Harden, New South Wales





Harden-Murrumburrah is a township and community in the centre of Harden Shire and is located in the South West Slopes region of New South Wales in Australia and is adjacent to both the Canberra region of the Australian Capital Territory and the Riverina Region in the southwest area of NSW. The town is a twin town between Harden and Murrumburrah (which is noted as one of the earliest settlements in the southwest of New South Wales).

The shire is traversed by the Burley Griffin Way, the major link from and between the extra supportive the Riverina to the Hume Highway near Yass, and ultimately Sydney, Canberra and the coast. Cunningham Creek runs along the edge of the town.

The Olympic Highway traverses the western end of the shire and is the major link through the central west to the Blue Mountains and from there to the Sydney region.

Harden is 3.5 hours away by road from Sydney, and 1.5 hours from Canberra and Wagga Wagga. The shire is accessible via the XPT passenger rail service.

Beggan Beggan is a village community in the north east boundary of the Riverina, located within Harden's boundaries. It is situated about 17 kilometres north from Jugiong and 20 kilometres south west from Harden.

History
Before European settlement the Harden area was inhabited by the Wiradjuri people. Hume and Hovell passed nearby in 1824. In the late 1820s, the 'Murrumburra' was established. Its superintendent, James Kennedy, established an inn on the townsite in the late 1840s. Gold was found in the area in the 1850s. A railway station was opened one km east of Murrumburrah on the Main Southern line in 1877 as Murrumburrah Station, but changed its name to Harden Station a year after the opening of a new station in Murrumburrah in 1879. The first Australian Lighthorse was also founded in Harden-Murrumburrah, with the Lighthorse festival occurring annually. Jack Wilfred Granger was the youngest mayor of Harden, and died in June 2008. Harden has remained as the main station and, as a result, became the main town. Harden Post Office opened on 1 January 1870.

Transport
The Main Southern Railway passes through Harden which was once one of the great railway towns. Countrylink provide four XPT services passing through the town daily, two each way, an Xplorer service to Griffith on Saturday returning Sundays and a daily coach service between Cootamundra and Canberra.

Demography
Harden is situated in the south west slopes of New South Wales. Harden-Murrumburrah is situated in some of the best wheat growing land in Australia and forms part of what is referred to as the 'Golden Triangle' of the best wheat-growing land in Australia, having as it does an ideal average rainfall and ideal soil conditions for wheat farming.