TULLAMORE WINS STATEWIDE AWARD    
                          ‘COMMUNITY OF THE YEAR 2008’   
  (Communities under 15,000)         


   
                              The town and district of Tullamore are rejoicing their win in the NSW and ACT Regional and Community Awards which were held on Saturday night, 8^th November at Coffs Harbour . Tullamore was announced Community of the year 2008 [population under 15,000] based on a submission by Tullamore Inc summarizing their aims, objectives and activities since formation in 2001.      

         One of the key elements in the successful submission was the Tullamore Irish Festival which is held each year at Easter. The festival provides a most enjoyable day of Irish fun, song, dance, music, Irish bike riding, hurdle races, stalls and eats, and it now includes an Art Exhibition held on the Thursday evening prior to Easter. This event has significantly helped Tullamore ‘stand up and be counted’ [the theme of the 2008 awards].
       Tullamore Inc, showcasing Tullamore, has won the ‘Community of the year award’, a handcrafted glass and stone trophy and a $5,000.00 Commonwealth Bank account! 

Congratulations Tullamore!!!  

          Tullamore township, in the Heart of NSW, is nestled in an area northwest of Parkes, south west of Dubbo and north east of Condobolin.

      The area known as Tullamore was first settled as Bullock Creek in 1870, then was called Gobondery. In 1895 Jim Tully, whose family came from the Tullamore area in Ireland, built a hotel and called it "Tullie's Exchange Hotel". The Kerley family  settled on a nearby property called Tullamore Station, the Kerley family came from a small community just outside of Tullamore in Ireland, its is believed that the Town obtained its name from the nearby property name.

      Tullamore has strong Irish links with a large number of settlers moving into the area in the 1900's. Today, the community retains these links with around 70-80% of the community having family connections with Ireland. We have families such as Carey, Crowley, McAneney, Corcoran, to name a few. Many properties such as Omagh, Tralee,Ormonde, Kinvara, Cadungle, Fermoy and Athlone are named after towns in Ireland.

     Tullamore and it's community lies with equal portions in the Parkes shire and Lachlan shire, with the town itself on the boundary of Parkes shire. The community population is approximately 680. The community has all the essential services, such as a central school, doctor, hospital as well as a nursing home.

     Agriculture is the main industry for the Tullamore area. In the past the mining of gold and its associated minerals took place in the nearby Fifield area. Magnesite was later mined for many years. In recent times nickel deposits have been found, and may become viable to mine in the future.

    The ancestors of the Wiradjuri people occupied the area prior to European settlement. There are many signs of their lifestyle in the area and some of these are within the care of local Wiradjuri groups.

     Tullamore area has a substantial area of native vegetation with all the associated native animals, kangaroos, wallabies, emus, echidnas, goannas and snakes. There are also many bird species in the area.