Fast facts
- A haven for birdwatchers and nature lovers
- An oasis on the flat western plains of the Outback
- 552 km west of Sydney, population 1,300
Why go there
The area is popular for water sports and fishing. Parts of Lake Cargelligo are bird sanctuaries. Among the protected species are the Australian pelican, the black swan, the great crested grebe, the rare bower bird and the black cockatoo.
History
The natural Lake Cargelligo and the surrounding area is, and was, occupied by Aboriginal people from the Ngyampaa, Barkindji and Wiradjuri tribes.
The explorer John Oxley was ‘agreeably surprised’ when he came across Lake Cargelligo in 1817, while tracing the Lachlan River.
The first European settler was Francis Oakes in 1848. A female cook found gold near the lake in 1873, but a localised gold rush was largely unsuccessful and prospecting was more or less abandoned by 1881.
In 1902 the flow of the Lachlan was regulated and Lake Cargelligo was turned into a water-storage area serving local town and farming enterprises.
Things to do
- Get your binoculars out for a birdwatching expedition on the lake. You can hire binoculars and a field guide from the Visitor Information Centre.
- Search for Aboriginal ochre pits and other artefacts around town.
- Go camping – it's permitted on reserves dotted along the Lachlan River and around the shores of Lake Cargelligo.
Don’t miss
- Fishing, waterskiing and swimming on the lake.
- Lake Cargelligo and District Museum for local history.
- The cycle path and walkway around the lake.
- Alf Tyack Stone Butterfly and Gem Collection at the Visitor Information Centre.
