The area was originally occupied by the Wiradjuri people. Explorer John Oxley was the first European to find the area in 1817 and named it "Wellington Valley" after Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. Wellington was originally established in February 1823 by Lieutenant Percy Simpson as an convict settlement. Squatters started settling along the Macquarie Valley and in 1832 CMS was established in the settlement to teach Christianity to the Aboriginal people of the area. The convict settlement ceased in 1831 but in 1840, a village called Montefiores was established on the north side of the Macquarie River crossing. The Town of Wellington was gazetted in 1846, and on 20 March 1885, Wellington was proclaimed a town. Wellington Shire Council was established in 1949. Wellington is the second oldest New South Wales settlement west of the Blue Mountains. One of its hotels, the Lion of Waterloo, established by Nicolas Hyeronimus in 1842, is the oldest operating west of the Blue Mountains. The Lion of Waterloo is near the location of the last recorded duel fought on Australian soil in 1854. The extension of the railway from Orange to Wellington opened on 1 June 1880. As a regional centre Wellington benefited by the development of the gold mining industry in the district from the 1850s. Initially this was working alluvial deposits of gold but later focused on the mining of quartz reefs. Among the mining districts was Mitchells Creek located 8 miles to the north east near the locality of Bodangora.
Heritage listings
Wellington has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
The most common responses for religion were Anglican 27.0%, Catholic 25.4% and No Religion 19.4%.
Economy
Wellington is the centre of rich agricultural land. While alfalfa and vegetables are grown on lands on the river, wheat, wool, lambs and beef cattle are grown on surrounding pastures. The town acts as a commercial centre for the surrounding district. In September 2008, the Wellington Correctional Centre was opened. A Probation and Parole Office was also opened in the centre of town. Wellington Council hopes this will stimulate economic growth in the area, due to increasing employment opportunities and the need for non-locals to utilise Wellington facilities. The local newspaper The Wellington Times, a Rural Press title, is published three times a week with a circulation in the region of around 1000. There is a popular Community Radio Station operating on a frequency of 91.5 MHz FM.
Climate
Wellington has a humid subtropical climate with hot summers and cool winters, and uniform rainfall throughout the year. The town is rather sunny, getting 138.1 clear days annually. In January, the average minimum temperature in the town is 16.9 °C and the average maximum is 32.9 °C, while in July the average minimum is 2.2 °C and the average maximum is 15.2 °C.
Transport links
is served by a daily NSW TrainLinkXPT service which runs between Sydney and Dubbo. The closest commercial airport is that of Dubbo. Qantaslink and Regional Express service the airport three-five times daily from Sydney. A small airport for private planes exists twelve kilometres east of Wellington. Ogden's Coaches operates return services to Dubbo, with one extending to Narromine as a through-routed service with the Narromine link.
Nearby attractions
, a man-made lake, is located 30 kilometres south of the town. Its capacity is three and a half times that of Sydney Harbour and supplies water for irrigation schemes downstream. It is also a popular location for anglers, sailors and water skiers. Burrendong Arboretum is a sanctuary for endangered Australian flora and covers 1.60 km². The nearby Wellington Caves feature the Cathedral Cave with the massive Altar Rock and has a viewable underground river running at the bottom. Immediately to the East of the township lies the Catombal Range with magnificent bushwalks in and around Mt Arthur and Mt Wellesley. The Wellington Boot, a country racing festival is held in March and April annually. The Bell River Wine Estate is nearby.
Notable residents
international travel writer and TV producer Dallas Sherringham was born in Wellington.
