White County is a cadastral county in north-western New South Wales, one of the state’s 141 land-title divisions. It lies south of the Namoi River on both sides of Bohena Creek, with Narrabri at its northern end and most of the Pilliga Nature Reserve inside its boundary.
Key Facts
| Label | Value |
|---|---|
| State | New South Wales |
| Region | North-west NSW, Pilliga country |
| Named after | George Boyle White (1802–1876), surveyor and diarist |
| Principal towns | Narrabri, Wee Waa |
| Local government areas today | Narrabri Shire, Warrumbungle Shire (Mallee locality unincorporated) |
Parishes in White County
The county holds 46 parishes.
- Arrarownie
- Belmore
- Blake
- Bohena
- Borah
- Boral
- Brigalow
- Bulgarra
- Capp
- Cocaboy
- Coghill
- Cook
- Cooma
- Coormore
- Cowallah
- Cox
- Crowie
- Dampier
- Dangar
- Denobollie
- Dewhurst
- Galloway
- Goona
- Gorman
- Gurleigh
- Humphrey
- Iredale
- Lloyd
- Loder
- Loftus
- Mallallee
- Mallee
- Manum
- Milner
- Mollee
- Mollieroi
- Nuable
- Orr
- Parkes
- Quinn
- Robertson
- Tannawanda
- Turrawan
- Wee Waa
- White
- Yaminba
- Yaraman
Towns and Localities Today
| Town | LGA | Population 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Narrabri | Narrabri Shire | 5,499 |
| Wee Waa | Narrabri Shire | 1,571 |
Narrabri, at the county’s northern end, is the main service town for the Pilliga district. Wee Waa, in Wee Waa parish on the Namoi River, is the county’s cotton-growing centre.
Geography
The county lies south of the Namoi River, straddling Bohena Creek, and takes in most of the Pilliga Nature Reserve, a large box-ironbark forest. It borders Jamison and Nandewar counties to the north, Baradine to the north-west, Gowen to the south, Napier to the south-east, and Pottinger to the east and west.
History
White County was named for George Boyle White, a colonial surveyor and diarist who worked across northern New South Wales in the 1820s and 1830s. The Pilliga forest within the county was progressively cleared for grazing and timber through the 19th and 20th centuries, though large reserves survive today. 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 White County still used?
The cadastral division remains current in land titles and property descriptions but has no government function; Narrabri Shire and Warrumbungle Shire handle local administration.
What towns are in White County?
Narrabri (2021 population 5,499) and Wee Waa (1,571), both in Narrabri Shire.
Which counties border White?
Jamison and Nandewar to the north, Baradine to the north-west, Gowen to the south, Napier to the south-east, and Pottinger to the east and west.