56-605: The Armidale Express is a newspaper published in Armidale , a city in the Northern Tablelands , New South Wales. Its frequency is tri-weekly. The Express is read by more than 10,000 readers in Armidale, Uralla , Guyra and Walcha areas. It began publication as The Armidale Express and New England General Advertiser from 1856 to 1929 and its frequency at the time was bi-weekly. William Hipgrave and Walter Craigie established
112-535: A few weeks later. Ward gained the nickname "Thunderbolt" during the Rutherford toll-bar robbery on 21 December when the toll-bar keeper told Police that the door burst open like the sound of a thunderbolt. The newspaper (Maitland Mercury) reported this and the name stuck. Nobody knew the identity of the hold-up man at that time. Over the following six-and-a-half years, Ward robbed mailmen, travellers, inns, stores and stations across much of northern New South Wales - from
168-555: A handful of times in the next eighteen months to commit robberies. On 25 May 1870, after allegedly robbing travellers near the Big Rock, Ward was shot and killed by Constable Alexander Binney Walker at Kentucky Creek near Uralla. His capture and death followed a difficult pursuit of several miles through rough terrain. The bushranger had spent his last few hours in and about the Royal Oak Inn, close by Split Rock, at Church Gully. There
224-490: A motion introduced by Nationals upper house whip Rick Colless . These alternative theories surrounding Ward's death, however, are believed to lack credibility, with the 2010 parliamentary standing order described as frivolous by some historians. Ward's relationship with Mary Ann Bugg had ended late in 1867, so he was perhaps unaware that Mary Ann Bugg gave birth to his namesake in August 1868. Frederick Wordsworth Ward Jnr took
280-402: A municipality in 1863 and was proclaimed a city in 1885. Although it does not lie between the two major cities of Sydney and Melbourne, a site just to the south of Armidale was, in the early 1900s, considered as a potential site for Australia's federal capital. Some saw its northerly location as better suited to all three eastern mainland states, including Queensland. Later, particularly in
336-606: A number of heritage-listed sites, including: The following notable people were either born in, currently live in or previously resided in Armidale [REDACTED] Armidale travel guide from Wikivoyage Captain Thunderbolt Frederick Wordsworth Ward (c. 1835 – 25 May 1870), better known by the self-styled pseudonym of Captain Thunderbolt , was an Australian bushranger renowned for escaping from Cockatoo Island , and also for his reputation as
392-510: A sentence of ten years with hard labour and were sent to the Cockatoo Island penal establishment. Released on tickets of leave after serving four years, Ward and his nephews settled in the Mudgee district where John Garbutt met and married a wealthy widow, Elizabeth Blackman, owner of Cooyal inn and station. They employed Fred to work for them at Cooyal. There Fred met Mary Ann Bugg , who
448-549: A stolen horse. On 11 September 1863 Ward and a companion, Frederick Britten, slipped away from their Cockatoo Island workgang and hid for two days before swimming from the north side of the island, almost certainly to Woolwich. While most Thunderbolt books claim that Mary Ann Bugg assisted Ward in his escape, others claim she in fact remained working in Dungog throughout Ward's second term on Cockatoo Island, and did not see him again until after his escape. Ward and Britten headed to
504-454: A street parade, stalls and celebrations throughout the city. It is a regular part of the city's attractions, often promoting Armidale's diverse culture (for instance, posters set up by council attempt to attract tourists with the motto "Foodies Thrive in Armidale") and autumn colours. During May the annual New England Wool Expo is staged to display wool fashions, handicrafts, demonstrations, shearing competitions, yard dog trials and demonstrations,
560-461: A wide range of courses, and introduced a number of new courses in 2008, including a five-year Bachelor of Medical Science and Doctor of Medicine program as part of a joint medical program with the University of Newcastle . The university is built around the historic mansion Booloominbah , which is now used for administration and houses a restaurant. UNE is one of the city's main employers. Armidale
616-616: A wool bale rolling competition and other activities. According to the 2021 census , there were 23,967 people in the Armidale significant urban area. Armidale is home to a Êzidî community of approximately 650. The Armidale railway station is on the Main North railway line and is served by daily passenger trains to and from Sydney. Armidale's airport has five daily scheduled flights to and from Sydney with Qantaslink . Link Airways operates scheduled services between Armidale and Brisbane. Armidale Airport , at 1,084 metres (3,556 ft),
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#1733093550620672-453: Is a major regional retail centre, housing three shopping malls : Armidale has a pedestrian mall which stretches over three blocks of Beardy Street in the centre of city. It features many shops and cafés with outdoor eating areas along with some notable architecture, including Tattersalls Hotel, built in the Art Deco style during the 1930s; Armidale Courthouse ; the city's main post office ;
728-502: Is a rural university town , home to the University of New England (UNE). Before the British colonial settlement of New South Wales, the indigenous Anaiwan tribe occupied the area that encompasses current day Armidale. British pastoralists first entered the region in the early 1830s, following the earlier exploration of the area by John Oxley . Oxley recommended the region for grazing, and soon squatters established large leaseholds in
784-537: Is an option to get around Armidale. A cycleway exists from the University of New England through the city to the residential areas on the eastern side of city. This cycleway snakes back towards Ben Venue School . The passage through the city provides easy access for cyclists to the shopping centres. Bicycle racks are in strategic locations around the city centre, including at The Armidale Food Emporium, The Armidale Plaza, and Centro Armidale. Places are also provided outside
840-435: Is much to support a contention that his judgement at that time was impaired by alcohol. Publican John Blanch, served the outlaw's last drinks at gun point. Thunderbolt ignored Eliza Blanch's warning to get away, the traps were in sight. Ward's body was identified at a magisterial inquiry the next day by the gunshot wound on the back of his left knee, as well as by his height, hair and eye colouring, and moles and warts noted in
896-477: Is the highest licensed airport in New South Wales. The city is linked further north by daily coach to Tenterfield provided by NSW TrainLink . Other bus companies such as Greyhound also provide numerous daily services. Local city services are provided on six different routes by Edwards Coaches and Armidale is serviced by 16 taxis . Although the hills to the north and the south can be a challenge, cycling
952-687: The Armidale Chronicle in 1929, the Uralla Times in 1983, and the New Englander in 1999. An arm, The Armidale Express Extra , was established in 1999 and won the top prize for journalism at the 2000 Country Press Association NSW Awards. Some editions of The Armidale Chronicle and The Armidale Express and New England General Advertiser have been digitised as part of the Australian Newspapers Digitisation Program of
1008-595: The Gara River Hydro-Electric Scheme , remains of which are still visible on the Gara River below the Blue Hole at Castle Doyle . The nearby town of Uralla holds the grave of the famous Captain Thunderbolt – outlaw Fred Ward – who caused trouble in the area in the 1860s. As with Ned Kelly , the locals have adopted him as a larrikin hero and make the most of him as a tourist attraction. Armidale became
1064-481: The Hunter Valley north to Queensland and from Tamworth nearly as far west as Bourke . He was accompanied by three other men, early in 1865, when he went on a crime spree in the north-western plains, but the gang disbanded after young John Thompson was shot and captured at Millie , near Moree. Later that same year, he joined forces with another two felons but his second gang disbanded soon after one of them, Jemmy
1120-542: The National Library of Australia . Armidale, New South Wales Armidale is a city in the Northern Tablelands , New South Wales , Australia. Armidale had a population of 23,967 as of the 2021 census. It is the administrative centre for the Northern Tablelands region. It is approximately halfway between Sydney and Brisbane at the junction of the New England Highway and Waterfall Way . Armidale
1176-505: The Police Gazette Reward Notice in the aftermath of his escape from Cockatoo Island. Additionally, three witnesses testified under oath that they could personally identify the body as that of Fred Ward: his former accomplice William Monckton, a fellow Mudgee employee named George William Pearson, and Senior Sergeant John George Balls who had worked on Cockatoo Island during Ward's incarceration there. Hundreds flocked to see
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#17330935506201232-446: The "New England" moniker and the autumn colours are notable features of the city. Summers are characterised by warm to very warm days followed almost always by cool, sometimes cold, nights. Thunderstorms often produce heavy falls of rain and occasionally hail in the afternoons and early evenings, also bringing a sudden drop in temperature. Unlike nearby coastal areas, Armidale does not usually experience high humidity levels making most of
1288-457: The "gentleman bushranger" and his lengthy survival, being the longest-roaming bushranger in Australian history. Frederick Ward was the son of convict Michael Ward, ("Indefatigable" 1815) and his wife Sophia, and was born in about 1835, the youngest of ten around the time his parents moved from Wilberforce to nearby Windsor . Ward entered the paid workforce at an early age, and was employed at
1344-484: The 1920s and 1930s, Armidale was one of the centres of separatist agitation by the New England New State Movement . Local politician, David Drummond , a strong supporter of the movement, successfully lobbied for Armidale to have the second teachers' college in New South Wales, and later a university , positioning the town as a potential state capital. Armidale is on the banks of Dumaresq Creek, in
1400-660: The Armidale Dumeresq War Memorial Library, and at either end of the Mall. A maze of marked cycleways on the shoulder of the roads in the city's southern residential areas allows cyclists to safely ride on the roads. There are also separate cycleways from the Armidale Arboretum along Kellys Plains Road to the south and from the north of the city along Rockvale Road to the Armidale State Forest (known as
1456-876: The Armidale Rams RLFC, and the Narwan Eels, a club with a distinct Indigenous influence. The Rams are based at Rugby League Park on Dumaresq St in Central Armidale, whilst the Eels are based at Newling Oval on the southern outskirts of the city. Other sports teams include the UNE New England Nomads (University AFL team) and various soccer teams in the local SportUNE League. The city is serviced by one local newspaper, many radio stations including four local outlets, and all major television stations. Subscription Television services are provided by Foxtel . Armidale has
1512-501: The New England district where they robbed a shepherd's hut at Gostwyck, near Uralla on 24 October. Three days later, while they were waiting to ambush the mail near the Big Rock or Split Rock (now Captain Thunderbolt's Rock ), they were spotted by troopers. In the ensuing gunfight, Ward was shot in the back of the left knee, an injury that left a critical identifying mark that helped to identify his body after his death. The pair separated
1568-747: The Northern Tablelands in the New England region about midway between Sydney and Brisbane at an altitude (980 m AHD ) ranging from 970 metres at the valley's floor to 1,110 metres above sea level at the crests of the hills. A short distance to the east of Armidale are heavily forested steep gorges dropping down to the eastern coastal plain. Large parts of the highlands are covered by Palaeozoic aged metamorphosed sedimentary rocks . Intruding into these meta-sediments are granite plutons which decompose to form sandy soil, slightly deficient in nutrients. There are also basalt flows which are more fertile for
1624-719: The Pine Forest by locals). The city is home to a large number of education facilities, including the Armidale School (1894), New England Girls' School (1895), Presbyterian Ladies' College (PLC Armidale) (1887), and the Armidale Waldorf School (1985), schools of the Australian independent education sector. O'Connor Catholic College (1975) and St Mary's Primary School are systemic Catholic schools . Armidale High School (1911) and Duval High School (1972) were government-funded secondary schools until their closing at
1680-419: The University of New England in 2007 found winter woodsmoke causes 8.8 additional visits per day to GPs in Armidale for respiratory complaints, i.e., about 750 additional visits per year. Another peer-reviewed study estimated the use of wood heaters in Armidale was responsible for about 11.5 premature deaths per year with estimated annual health cost of $ 14.95 million – about $ 4720 per year for every woodheater in
1736-614: The Whisperer, shot a policeman. There is no evidence Fred Ward actually ever shot at anyone during his bushranging career. He was known to show his guns rather than brandish them or discharge them. Instead he relied on superior horseflesh to make good his getaway. He is credited with having stolen or commandeered over 40 thoroughbred racehorses in his time on the road. Thereafter Ward employed only young malleable accomplices: Thomas Mason in 1867 and William Monckton in 1868. After Monckton left him, Ward remained largely in seclusion, surfacing only
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1792-655: The age of eleven by the owners of "Aberbaldie Station" near Walcha as a "generally useful hand" although he remained with them for only a short time. He worked at many stations in northern NSW over the next 10 years, including the famed horse-stud Tocal , and his horsemanship skills soon became evident. Buckbreaking became one of his most important duties. Not much is known about Michael and Sophia's early married life, but they had ten children; William "Harry", Sophia Jane, Sarah Ann, Amelia "Emily", Edward B, Joshua, George E, Esther P, Selina Maria and Frederick Wordsworth (a.k.a. Thunderbolt). In 1856 Ward's nephew John Garbutt became
1848-520: The body and a large sum was raised by the local community as a gesture of appreciation for Constable Walker. Walker, along with several others, was eventually awarded a silver medal for bravery. It has been speculated Ward did not die at Kentucky Creek on 25 May 1870, with some people believing another man died instead. In March 2010, the NSW Legislative Council went so far as to demand the release of archival records relating to Ward's death,
1904-441: The city. Armidale has a subtropical highland climate ( Köppen : Cfb ). Armidale's elevation gives it a milder climate than most of northern New South Wales, but the summers are still very warm. Winters are long and cool, with many frosty nights. Snowfall is somewhat rare, on average only one day in every three years. In Armidale, the presence of four distinct seasons makes it climatically unlike much of inland Australia; hence,
1960-551: The creation of one-way streets . The most popular sport in Armidale is rugby union . The city has four teams in the New England Rugby Union : Armidale Blues, Barbarians, Robb College, St. Albert's College, the latter two of which are made up of primarily university students staying on residence at the respective colleges. A close second in popularity in the city is rugby league . Armidale has two teams competing in Group 19 ,
2016-628: The end of 2018. In 2019, the two schools were combined into one in the form of Armidale Secondary College , which is located on what was the Armidale High School campus. It was previously located on the Duval High School campus as a placeholder while the Armidale High campus was partially demolished. Approximately 27% of Armidale's total population is in the 10–24-year age group, compared with an equivalent NSW figure of 18%. The university
2072-652: The former Commonwealth Bank and the New England Hotel. The mall was opened in 1973 and was the first of its kind in regional Australia. Armidale Dumaresq Council has been undertaking major upgrades to the mall since 2003 as part of the Armidale CBD Streetscape Design Project which aims at easing traffic in the city centre by creating an emphasis on the "ring road" around the CBD with the assistance of signage , elevation of roads using paving and
2128-466: The founding settlers who had beards. The court house was built in the 1850s and is still a prominent feature of the central district. Much of the rest of the city is residential. The Australian Wool Fashion Awards, which showcases the use of Merino wool by fashion designers, are hosted by Armidale in March each year. The Autumn Festival is a popular annual event of April in Armidale. The festival features
2184-625: The ground; at the Tree Group Nursery station a reading as low as −11.2 °C or 11.8 °F was record on 30 June 2010, whilst the older station at Radio 2AD recorded −9.3 °C or 15.3 °F on 15 July 1970. These cold frosty mornings are usually followed by sunny days. Day temperatures may make it as high as 16 °C or 60.8 °F, but sometimes may not climb beyond 10 °C or 50 °F. These are typical Northern Tablelands winter days with westerly winds, bleak grey clouds, and showers of rain and very occasionally snow. Rainfall during
2240-680: The locality. Armidale was initially founded in 1839 by George James MacDonald who was the Commissioner of Crown Lands and head of the local Border Police detachment in the New England district. MacDonald established his barracks on the site and named it after Armadale on the Isle of Skye in Scotland which was the ancestral home of the MacDonald clan. The James Barnet -designed heritage-listed Armidale Post Office opened on 1 April 1843. The town, which
2296-554: The newspaper and were the first editors, using the Express to promote their political views. They briefly sold the paper to Owen Gorman in 1858, but regained ownership in 1859. Editorials for the Express in the 1890s initially opposed moves towards Federation . In 1929, the title was changed to The Armidale Express in 1929 and it remains in publication under that masthead. Its circulation increased from 2,673 in 1950 to 4,394 in 1970. It has absorbed three other local newspapers since 1929:
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2352-483: The original St Peter's Church, was designed by the Canadian architect John Horbury Hunt , who also designed Booloominbah at the University of New England . St Peter's Cathedral opened for worship in 1875 and the tower was added in 1938. The Catholic Cathedral of St Mary and St Joseph was dedicated on 12 December 1919. The city centre is laid out in a grid of streets. The main street is called Beardy Street, named for two of
2408-460: The problem by arriving in Mudgee on a "stolen" horse (although the owner admitted at Ward's trial that the horse had simply gone missing from his property, that he had "heard" that it had been seen near Cooyal but that he had not attempted to retrieve it). Ward was sent back to Cockatoo Island to serve the remaining six years of his original sentence plus an additional three years for being in possession of
2464-570: The ringleader of a large horse and cattle stealing operation, and enticed other members of the extended Ward family to join him. Fred Ward helped drive some four dozen of the stolen horses from the Lambs Valley property of his brother William to Windsor where they were sold at auction. Ward and his nephews John and James Garbutt were all convicted, the Garbutts of horse-stealing and Ward of receiving stolen horses knowing them to be stolen. They each received
2520-574: The soil substrates. Those areas away from the deep gorge country tend to display gently undulating terrain mainly used for pastures and where granites occur the areas are usually covered in bushland. The area contains a number of places of outstanding natural beauty and scientific interest as well as several World Heritage national parks including the New England National Park and the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park . To
2576-447: The start of summer. Armidale has been prone to severe hailstorms and experienced three such storms over the ten-year period from 1996 to 2006. On 29 September 1996 hail of up to 80 millimetres (3.1 in) in diameter and southerly winds of up to 150 kilometres per hour (93 mph) were reported at the airport weather station. The area was declared a disaster zone and State Emergency Service crews were brought in from across
2632-514: The state. Damage was estimated to be in excess of A$ 200 million. On 1 January 2000 many homes were damaged by extreme weather conditions which brought large hail stones, strong winds and flash flooding . On 21 December 2006 hail stones, high winds and flash flooding damaged more than 1,000 homes and destroyed the Armidale Livestock Exhibition Centre which collapsed entirely under the weight of accumulated hail. The city
2688-466: The summer days quite comfortable. Temperatures exceed 30 °C or 86 °F on an average of 13 afternoons per year, but rarely reach higher than 35 °C or 95 °F. The highest temperature recorded at Armidale Airport was 37.1 °C (98.8 °F), recorded in February 2017. As the leaves turn yellow and fall, day temperatures are mostly still warm, particularly in March and April. Days are sunny,
2744-455: The surname of his stepfather although by occupation he walked in the shoes of his birth-father. He became a groom and later a horse-trainer, and died unmarried as Frederick Wordsworth Burrows in 1937. The legend of Thunderbolt is exhibited at McCrossin's Mill Museum in Uralla and includes the series of nine paintings by Phillip Pomroy of the events that led to Fred Ward's death. Thunderbolts Way
2800-449: The thunderstorm season is over, and rain becomes more sporadic. Nights become colder, and residents often awake to a thick fog blanketing the Armidale valley, but by 9 am fogs have cleared to be followed by a bright sunny day. The year's first frosts usually occur in April, but they are not severe. Winters are cold; overnight temperatures drop below −5 °C or 23 °F with frost on
2856-535: The west is Mount Yarrowyck Nature Reserve. The critically endangered New England Peppermint Grassy Woodland is the main vegetation community in the region. The coastal plain can be reached directly at Coffs Harbour via Waterfall Way to Dorrigo and Bellingen on the Bellinger River , a two-hour drive. During winter there is a problem with some air quality reduction caused by the use of solid fuel domestic wood heaters. A peer-reviewed study carried out by
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#17330935506202912-610: The winter months is not infrequent but is usually light. In spring temperatures are warmer, although occasional morning frosts still can continue well into October. September is usually a pleasantly mild but windy month, and by late October with increasing heat and humidity the thunderstorm season is starting with increasing rainfalls. The spring months produce the most variable weather of the year. A week of very warm sunny weather can be followed by several milder days with temperatures right back at winter levels before gradually warming up again. This cycle often repeats itself many times until
2968-466: Was declared a state of emergency by New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma the following day. On the night of 14 October 2021 at 10pm, an intense storm produced a tornado causing extensive damage. It tore away roofs and turned vehicles upside down. Armidale is a cathedral city, being the seat of the Anglican and Roman Catholic bishops of Armidale. St Peter's Anglican Cathedral, which replaced
3024-428: Was founded in 1938, at first as a college of the University of Sydney , but then in its own right in 1954. The UNE contributes to Armidale's position as a city of culture and diversity, with a vibrant artistic and cultural element. The university has strong links to the rural community, and undertakes a lot of agricultural research. There is also a high-technology presence, as well as notable humanities teaching. UNE hosts
3080-405: Was surveyed in 1848 and gazetted in 1849, was established to provide a market and administration for the farms, but soon after gold was discovered at nearby Rocky River and Gara Gorges, and a gold rush ensued, enlarging the town rapidly in the 1850s. The gold mining settlement of Hillgrove about 40 km east of Armidale was supplied by electricity from Australia's first hydro-electric scheme,
3136-439: Was then living with ex-convict James McNally and her children at their Cooyal farm. Mary Ann fell pregnant with Fred's child a short time later. In breach of ticket-of-leave regulations, Ward left the Mudgee district to take Mary Ann back to her father's farm at Monkerai near Dungog for the baby's delivery. He returned late for his three-monthly muster and, consequently, the authorities revoked his ticket-of-leave. Ward compounded
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