Parkes, New South Wales, Australia

The statue of Sir Henry Parkes in Parkes, New South Wales
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sir_Henry_Parkes_statue_in_Parkes_NSW.jpg
Author: Amanda Slater


Parkes is a town in the central part of New South Wales, Australia. Located at an elevation of 324 m (1,063 ft), it has a population of around 10,000 people (2012 estimate).

The history of Parkes goes back to 1853, when a settlement was established here. Due to the abundance of the kurrajong trees, it was called Currajong. Since then, it has undergone name change twice, to Bushmans's and finally to Parkes in 1873. The present name was given in honor of Sir Henry Parkes, who was the lead player in forming Australia as a federated country.

Parkes became a major mining site after gold was found here in the 1870s. That led to a gold rush that saw its population rising rapidly. Although the gold rush is now over, the town is still a mining site and base for a number of mining companies. Farming is also a major component of the local economy, centering on wheat and wool production.

Radio telescope of Parkes Observatory
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Parkes_Radio_Telescope_09.jpg
Author: Diceman Stephen West

Visiting Parkes

From Sydney, take Metroad 4 heading west, and continue on National Route A32 until Orange. Then take the State Route 90 continuing west until you reach Parkes.

Places of Interest in Parkes

Back to Discover Australia

 Latest updates on Penang Travel Tips

Songs about Penang

About this website

Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.