Wellington County is one of the original Nineteen Counties of New South Wales, covering central-west NSW around the Macquarie, Bell and Cudgegong rivers. It takes in Mudgee and the town of Wellington, and remains one of 141 cadastral divisions still cited in land titles.
Key Facts
| Label | Value |
|---|---|
| State | New South Wales |
| Region | Central west NSW |
| Named after | Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (1769–1852) |
| Principal towns | Wellington, Mudgee |
| Local government areas today | Mid-Western Regional, Dubbo Regional, Cabonne, Bathurst Regional |
Parishes in Wellington County
The county holds 59 parishes.
- Avisford
- Biraganbil
- Boduldura
- Boiga
- Boomey
- Borenore
- Broombee
- Burrendong
- Canning
- Carroll
- Coolamin
- Cooper
- Copper Hill
- Cummings
- Cunningham
- Curragurra
- Erudgere
- Forbes
- Galwadgere
- Gamboola
- Grattai
- Hargraves
- Ironbarks
- Kerr
- Larras Lake
- Lewis
- March
- Merinda
- Millenbong
- Muckerwa
- Mudgee
- Mulyan
- Mumbil
- Munna
- Nubrigyn
- Orange
- Peters
- Piambong
- Rouse
- Suttor
- Tambaroora
- Tannabutta
- Tatuali
- Three Rivers
- Toolamanang
- Towac
- Triamble
- Trudgett
- Tunnabidgee
- Ulmarrah
- Walters
- Warne
- Warratra
- Waurdong
- Wear
- Wellington
- Werouera
- Wiadere
- Windeyer
Towns and Localities Today
| Town | LGA | Population 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Mudgee | Mid-Western Regional | 11,457 |
| Wellington | Dubbo Regional | — |
Mudgee, in Mudgee parish, is the county’s largest town and a wine and mining service centre; local tradition holds that John Blackman built the first house there in 1837. The town of Wellington, in Wellington parish, gives the county its name and sits near its north-eastern edge.
Geography
The Bell River forms the western boundary and the Cudgegong River the northern boundary. The county spans both banks of the Macquarie River and borders Gordon, Bligh, Phillip, Ashburnham, Roxburgh and Bathurst counties.
History
Wellington was proclaimed as one of the original Nineteen Counties that marked the limits of settlement in the colony’s early decades. It was named for Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, hero of Waterloo. A modern local government area, Wellington Council, later existed before amalgamating into Dubbo Regional Council. New South Wales’ 141 counties were surveyed through the 19th century as the colony’s basic land-administration grid, ahead of and separate from local government; they still fix parish-based land descriptions in the state’s Torrens title system today.
FAQ
Is Wellington County still used?
The cadastral division remains current in land titles and property descriptions but has no government function; local administration runs through Mid-Western Regional, Dubbo Regional, Cabonne and Bathurst Regional councils.
What is the biggest town in Wellington County?
Mudgee, with a 2021 census population of 11,457.
Which counties border Wellington?
Gordon, Bligh, Phillip, Ashburnham, Roxburgh and Bathurst.