17 October 2010

Towns that cross borders!

| nanzan
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It’s such a bitch of a day outside today, I thought I would be brave and attempt to start a very important thread.

I would like to posit that the ACT is very unique in Australia in that it is home to possibly the nation’s only two towns – or localities – that traverse a state border.

That is to say, Williamsdale and Royalla, are to be found in both the ACT and NSW. People (not the same people) can be found happily living on both sides of the state border in these places – and the place name and the postcode is the same on both sounds of the state line. Only the jurisdiction changes.

I know of no other instance of this in Australia. (Before you suggest Hall – only the ACT side is officially known as Hall; cross the border into NSW and, officially, you enter Wallaroo or Spring Range.)

Am I wrong? Do I have too much time on my hands?

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Given that the only way to access the ACT by road is, of course, through NSW, it is kind of nice to know that there is a part of NSW that can only be accessed by road through the ACT.

nanzan said :

I drove past the intersection of Wallaroo Road and Barton Highway today and noticed that there is now a sign there saying that Wallaroo Road is a “NO THROUGH ROAD”.

Wallaroo Road is actually a dead end…

Makes me wonder if there has been some change of status I am unaware of. I shall ask around and get back to ya’ll.

p1 said :

nanzan said :

Well, technically, there is public access at the other end of Wallaroo Rd, accross McCarthy Rd, over the low level crossing and then along Hawthorn and Horseshoe Roads.

Although this crosses peoples properties, it is public access. The crazy guy that lives just over the river has been know to try and block people from accessing the river and driving over his property though.

I drove past the intersection of Wallaroo Road and Barton Highway today and noticed that there is now a sign there saying that Wallaroo Road is a “NO THROUGH ROAD”.

Bananabanana10:03 pm 18 Oct 10

I cross the border at the level crossing on Old Cooma Rd (near Royalla) twice each day.
In recent months the signs have been removed from the ACT side. I can come barrelling along at 100kms and cross the track without looking for trains.
However, on the NSW side the signs remain, warning me to look for trains and that a level crossing is ahead.
I always imagine a “Malcolm” style bisected train that runs only on the NSW side of the track.

Holden Caulfield said :

p1 said :

We tried that approach from the Canberra/Hall side just a couple of weeks ago. The approach to the river crossing is fairly clearly marked with “NO ENTRY” signs and the like.

Ahh, don’t let that stop you. 😉

nanzan said :

krasny said :

Thank you for that krasny – I had never hear of Mungindi until now.

I’ve driven through it before on my way between the ‘Berra and my folks’ place in rural Queensland. Must be a laugh during daylight savings – start on the side of town where the pubs open earlier and cross the Barwon once it shuts to get in another hour of drinking?

Holden Caulfield1:43 pm 18 Oct 10

p1 said :

Well, technically, there is public access at the other end of Wallaroo Rd, accross McCarthy Rd, over the low level crossing and then along Hawthorn and Horseshoe Roads.

Although this crosses peoples properties, it is public access. The crazy guy that lives just over the river has been know to try and block people from accessing the river and driving over his property though.

We tried that approach from the Canberra/Hall side just a couple of weeks ago. The approach to the river crossing is fairly clearly marked with “NO ENTRY” signs and the like.

We chickened out.

krasny said :

Y’all have forgotten Mungindi, which is on both sides of the Barwon River along the Carnarvon Highway – you could blink and miss it, though. Most are, like Hall/Wallaroo, Albury-Wodonga and Twin Towns (Coolangatta/Tweed Heads), called different things on either side of the border.

Thank you for that krasny – I had never hear of Mungindi until now.

According to this Wikipedia article, Mungindi is the only town in the southern hemisphere which straddles a border and keeps the same name on both sides: http://www.answers.com/topic/mungindi-new-south-wales

Y’all have forgotten Mungindi, which is on both sides of the Barwon River along the Carnarvon Highway – you could blink and miss it, though. Most are, like Hall/Wallaroo, Albury-Wodonga and Twin Towns (Coolangatta/Tweed Heads), called different things on either side of the border.

nanzan said :

Thanks p1 – that’s just the sort of information I was looking for – even though it sort of contradicts my comment re Wallaroo! Do you suggest I try the route out? Is it a good drive? Will I get shot at? Do I have to open and close gates (hate that!)?

For some reason Yass Valley Shire Council has refused to signpost Wallaroo as Wallaroo – for fear, perhaps, that the locals who like to refer to the area as Hall, would take the signs down….

It’s a pretty standard dirt road, perfectly passable in most normal cars (you might want to leave the Ferrari at home). No gates, a several cattle grids.

I’ve never been shot at there, but I have heard stories…

It can be a pleasant cruise through the country. Nothing really exciting (well, maybe right now, with the river up), but it is beautiful country side, and weaving through the back roads to Wee Jasper is a nice way to spend a day.

buzz819 said :

Hmm not really a town that crosses a border, but an independent country within Australia? It can be found in Western Australia.

http://www.suite101.com/content/the-hutt-river-province-a13833

Except that it isn’t recognised as a country by… well, anyone.

p1 said :

nanzan said :

Well, technically, there is public access at the other end of Wallaroo Rd, accross McCarthy Rd, over the low level crossing and then along Hawthorn and Horseshoe Roads.

Although this crosses peoples properties, it is public access. The crazy guy that lives just over the river has been know to try and block people from accessing the river and driving over his property though.

Thanks p1 – that’s just the sort of information I was looking for – even though it sort of contradicts my comment re Wallaroo! Do you suggest I try the route out? Is it a good drive? Will I get shot at? Do I have to open and close gates (hate that!)?

For some reason Yass Valley Shire Council has refused to signpost Wallaroo as Wallaroo – for fear, perhaps, that the locals who like to refer to the area as Hall, would take the signs down….

nanzan said :

Interestingly, Wallaroo, NSW, on the other side of the border from Hall in the ACT, may also be unique in Australia in that although it is in New South Wales (in the Shire of Yass Valley, in fact) it is only accessible via the Australian Capital Territory! The single public road – in and out – traverses the ACT.

(And in case you are wondering, Wallaroo consists of four wineries, two bed and breakfasts, a horse riding centre and cafe, an olive grove, a fire station, a monastery, and lots and lots of farms.)

Well, technically, there is public access at the other end of Wallaroo Rd, accross McCarthy Rd, over the low level crossing and then along Hawthorn and Horseshoe Roads.

Although this crosses peoples properties, it is public access. The crazy guy that lives just over the river has been know to try and block people from accessing the river and driving over his property though.

Pommy bastard8:02 am 18 Oct 10

I would like to posit that the ACT is very unique in Australia in that it is home to possibly the nation’s only two towns – or localities – that traverse a state border.

Lovely logical fallacy there.

If these towns do cross the border, then the phenomena also occurs in NSW, rendering this unique “graduated uniqueness” null and void.

Ps. ML-585, you wouldn’t be an Alan Partridge fan would you?

Hmm not really a town that crosses a border, but an independent country within Australia? It can be found in Western Australia.

http://www.suite101.com/content/the-hutt-river-province-a13833

“The single public road – in and out – traverses the ACT.”

As does the Kings Hwy on the way to the coast. Nothing remarkable there

Interestingly, Wallaroo, NSW, on the other side of the border from Hall in the ACT, may also be unique in Australia in that although it is in New South Wales (in the Shire of Yass Valley, in fact) it is only accessible via the Australian Capital Territory! The single public road – in and out – traverses the ACT.

(And in case you are wondering, Wallaroo consists of four wineries, two bed and breakfasts, a horse riding centre and cafe, an olive grove, a fire station, a monastery, and lots and lots of farms.)

Skidbladnir said :

Cameron Corner (where QLD, SA, and NSW meet) has a single shop in the settlement there which is a business registered in Queensland, shares a postcode with NSW, but has to go through a South Australian telephone exchange.

Fantastic! And Cameron Corner (or is it Cameron’s Corner?) makes Williamsdale and Royalla look like quite big towns!

creative_canberran5:27 pm 17 Oct 10

Nanzan is incorrect. Royally is entirely in NSW. The border runs along the railway. The Monaro Hwy is in the ACT but just to the left the railway forms the border.
Australia Post and official maps confirm no part of Royalla is in the ACT.

Williamsdale does straddle the border. 90% of it is in NSW but the service centre and a few homes are in the ACT. They both share the 2620 postcode with Royalla.

I am unique, to a degree…

ML-585 said :

Very unique”. Something is either unique or it’s not. There is no degree of unique. End rant.

Sounds like you are literally exploding about that. 🙂

Cameron Corner (where QLD, SA, and NSW meet) has a single shop in the settlement there which is a business registered in Queensland, shares a postcode with NSW, but has to go through a South Australian telephone exchange.
You have to turn off the Strzelecki Track to get there, and the only thing to see is the shop, so very many sand dunes, a golf course that has only had a ‘green’ once, the Queendland Border Dingo Fence, and State boundary marker.
Note that half the town is on the QLD side of the border, while the other half is in SA.

(By the way, its your own responsibility to close the NSW\SA border gate once you pass through it)

Very unique”. Something is either unique or it’s not. There is no degree of unique. End rant.

Looks like I spoke too soon, Coolangatta NSW is in Nowra. 🙁

GardeningGirl said :

Really? I think I assumed Royalla was ACT and Williamsdale might have been NSW.

Nup, it appears that Nazan is correct. Postcode search for Williamsdale. Tweed Heads on the other hand only shows as being in NSW on the postcode search.

Coolangatta on the other hand shows up as a town in NSW and QLD, although with different postcodes.

GardeningGirl1:41 pm 17 Oct 10

Really? I think I assumed Royalla was ACT and Williamsdale might have been NSW.

Interesting observation. Does Tweed Heads count?

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