Yancowinna County is a cadastral county in far-west New South Wales, bordering South Australia. It is the state’s only county running on Australian Central Standard Time, and includes the city of Broken Hill and the village of Silverton.
Key Facts
| Label | Value |
|---|---|
| State | New South Wales |
| Region | Far west NSW, bordering South Australia |
| Named after | A local Aboriginal word (also Yancowinna Glen) |
| Principal towns | Broken Hill, Silverton |
| Local government area today | Unincorporated Far West (Broken Hill forms the City of Broken Hill) |
Parishes in Yancowinna County
The county holds 50 parishes.
- Albert
- Aldborough
- Alma
- Barrier
- Bolaira
- Bomangaldy
- Bray
- Cambellia
- Carrington
- Cathcart
- Coombarra
- Coonbaralla
- Dhoon
- Edgar
- Elti
- Fairy Hill
- Farmcoat
- Hughes
- Inkerman
- Jamieson
- Lewis
- Maharatta
- Matong
- Meadows
- Moorkaie
- Mount Gipps
- Mundi Mundi
- Myalla
- Nadbuck
- Naradin
- Narran
- Ophara
- Picton
- Purnamoota
- Redan
- Robe
- Sebastopol
- Sentinel
- Soudan
- Stephen
- Stratford
- Tara
- Thackaringa
- Umberumberka
- Victoria
- Waukeroo
- Yancowinna
- Yancowinna East
- Yancowinna North
- Yangalla
Towns and Localities Today
| Town | LGA | Population 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Broken Hill | City of Broken Hill | 17,588 |
| Silverton | Unincorporated Far West | 48 |
Broken Hill, in Picton parish, is the county’s major mining city. Silverton, in Umberumberka parish, is a small historic silver-mining village nearby. The county also holds the hamlets of Wallarunga (The Pinnacles) and Burns, and the ghost towns of Tarrawingee and Purnamoota.
Geography
Yancowinna sits against the South Australian border in the far west and is the only part of New South Wales sharing South Australia’s time zone (UTC+9:30 rather than UTC+10). It borders Farnell, Mootwingee, Tandora and Menindee counties.
History
Yancowinna is believed to derive from a local Aboriginal word and also names Yancowinna Glen within the county. Silver, lead and zinc ore discovered at the Broken Hill line of lode in 1883 drew rapid settlement, and Broken Hill grew into one of the world’s largest mining cities; Silverton, the original mining town nearby, declined once the main lode proved to run through Broken Hill instead. 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 Yancowinna County still used?
The cadastral division remains current in land titles and property descriptions but has no government function; the area is Unincorporated Far West, with Broken Hill forming its own city council.
What towns are in Yancowinna County?
Broken Hill (2021 population 17,588) and Silverton (48).
Which counties border Yancowinna?
Farnell, Mootwingee, Tandora and Menindee.