Mootwingee County is one of New South Wales’ 141 cadastral divisions, covering remote far-west country north-east of Broken Hill. The name comes from a local Aboriginal word and also names Mutawintji National Park, which sits inside the county’s boundaries.
Key Facts
| Label | Value |
|---|---|
| State | New South Wales |
| Region | Far west, north-east of Broken Hill |
| Named after | A local Aboriginal word, also the name of a nearby pastoral station and landmark |
| Local government today | Unincorporated Far West Region / Central Darling Shire |
Parishes in Mootwingee County
- Bengoro
- Bimpia
- Bomgadah
- Booraboonara
- Boorla
- Byngnano
- Campbell
- Coyurunda
- Donnelly
- Forrest
- Fort Otway
- Gairdners Creek
- Gooruba
- Kara
- Kayrunnera
- Koonburra
- Koorningbirry
- Lachlan
- Langawirra
- Maropinna
- Morden
- Mulcawee
- Munye
- Noonthorangee
- Nootumbulla
- Peppora
- Rowena
- Saladin
- Sturts Meadows
- Teegarraara
- Teltawongee
- Tirlta
- Truganini
- Tucinyah
- Waverley
- Windaunka
- Woodstock
- Woonunga
- Yangimulla
Towns and Localities Today
The county has no incorporated towns. It is pastoral country, mostly sheep and cattle stations such as Sturts Meadows and Fort Otway, with Mutawintji National Park protecting Aboriginal rock art sites and the Bynguano Range.
Geography
Mootwingee is arid, rugged country in the Bynguano Range, drained by ephemeral creeks that feed toward the Darling River system further east. The Noonthorangee Range runs through the county, named for one of its parishes. Rainfall averages under 250 mm a year, and the landscape is dominated by red sandstone gorges, mulga scrub and open saltbush plain.
Economy & Local Life
Extensive sheep and cattle grazing on large pastoral leases is the only industry inside the county itself. Mutawintji National Park, jointly managed with the local Aboriginal community, draws visitors to its rock-art galleries and gorge walking tracks, and is the district’s main source of outside income.
History
The county’s name is thought to be an Aboriginal word for the area, later applied to Mootwingee pastoral station and the landmark now protected as Mutawintji National Park. The park’s name is a modern respelling closer to the traditional pronunciation, adopted when the site was returned to Aboriginal ownership and leased back to NSW National Parks.
FAQ
Where is Mootwingee County?
It lies in far-west New South Wales, north-east of Broken Hill, taking in Mutawintji National Park.
Are there towns in Mootwingee County?
No incorporated towns exist inside the county. It is sparsely populated pastoral and conservation land.
Is Mootwingee County still used?
Cadastral counties like Mootwingee remain in land titles and property descriptions but have no government function today.