KYOGLE

Way back in the 1840's Captain Glennie moved onto Dairy Flat with a big herd of Devon cows and would saddle up pack horses to supply butter, cheese and bacon to the Tooloom diggings nearby. The cedar-getters followed, and when they'd taken out the last of the magnificent cedar, they started on the hoop pine. By 1901 the township of Kyogle had been surveyed and the first blocks of land were sold at auction at Casino. Just four years later in 1905, the hardworking pioneers had established the first commercial butter co-operative, which later amalgamated with Norco. When the railway began, the town would send out trainloads of timber, pumpkins, corn and other farm produce, and during WWII there were 25 trains a day taking troops and supplies north.

The centre of this farming shire, Kyogle, which sits at the base of Fairy Mountain (246 metres), is now a quiet rural town promoted as the "Gateway to the Rainforests". The name comes from Kaiou-gal, meaning place of the plain turkey, or bustard, which is a fast, long-legged running bird. The mountain is celebrated in the annual Fairymount Festival of Fairytales, held in July each year.

With tourism increasingly important to the region, the many natural heritage areas, scenic drives, lookouts, picnic areas, and interesting villages are ideal for country drives. The Lions Road, which provides a short, spectacularly scenic route over the McPherson Ranges, is a more recent (1970) example of the pioneer spirit which created the area still being involved in community development. The road was a Lions Club project, with massive community support and assistance, and is a popular drive.

INFORMATION

• Population - 3000 approximately
• Council - Kyogle Council
• Transport - Bus, Rail

MAJOR EVENTS

• Youth Week - April
• Kyogle's Big Day Out - April
• Summerland Teams Golf Day - April
• Anzac Day - April
• JGA Golf Day - May
• Local Symbols of Reconciliation - May
• World Environment Day - June
• 50 Year Reunion in Kyogle - June
• Kyogle Cutting Horse and Dog Trials - June
• Summerland Credit Union Golf Day - June
• NAIDOC Week - July
• Kyogle Campdraft - July
• Fairymount Festival - Hell on Hooves - July
• Red Cross Zone Conferance - August
• Kyogle Show - October
• Fairymount Festival - Remembering Yesterday, Dreaming Tomorrow - November
• Family Fun Day/Battle of the Bands - November
• Variety Night Concert - November
• Senior Citizens Morning - Cinema/Bingo/Morning Tea - November
• Brown and Hurley Charity Golf Day - November
• Crazy Day/Buskers/Window Dressing - November
• Street Parade/Markets/Children's Fancy Dress Party/Doof Party/Recycled Art
• Competition/Presentations/Main Stage/Green Events- November
• Thank-you Barbecue for Volunteers - November
• Kyogle Community Christmas Lunch - December