin and Deniliquin Golf Club.Transport
The Edward River Council area is served by the Cobb Highway and the Riverina Highway.