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Wintong School House at Heritage Park Balranald |
Local History
Balranald has a long history that is intertwined with the Muurumbidgee River.
Balranald is the oldest settlement on the Lower Murrumbidgee, with records dating back well before 1850.
In 1847-1848 George James McDonald, the Commissioner for Crown Lands for the Lower Darling District, came to the embryo village. McDonald, a Scotsman, was from a small town called Balranald in the Outer Hebrides and perhaps it was natural for him to christen this place “Balranald”.
“Bal (Celtic) means abode, township or village. Thus Balranald signifies an abode of Ranald – or the clan of Ranald.
In 1830 Captain Charles Sturt and his party became the first white men to pass the site of Balranald on their epic voyage down the Murrumbidgee River in their quest to find the inland sea.
In 1836 Major Thomas Mitchell and his party stopped on the site of Balranald his trek following the Lachlan, Murrumbidgee and Murray Rivers.
In 1853 the river steamboat trade commenced with the advent of Cadell’s “Lady Augusta” and Randell’s “Mary-Ann” and within a few years Balranald became an inland port.
The third early exploring party through Balranald was that of Burke and Wills who crossed the Murrumbidgee by the Mayall Street punt on 17 September 1860 and camped overnight on the river bank in front of the Balranald Inn.
Built in 1886 as the Wintong Station homestead, it became the Station schoolhouse. The Governess lived in half of this tiny building and children were taught in the other half. The school was relocated to Heritage Park by the Balranald Historical Society. (Staff at the Balranald Visitor Information Centre have a key for the schoolhouse.)
Contact details
Hank van Apeldoorn
council@balranald.nsw.gov.au
