Uralla, New South Wales

Uralla is a small town and a Local Government Area (Uralla Shire ) on the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. The town is located at the intersection of the New England Highway and Thunderbolts Way 465 kilometres north of Sydney and about 23 kilometres south west of the city of Armidale. . At the 2006 census, Uralla had a population of 2,267 people.

At more than 1000 metres above sea level, Uralla's high altitude makes for cold winters and mild summers.

History
The word "Uralla" was taken by the European sqatters from the language of the local Aniwan tribe of Indigenous Australians. Uralla described a "meeting place", or more especially "a ceremonial meeting place and look-out on a hill".

Samuel McCrossin, an Irishman, his wife and seven children first came to Uralla in 1839 when they camped on the creek there. They returned to Morpeth and then again returned to Uralla in 1841 to finally settle there. Other settlers arrived in the 1830s to take up holdings at Kentucky, Gostwyck, Balala,  Yarrowyck, Mihi Creek and Salisbury Court. Some of these station buildings, including the beautiful Gostwyck Chapel, have now been placed on the Register of the National Estate.

Uralla reached town status in 1855, spurred on by a gold rush in the Rocky River area three years earlier, swelling the town's size to over 5,000. In 1856 another and more considerable gold rush took place, but did not lead to any lasting development. By 1859 Uralla had three hotels, stores, a post office, a flour mill and a school. In 1882 Uralla was proclaimed a municipal district and in 1948 became the administrative centre of the Uralla Shire. More gold was discovered and mined at Melrose in the Enmore area in about 1887. This discovery lead to the erection of the Melrose public school and village which was about 32 km east of Uralla. In 1927 this area was subdivided for soldier settlement and ballots were held to determine the new settlers. In about 1889 gold was discovered at Groses Creek, which is 6 km south west of Enmore, near the Mihi Falls on the eastern side of Uralla.

The infamous bushranger Captain Thunderbolt (Frederick Ward) is buried in Uralla. There are many references to Thunderbolt throughout the town, and the locals are quite fond of the legend. In addition to an initially controversial statue in the main street, Uralla is host to a pub, motel, rock (from where Thunderbolt ambushed passing travellers) and roads, all bearing his name. On May 25, 1870, Thunderbolt was shot and killed near Uralla by Constable Alexander Walker during a highway robbery. However, a few Uralla locals claimed that it was his uncle, William (Harry) Ward - posing as Thunderbolt, who was killed at this time and not Fred Ward. The legend of Thunderbolt is exhibited at McCrossin's Mill Museum in Uralla and includes the series of 9 paintings by Phillip Pomroy of the events that led to Fred Ward's death. During 2008 Uralla recorded the state's highest rise in property values at 35 per cent over the last 12 months, according to a report from Australian Property Monitors.

Industries
Three foundries account for a large amount of employment in the town, as do other metal manufacturing businesses. As Uralla is situated about halfway between Sydney and Brisbane, tourism contributes significantly to its economy, with a thriving village atmosphere and 20 National Parks within a two hour drive. Due to Uralla's proximity to Armidale, larger shopping chains have avoided the small town and independent retailers remain. Examples include an antiquarian book store, numerous galleries, antique stores and cafes.

It is still possible to pan for gold in the rivers around the town, including the Rocky River. Today, the area is used for raising Merino sheep and is renowned for its super-fine and ultra-fine wool for use in the fashion industry. A number of vineyards have also been established and produce a variety of cool-climate wines. It is also a good area for growing apples and other fruit which require colder weather.

A wireless broadband trial in town using a tower on Mount Mutton has encouraged independent IT professionals to relocate to the area and form into a co-operative working arrangement named Granite Globe Incorporated. Lockheed Martin has erected a satellite tracking station at Uralla.

Uralla is also host to a thriving community of artists and potters, stimulated by proximity to the University of New England in nearby Armidale.

There are a number of environmental problems in the area, mainly caused by poor land management. Soil erosion, due to extensive logging and intensive farm practices is a major issue. Local government and community environmental bodies are now working to halt the problem.

It is served by the daily Countrylink Xplorer service between Armidale and Sydney. The train to Armidale stops at 5:57pm and the train to Sydney stops earlier in the day, at 9:10am. The station is only 20 minutes from Armidale. .