Greenethorpe
Greenethorpe is a town in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. The town is located in the Weddin Shire local government area, 345 km west of the state capital, Sydney. At the, Greenethorpe and the surrounding area had a population of 320.
The village, with the associated "Mount Oriel" homestead (known locally as Iandra Castle), is a rare example in Australia of the manorial system, "the likes of which may not exist elsewhere in the state or nation".
Greenethorpe is a purpose-built town, established in 1908 to house sharefarmers who worked on Iandra, the nearby pastoral station owned by George Henry Greene. The village, built adjacent to a rail siding on the Grenfell railway line, was originally named Iandra Siding but to avoid confusion between the pastoral station and the train station, the Post Office agreed to change the name to Greenthorpe. Shortly after, the spelling was again changed, this time to Greenethorpe from the Greene family name. Greenethorpe Public School was first established in 1903 as a Provisional School and named Iandra Siding. The school was renamed in 1909.
Iandra Siding Post Office opened on 20 January 1908 and was renamed Greenethorpe in September that year.
The village itself was based on the English manorial system, with tenant farms—generally 640 acre each—distributed around the central homestead. The sharefarming system began in 1892 and a rail siding constructed in 1903. In the early years of the twentieth century, Iandra set a record for the largest ever yield of wheat from a single property, and by 1911 there were fifty sharefarmers working over 18000 acre there—the farmers supplying the machinery and labour and Greene providing seed and clearing ground suitable for ploughing. Around 1914, the property began to be broken up and most tenants were offered an option to purchase the land they had farmed.
The main dwelling in the Iandra homestead is an ornate mansion built from reinforced concrete in the Federation Romanesque style with Tudor influences. Consisting of 57 rooms on two storeys, it is referred to locally as "The Castle" in reference to its striking design and its semi-feudal role in the community. The homestead, built by pioneering engineer, Edward Giles Stone, also includes a blacksmith, manager's residence, stables, and a small Gothic chapel.
The village, with the associated "Mount Oriel" homestead (known locally as Iandra Castle), is a rare example in Australia of the manorial system, "the likes of which may not exist elsewhere in the state or nation".
Greenethorpe is a purpose-built town, established in 1908 to house sharefarmers who worked on Iandra, the nearby pastoral station owned by George Henry Greene. The village, built adjacent to a rail siding on the Grenfell railway line, was originally named Iandra Siding but to avoid confusion between the pastoral station and the train station, the Post Office agreed to change the name to Greenthorpe. Shortly after, the spelling was again changed, this time to Greenethorpe from the Greene family name. Greenethorpe Public School was first established in 1903 as a Provisional School and named Iandra Siding. The school was renamed in 1909.
Iandra Siding Post Office opened on 20 January 1908 and was renamed Greenethorpe in September that year.
The village itself was based on the English manorial system, with tenant farms—generally 640 acre each—distributed around the central homestead. The sharefarming system began in 1892 and a rail siding constructed in 1903. In the early years of the twentieth century, Iandra set a record for the largest ever yield of wheat from a single property, and by 1911 there were fifty sharefarmers working over 18000 acre there—the farmers supplying the machinery and labour and Greene providing seed and clearing ground suitable for ploughing. Around 1914, the property began to be broken up and most tenants were offered an option to purchase the land they had farmed.
The main dwelling in the Iandra homestead is an ornate mansion built from reinforced concrete in the Federation Romanesque style with Tudor influences. Consisting of 57 rooms on two storeys, it is referred to locally as "The Castle" in reference to its striking design and its semi-feudal role in the community. The homestead, built by pioneering engineer, Edward Giles Stone, also includes a blacksmith, manager's residence, stables, and a small Gothic chapel.
Map - Greenethorpe
Map
Country - Australia
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| Flag of Australia | |
The ancestors of Aboriginal Australians began arriving from south east Asia approximately 65,000 years ago, during the last ice age. Arriving by sea, they settled the continent and had formed approximately 250 distinct language groups by the time of European settlement, maintaining some of the longest known continuing artistic and religious traditions in the world. Australia's written history commenced with the European maritime exploration of Australia. The Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon was the first known European to reach Australia, in 1606. In 1770, the British explorer James Cook mapped and claimed the east coast of Australia for Great Britain, and the First Fleet of British ships arrived at Sydney in 1788 to establish the penal colony of New South Wales. The European population grew in subsequent decades, and by the end of the 1850s gold rush, most of the continent had been explored by European settlers and an additional five self-governing British colonies established. Democratic parliaments were gradually established through the 19th century, culminating with a vote for the federation of the six colonies and foundation of the Commonwealth of Australia on 1 January 1901. Australia has since maintained a stable liberal democratic political system and wealthy market economy.
Currency / Language
| ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUD | Australian dollar | $ | 2 |
| ISO | Language |
|---|---|
| EN | English language |