History of Dubbo
Records show that Dubbo had been inhabited by the indigenous
Australians 40,000 years ago. Indigenous Australians are the original
settlers of Australia who are either distinguished as Aboriginal or
Torres Strait Islanders. It was not until1818, however, that a European
first reported about a place called Dubbo. It was the explorer John
Oxley who first gave information about the place. Oxley was also the
surveyor for Australia when English colonisation was at its early
period. Oxley traveled to Dubbo in June 12, 1818.
The first white settler the area was Robert Dulhunty. It was in 1832
that he took up this rural area in the heartland of Australia and named
it Dubbo. Dulhunty was considered the founder of Dubbo. The word Dubbo
was thought to have originated from the Wiradjuri word “Thubbo” meaning
“head covering”- a theory that came about because the home of Dulhunty
looked like a hat. Another theory of the meaning of the word Dubbo “red
earth” inspired by it reddish local landscape. Its real meaning is
unclear because of the lack of records from Dulhunty during that time
and also the lack of knowledge of the Wiradjuri language. Wiradjuri is
the largest group of indigenous Australians New South Wales. Their
language is no longer of use.
Around 1840, Dundullimal Homestead was built as a head sheep station.
The building was believed to be the oldest surviving slab house in
Australia and is also the oldest building that is open to the public. In
1846,he government decided to built courthouse, police station and a
lock-up was established because the number of settlers have increased.
It was in 1847 that the constables residence was completed and the
courthouse and lock-up in 1848. The first land sales happened in 1850
but it was not until the 1860s that the population increased because of
the North-South trade. A bank was first established in 1867.
The town had a steady increase in its population and thus, proclaimed a
municipality in 1872 with a population of 850. When a railway that would
pass Dubbo was constructed in 1881,the economy and the population of
Dubbo continued to grow to this day. Dubbo was officially a city in
1996.
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