Merriwa, New South Wales

Merriwa is a town located in the Upper Hunter Shire, in the far west of the Hunter region of New South Wales, Australia.

The town is located on the Golden Highway, 273 kilometres (170 mi) northwest of Sydney and about halfway between Newcastle and Dubbo. At the 2011 census, Merriwa had a population of 1,790 people. Up until 2004, Merriwa was part of the Merriwa Shire local government area, when it was merged with nearby Scone Shire and Murrurundi Shire councils to form the Upper Hunter Council.

The 1940 Melbourne Cup winner, Old Rowley, retired to Merriwa.

Events

Every year, Merriwa hosts a range of events including;

Merriwa Morgans Cup Races - Held Annually in April
The Festival of the Fleeces - Queens Birthday June Long Weekend Annually
Merriwa Springtime Show - 3rd weekend of September annually

Heritage listings

Merriwa has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

Bow Street: Colonial Cottage Museum (1857)
Merriwa railway line
Merriwa Courthouse attached police station and prisoner cells (1860 -1958)
Fitzroy Hotel Merriwa (1914)
The Royal Hotel Merriwa (1914)
Holy Trinity Church (1875-99)
The Catholic Church (1881)

Climate

Schools

Merriwa Central School (Multi-campus)
St Joseph's Private School

Notable people

Catherine Cecily O'Brien, Dominican sister and educationist
Lachlan Walmsley, a Scottish international rugby league footballer who plays for the Halifax Panthers in the RFL Championship.