Northparkes

Live at the 'crossroads of the nation'

The town of Parkes is located at the crossroads of Australia where the Newell Highway linking Melbourne and Brisbane intersects with the transcontinental railway which links Sydney and Perth.

Situated four hours drive, or a one hour flight, west of Sydney Parkes is the demographic centre of Australia. From Parkes, you are within one days drive to more than 80 per cent of Australia's population including the metropolitan centres of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra. The town is a bustling country community of just over 10,000 residents with excellent health, education, recreation and sporting facilities. It is within easy reach of the regional centres of Orange and Dubbo and Parkes airport is linked to Sydney by three flights per day.

From its gold rush heritage, Parkes has become a thriving commercial centre servicing primarily a farming based community. Growth over recent decades from the industrial, transport and mining sectors now means that there is a diverse economic base. From 1959-1961 the CSIRO built the first big-dish antenna radio telescope in the southern hemisphere. One of the world's most powerful telescopes of its kind, it has played a vital role in the detection of quasars and pulsars.

There are plenty of attractions in the surrounding area such as Kelly Reserve, Bumberry Dam, Bushman's Hill and Pioneer Park. The recently opened Goobang National Park is a great spot for bushwalking, picnicking, camping and photography.