Quirindi New South Wales |
|||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
View over Quirindi from a nearby lookout
|
|||||||
Coordinates | 31°30′29″S 150°40′48″E / 31.50806°S 150.68000°ECoordinates: 31°30′29″S 150°40′48″E / 31.50806°S 150.68000°E | ||||||
Population | 2,580 (2011 census) | ||||||
Established | 1856 | ||||||
Postcode(s) | 2343 | ||||||
Elevation | 390 m (1,280 ft) | ||||||
Location |
|
||||||
LGA(s) | Liverpool Plains Shire | ||||||
County | Buckland | ||||||
State electorate(s) | Upper Hunter | ||||||
Federal Division(s) | New England | ||||||
|
Quirindi (/kwəˈrɪndaɪ/ or /kəˈrɪndaɪ/) is a small town on the North West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia, in Liverpool Plains Shire. At the 2011 census, Quirindi had a population of 2,580. It is the nearest link to Gunnedah to the west and Tamworth to the north. The local economy is based on agriculture, with broadacre farming dominant on the black soil plains to the west and livestock grazing in the hilly eastern part of the district.
The town is on the Kamilaroi Highway 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) northwest of its junction with the New England Highway at Willow Tree.
The indigenous Kamilaroi people lived in the area for many thousands of years. The name Quirindi comes from the Gamilaraay language, with a number of meanings having been attributed it, which include "nest in the hills", "place where fish breed" and "dead tree on mountain top". Early spellings of the name included "Cuerindi" and "Kuwherindi".