53-590: The Moree Champion , previously published as the North West Champion , is a bi-weekly English language newspaper published in the Shire of Moree , New South Wales , Australia . The newspaper was first published in 1912. It is published each Tuesday and Thursday and is distributed throughout the north west region of New South Wales. The paper was first published in 1912 as the North West Champion . In 1968,
106-473: A Kamilaroi term believed to mean either "long waterhole", "rising sun", or "long spring") which was formed by James Cox in 1838. Conflict between the colonists and Aboriginal people occurred soon after the arrival of the pastoralists. The whites murdered hundreds of Aboriginal people. Both groups of squatters and the New South Wales Mounted Police conducted punitive expeditions against
159-471: A pastoral squatter and headed north with his assigned servants and herds of livestock to take up leaseholds in the uncolonised areas. Accompanying him were his nephews, Joseph Fleming and John Henry Fleming . Together they began claiming land on the Namoi River near to where the present day town of Manilla now stands, with Hall naming his run 'Cuerindi'. In 1836, Hall advanced further north and took up
212-462: A "terrible retribution upon the blacks". The creek running through Bingara is named Hall's Creek after Thomas Simpson Hall. In 1838 he formed 'Wee Bolla Bolla' on the Mehi River , just east of present-day Moree . His nephews, Joseph and John Fleming, established another of their leaseholds nearby at 'Mungie Bundie'. More conflict between the advancing colonists and local Aboriginal people ensued, with
265-436: A Progressive Association in 1951. They had a public address system and a football club, which played in the district competition. The manager's wife ran a girl guides troop and there was a boys' club. An Aboriginal reserve was declared on 17 July 1970 (effective 21 August 1970), and revoked on 20 September 1974. Other reserves and places of Aboriginal significance at nearby at Terry Hie Hie , and one called Wirajarai on
318-528: A flood peak of 10.60 metres (34.8 ft). Nearly three quarters of the buildings in north Moree either had floodwater surrounding them or water in them. This included the central business district. In February 2001, another major flood peak was recorded in Moree. There were a few houses with over floor flooding. Before the flood, nearly 250 millimetres or 10 inches fell at Moree Airport within 48 hours. In November 2011, major flooding affected parts of Moree, with
371-697: A free settler of 'Mungie Bundie' station; in June 1838 he initiated the Myall Creek massacre . Those Kamilaroi who stayed in the region continued to be killed, including nine who died in a massacre by Charles Eyles at Pallamallawa , also in 1838. The Kamilaroi also suffered deaths from new infectious diseases, to which they had no immunity , displacement, and lack of access to life-sustaining resources. The pastoralists took over their water holes and hunting grounds. The Aboriginal people resorted to poaching of livestock to survive, and cycles of retaliation between settlers and
424-416: A large, racially charged brawl between young white and black men, gangs of white men went around Moree shooting at Aboriginal people. Geoffrey Wilmot, Warren Ledingham, Steven Delamothe and Ian Bowen, armed with semi-automatic rifles and shot-guns, wounded several Aboriginal people, and killed nineteen-year-old Ronald McIntosh. Ledingham and Delamothe were later found guilty of manslaughter in ths case. After
477-748: A leading breeder of Shorthorn cattle in Australia and developed a type of working dog called the Halls Heeler , from which the Australian cattle dog is descended. Hall was born in 1808 at Bungool on the Hawkesbury River , son of George Hall and his wife Mary Smith. His parents were Presbyterian farming immigrants from Northumberland who had arrived in New South Wales in 1802 aboard the Coromandel . With
530-448: A peak of 10.21 metres (33.5 ft). People were urged to evacuate from parts of north Moree and houses were flooded. Nearly 225 millimetres or 9 inches of rain was recorded over 72 hours with 112 millimetres (4.41 in) falling in the final 24 hours of rainfall. Moree and numerous other shires were declared natural disaster zones. In February 2012, major flooding again occurred in Moree. Peaking just 10 centimetres (3.9 in) above
583-602: A select group of other Presbyterian colonists, the Halls were given a land grant at Portland Head on the Hawkesbury, where they established farms and helped build the Ebenezer Church , the oldest existing church on mainland Australia. The Halls expanded their property around Portland Head to include Percy Place (Mekoorabon) and Bungool. George Hall's children married into the other Portland Head Presbyterian families who had arrived on
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#1733086007227636-540: Is a major agricultural centre, noted for its part in the Australian cotton -growing industry, which was established there in the early 1960s. It is situated in the Moree Plains Shire . Moree is noted for artesian hot spring baths that are renowned for their reputed healing qualities. At the 2021 census , the town of Moree had a population of 7,070. The Weraerai and Kamilaroi peoples, whose descendants live in
689-414: Is moderately low, 577.8 mm (22.75 in), and is spread across 75.9 precipitation days. The town is quite sunny, experiencing 155.2 clear days and 80.6 cloudy days per annum. Extreme temperatures have ranged from 47.3 °C (117.1 °F) on 3 January 2014 and on 12 February 2017 to −4.3 °C (24.3 °F) on 2 July 2002. In January 1910 floods in the Moree district caused numerous washouts of
742-485: The 'Bingara' leasehold on the Gwydir River . When establishing 'Bingara', the local Aborigines resisted Hall's incursion and both Aboriginal and Europeans were killed in the resulting skirmishes. Hall himself received a spear wound to his head during one of these battles. A detachment of New South Wales Mounted Police under Sergeant John Temple were dispatched to the area and, accompanied by Hall's armed stockmen, exacted
795-512: The 2021 Australian census , there were 7,070 people registered in the town. Of these, nearly a quarter identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander . Around 70 per cent of the population were born in Australia. Moree is home to artesian hot spring baths that are famous for their reputed healing qualities. Long before the arrival of the British colonists, the Aboriginal people made use of
848-793: The Coromandel such as the Howes, the Johnstons and the Turnbulls, and together they established a wealthy and politically significant colonial farming dynasty. In 1824, the Hall family received further extensive land grants in the fertile regions of the Hunter Valley , namely at Gundebri and Dartbrook . Thomas Simpson Hall, together with his brothers Ebenezer and Matthew, established cattle stations and sheep stations at these properties with Thomas organising most of
901-453: The Myall Creek massacre . Hall was called upon by the police and government to give evidence at the trial of the Myall Creek killers. He testified that Oates was an 'inoffensive man' but his employee was nevertheless hanged for his involvement in the massacre. His nephew Fleming escaped arrest and was never tried for his involvement in the crime. Hall was also called upon to give evidence in
954-577: The Native Police were utilised. By 1851, Fleming and Hall had taken possession of hundreds of thousands of acres of land along the Balonne River, from Donga Creek through to Yuleba and Bungil Creeks . Some of Hall's leaseholds in this region were amalgamated to form Noorindoo Station . From the early 1850s, Hall employed managers to run his properties and lived most of his time in prosperity at Dartbrook, while also contributing to colonial society at
1007-473: The 1850s. They forced the local Aboriginal residents in missions , and later Aboriginal reserves . The town, and in particular the Moree Baths and Swimming Pool , are known for having been visited by the group of activists on the famous 1965 Freedom Ride . This historic trip through northern NSW was led by Charles Perkins to bring media attention to discrimination against Indigenous Australians . Moree
1060-477: The February 1976 floods at 10.69 metres (35.1 ft), the water inundated hundreds of houses in and around Moree. the floods were the second highest ever recorded in Moree. Nearly the whole of north Moree had water in the streets. The whole of north Moree was told to evacuate the day before the flood peak, including the nearby villages of Yarraman , Gwydirfield , Bendygleet , Pallamallawa and Biniguy . Some of
1113-469: The Gwydir Olive Grove Company was established when two Moree families started producing olive oil from olives grown in the area. Moree was one of the destinations of the famous 1965 Freedom Bus ride , a historic trip through northern NSW led by activist Charles Perkins to bring media attention to discrimination against Indigenous Australians . The racial segregation of rural Australia
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#17330860072271166-587: The Gwydir River. In 2007 the Moree Plains Council announced plans for a $ 14m upgrade to the hot thermal baths. The Steel Bridge Aboriginal Campsite is a site of moderate to high Aboriginal cultural and social significance. 6 km (3.7 mi) outside town, the Gamilaroi Nature Reserve and Terry Hie Hie reserve are also of cultural and historical significance to Aboriginal people. In
1219-401: The Hawkesbury settlements around Windsor and Ebenezer. He became a leading producer of shorthorn cattle. Hall also experimented in dog breeding to produce a prototype cattle dog from the breeding of dingos with a type of Scottish collie. This breed was called the Halls Heeler , which were later refined by others through further breeding to create the Australian cattle dog . Hall is regarded as
1272-772: The Mehi River peaking at 10.50 m (34.4 ft) Some 4,000 residents had been told to evacuate in advance of the rains. This was part of an event that caused major flood levels state wide . The most popular sport in Moree by a wide margin is rugby league . There are two rugby league teams from the town, the Moree Boars of Group 4 , and the famous Aboriginal team the Moree Boomerangs of Group 19 . The teams play at Boughton Oval and Burt Jovanovich Oval, respectively, often in front of many spectators. Thomas Simpson Hall Thomas Simpson Hall (19 August 1808 – 28 May 1870)
1325-492: The New South Wales Aborigines Welfare Board was doing in its 19 Aboriginal reserves for "the uplift and welfare of the aborigines in this district". The station was managed by a Mr E. Morgan. It had a school with a headmaster and two assistants, where girls were taught cookery and sewing. There were 118 students at the school, and some were brought by bus from nearby camps. The residents had formed
1378-483: The access to markets and goods for both producers and consumers in the town. Wheat cultivation increased after World War II, and a flour mill was built at Moree in 1951. Other new crops were added. The first commercial pecan nut farm was established on the Gwydir Highway east of Moree in 1966. The Trawalla Pecan Nut Farm is the largest pecan nut farm in the southern hemisphere, growing about 75,000 trees. In 1994
1431-415: The centre of the rich black-soil plains. Newell and Gwydir highways intersect at the town. It can also be reached from Sydney by daily train and air services. The Weraerai and Kamilaroi peoples are the earliest known inhabitants of the area, and the town's name is said to come from an Aboriginal word for "rising sun," "long spring," or "water hole". The town was established by colonial British in
1484-414: The colonial government sending another force of New South Wales mounted police troopers to quell the Aboriginal resistance. This force arrived in the region in early 1838 and was led by Major James Nunn. Hall and two of his stockmen accompanied Nunn's militia on their patrol through the region. They arrested 15 Aboriginal men and shot one dead for the killing of one of Hall's stockman at 'Bingara'. Days later,
1537-525: The colonists. In January 1832, Mitchell crossed what is now known as the Mehi River around ten kilometres east of where the town Moree is now located. Squatters soon followed in Mitchell's wake, establishing pastoral runs in the vicinity, among which were 'Mungie Bundie' formed by brothers John Henry Fleming and Joseph Fleming in 1837, 'Boolooroo' formed by Robert Marshall in 1837, 'Wee Bolla Bolla' formed by Thomas Simpson Hall in 1838, and 'Mooree' (from
1590-538: The completion of the ground floor. (The building is now heritage listed.) The second storey was added in 1903. In 1895 the Great Artesian Basin , which sits under Moree, was tapped; it yields more than thirteen megalitres of water daily. The bore was sunk to 3,000 ft (910 m) deep in order to provide water for agricultural pursuits, but was proved to be unsuitable for this purpose. The railway line and service from Sydney arrived in 1897. This increased
1643-487: The force shot dead around 40 Aborigines near Gurley in what has become known as the Waterloo Creek massacre . In June 1838, Hall became associated with another massacre of Aboriginal people in the region. Hall's nephew, John Henry Fleming formed a gang of stockmen which included James Oates who was employed by Hall at his 'Bingara' property. This gang murdered around 28 Aboriginal people, mostly women and children, in
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1696-534: The frontiers of the colony in what is now Queensland . This time they drove thousands of head of cattle to the upper Balonne River where Fleming formed the Talavera run, with Hall establishing the neighbouring runs of Surat , Colgoon, Yamboucal and Weribone . Aboriginal resistance was fierce and while establishing these runs, their men had a large battle with the local Mandandanji people killing around fifty of them. A force of Border Police under John Henry Durbin
1749-557: The government establishment the Aboriginal Protection Board (APB) in 1883, it developed Aboriginal reserves , where the indigenous people were supposed to live. The so-called Aborigines Protection Act 1909 enabled the government to conduct forced removals of children from the reserves , for education and welfare. Children of mixed race , called half-caste were among those removed, so that they could be raised with white people. To avoid this, Aboriginal families often left
1802-418: The highest recorded major flood hit Moree, with a record flood peak of 10.85 metres (35.6 ft). Most of the central business district of the town and 800 homes were flooded. In February 1971 a major flood affected the town, with a flood peak of 10.35 metres (34.0 ft). Four hundred people were evacuated and the township was isolated for two weeks. In February 1976, another major flood hit Moree, with
1855-579: The hot springs. BAMM: Bank Art Museum Moree, until 2018 known as Moree Plains Gallery, holds a significant collection of Aboriginal art . It was established and run by Moree Plains Shire Council until 2018, when the Moree Cultural Art Foundation took over management of the gallery. It also holds a series of photographs of people from the two Moree missions, called A common place: Portraits of Moree Murries , created in 1990 by Michael Riley , an Indigenous artist. His mother grew up on one of
1908-468: The indigenous people continued. The local Aboriginal people mostly suffer second-class status today. In 1851 James Brand and Mary Geddes arrived with their Aboriginal servant girl Jane Laney. They built a general store on the banks of the river in 1852. They added a post office was added the following year. The family sold up and moved to the Hunter Region in 1857 but James died in 1858. The widowed Mary
1961-465: The inquiry into the killings conducted by Major James Nunn, but charges were never pursued. Hall's 'Wee Bolla Bolla' station later became a highly valued property for the raising of shorthorn cattle. It was sold to the Munro family in the 1870s who have maintained ownership of the property to the present day. In 1848, Hall again linked up with his nephew Joseph Fleming to establish new pastoral interests on
2014-447: The local Kamilaroi in what was termed at the time "a war of extermination". For example, a large massacre of Aborigines occurred at John Cobb's Gravesend station in 1837, while in 1838 Major James Nunn and his mounted police killed at least forty at Waterloo Creek . Some of the surviving Mehi and Gwydir River Aborigines fled east to avoid the massacres. They were pursued by gangs of colonists, including one led by John Henry Fleming ,
2067-494: The lower parts of south Moree became inundated with flooding. It was expected to be the worst flooding in 35 years. No fatalities were recorded. Nearly 190 millimetres (7.48 in) of rain was recorded at the Moree Meteorological Station in the 72 hours before the flood. In March 2021, heavy rainfall affected North and East NSW, causing major flooding. On 23 March, Moree received 150 mm (5.9 in), which
2120-528: The missions. Moree possesses a semi-arid-influenced humid subtropical climate ( Köppen: Cfa), with hot, relatively wet summers and mild, dry winters with cool nights. Average maxima vary from 34.4 °C (93.9 °F) in January to 18.4 °C (65.1 °F) in July while average minima fluctuate between 20.5 °C (68.9 °F) in January and 4.6 °C (40.3 °F) in July. Mean average annual precipitation
2173-481: The newspaper was the first provincial press to convert from letterpress printing to high resolution web offset printing. The newspaper's proprietor, Harry Sullivan, commemorated the change with a new title. On 21 March 1968, the Moree Champion , Vol. 1, No. 1, new series, was published as a sixty four page issue containing some sections in colour. In September 2024, Australian Community Media announced it will shutter
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2226-485: The on-the-ground work. On the latter property he built "Dartbrook House" with loopholes incorporated into the exterior walls to enable sheltered shooting at Aborigines and bushrangers who attempted to approach the mansion. Dartbrook proved to be a very productive farm, and the sheep and shorthorn cattle reared there became the stock for Hall's further pastoral expansion to the north. After marrying Anne McGinnis in 1835, Hall decided to add to his landed assets by becoming
2279-598: The paper. The paper has been digitised as part of the Australian Newspapers Digitisation Program hosted by the National Library of Australia in cooperation with the State Library of New South Wales . Moree, New South Wales Moree ( / m ɔː r iː / ) is a town in Moree Plains Shire in northern New South Wales , Australia. It is located on the banks of the Mehi River , in
2332-420: The railway to the town. An unknown number of livestock were drowned, and at least four people drowned in the Moree area. In January 1946 a flood cut the township in two, and damaged several hundred homes. The flood waters affected the local power station and caused a blackout. The floods also damaged roads and railway lines in the region. The Gwydir River bridge at Moree was also damaged. In February 1955
2385-639: The reserves in order to escape white oversight, setting up fringe camps around towns to survive. Moree Mission Aboriginal School was operating by 1933. Aboriginal people moved from the Terry Hie Hie reserve, south-east of Moree, in the early 1920s to escape the forced removals by the APB of Aboriginal and " half-caste " children from their families. They created an informal settlement at Moree known as Top Camp, which existed until 1967. Steel Bridge Camp and Top Camp were both associated with Terry Hie Hie. Middle Camp
2438-478: The town, were the earliest known inhabitants of the area. In 1832, Major Thomas Mitchell led a large expedition to the district after escaped convict George Clarke told the colonial authorities of the supposed existence of a great river called the "Kindur" that flowed through the region. Clarke had been a bushranger living a mostly tribal lifestyle with a Kamilaroi clan in the area to the south from 1827 to 1831. He had gained geographical knowledge important to
2491-452: Was an Anglo-Australian pastoralist who was at the forefront of British colonial expansion into what is now northern New South Wales and southern Queensland . He established large pastoral leases in these areas on Aboriginal lands and was subsequently involved in considerable frontier conflict with these original occupants. Hall was a pioneer of the British settlements of Dartbrook , Manilla , Bingara , Moree and Surat . He also became
2544-477: Was brought to the attention of urban Australians, in particular at the Moree Baths and Swimming Pool . Aboriginal people were also refused entry to pubs and theatres. At the Moree swimming pool, after the Freedom Riders confronted the local council and pool management, they agreed to allow Indigenous children to swim in the pool outside school hours. Tensions and discrimination have continued. In 1982, after
2597-466: Was built in 1867, when the town had a population of 43. As closer settlement proceeded, agriculture emerged as a thriving industry on the fertile flood plains. Banking began in 1876. The first local newspaper was set up in 1881, at which time the population was 295. The town became a municipality in 1890. During 1894 construction of the Federation-style lands office started; it ended that year with
2650-460: Was established on the other side of town, next to the Mehi River , and Bottom Camp further downstream. In 1953 this latter camp was enlarged into a station known as Mehi Crescent Reserve or Mehi Mission. "Moree Aborigines' Station" was in 1953 described as "a little over two miles west of the town on the left bank of the Mehi". C. F. Boughton, in an article in the North West Champion , describes what
2703-414: Was left with six children to support. She returned to Moree to open another business, and in 1861 she opened the community's first inn. Moree was gazetted as a town in 1862, with land sales proceeding that year. A court of petty sessions was established in 1863. A severe flood took place in 1864. The first constable arrived and a police station was set up in 1865. The first church ( Wesleyan Methodist)
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#17330860072272756-601: Was sent to Yamboucal to assist the colonists but found themselves under siege from the Mandandanji. According to some reports, a large number of Aborigines were killed breaking this siege. To maintain occupation of the land, Hall and Fleming had to maintain a private force of 12 men to fight "against native blacks". In the early 1850s, their managers on these properties, James Norman, Dick Walker and D.W. Duncomb, participated in further killings of Aboriginal people including large massacres at Yamboucal and Donga Creek where troopers of
2809-399: Was the second-wettest day on record for any month since February 1888. Flood levels on the Mehi River reached 14.2 metres or 46.6 feet on 25 of March. (0.4m below the 1955 record of 10.85 metres or 35.6 feet) The total rainfall for March 2021 was 263.4 millimetres or 10.37 inches as against an average of 62.8 millimetres or 2.47 inches In October 2022, Moree experienced major flooding with
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