Sandon County is a cadastral county on the New South Wales Northern Tablelands, one of the state’s 141 land-title divisions. It is centred on Armidale and takes in Uralla. It was named after Dudley Ryder, First Earl of Harrowby and Viscount Sandon (1762-1847).
Key Facts
| State | New South Wales |
|---|---|
| Region | Northern Tablelands, centred on Armidale |
| Named after | Dudley Ryder, First Earl of Harrowby and Viscount Sandon (1762-1847) |
| Principal towns | Armidale, Uralla |
| Local government areas today | Armidale Regional Council; Uralla Shire Council |
Parishes in Sandon County
- Albert
- Arding
- Armidale
- Blacknote
- Boorolong
- Butler
- Clevedon
- Cooney
- Dangarsleigh
- Davidson
- Devon
- Donald
- Dumaresq
- Duval
- Eastlake
- Elton
- Enmore
- Exmouth
- Falconer
- Ferryman
- Gara
- Gostwyck
- Hargrave
- Harnham
- Hillgrove
- Kentucky
- Lawrence
- Merrigalah
- Metz
- Mihi
- Salisbury
- Saltash
- Sandon
- Saumarez
- Shasta
- Sobraon
- Springmount
- Tilbuster
- Tiverton
- Uralla
- Urotah
- Wentworth
- Woolomombi
- Yarrowick
Towns and Localities Today
Armidale, on the New England Highway, is the county’s main town, a university and cathedral city and the seat of Armidale Regional Council. Uralla, south of Armidale, is the second town, seat of Uralla Shire and known for the Thunderbolt bushranger grave. Hillgrove, a former gold and antimony mining village, lies east of Armidale.
Geography
Sandon County sits on the Northern Tablelands, centred on Armidale. Neighbouring counties are Hardinge, Clarke, Inglis and Vernon. The county sits above 1,000 metres elevation for much of its area, giving it a cool, frost-prone climate with occasional winter snow, unusual for inland New South Wales.
History
Sandon County is one of 141 cadastral divisions used for land titles in New South Wales. It carries the name of Dudley Ryder, First Earl of Harrowby, who held the courtesy title Viscount Sandon before succeeding to the earldom. Armidale was settled from the 1830s as a pastoral centre and later became a cathedral city and seat of the University of New England, founded in 1938 as a college of the University of Sydney.
FAQ
Is Sandon County still used?
Cadastral divisions like Sandon County remain in land titles and property descriptions but have no government function. Armidale Regional and Uralla Shire councils run local services today.
What is Sandon County named after?
It is named after Dudley Ryder, First Earl of Harrowby, who held the title Viscount Sandon.
What is the main town in Sandon County?
Armidale, a university city on the Northern Tablelands, is the county’s largest town.
What is the second-largest town in Sandon County?
Uralla, south of Armidale, is the county’s second town and the seat of Uralla Shire.