Collarenabri, New South Wales: Travel guide and things to do

Located 792 km northwest of Sydney and 145 km west of Moree, Collarenabri is a tiny township on the banks of Barwon River which has become a favourite haunt for fishermen who come to catch cod, yellow belly and catfish in the river. It basically exists to service the surrounding properties.

The area around the township was first settled by Europeans in 1845 when graziers moved into the district in the unceasing quest for good pastures for their sheep. The tiny settlement grew up around the Squatters Arms Hotel which was conveniently located on a ford thus ensuring that all passing travellers could take advantage of its refreshments.

Some of the nearby properties at Mogil Mogil and Burren Burren were raided by the notorious bushranger Captain Thunderbolt in 1866. It is easy to understand how settlers were at the mercy of bushrangers at this time. It wasn't until 1867 that the town of Collarenabri was laid out. That same year the infant township got a Post Office.

A cargo steamer, looking for suitable loading places for wool, reached the town in 1879 but the water level in the Barwon river was too unreliable for the town to grow as a port.

The local Aboriginal reserve was gazetted in 1899 and since that date the Aborigines have buried their dead in a special cemetery which now has well over 100 graves, some with crosses and others decorated with shells and ornaments. This unusually large cemetery is regarded as a sacred site.