Junee

One theory is that word Junee which originates from the Aboriginal word 'Junee' means "speak to me". Another theory is that it is an Aboriginal word "Choo-nee" meaning "frog". ==History==

The Wiradjuri people are the traditional owners of the local area prior to European settlement. Leopold de Salis (1816–1898), pastoralist and later politician was one of the first squatters to open up the Riverina region to grazing. He established the 'Junee' pastoral run in 1845. Leopold held the licence for this run for a total of three years. Other run licencees followed until Thomas Hammond and Richard Gwynne bought the licence in 1857. The Junee run progressively reduced in area as selectors took up land but Hammond lived on it until his death in 1899, the remaining property having been named "Wyoming" in 1887. A post office opened in 1862 and a village called 'Junee' was gazetted in 1863 on the wool road to Sydney. That same year, Ben Hall and his bushranging gang raided the village. with a CountryLink XPT at the platform in 2009 In 1866 Junee's population was recorded as twelve but the discovery of reef and alluvial gold during the 1860s triggered a gold rush. The main sites- Junee Reefs (to the north), was mined on and off until after World War 1, as well as Wantiool and Eurongilly (to the east) until the 1880s. By 1878 with the southward expansion of the Main South line in New South Wales, the main railway line between Sydney and Melbourne passed 8 kilometres east of the village. Junee's Post Office was renamed Old Junee in 1885 (Junee railway station). Loftus was the original name of the locality being farm land and as the settlers moved in for the rail line it was renamed. Junee Railway Station Post Office opened on 6 July 1878, was renamed Junee Junction in 1881 and later still, Junee in 1893. with interstate freight trains also passing through the town. Local Government On 1 January 1981, Junee Municipal Council amalgamated with the surrounding "Illabo Shire Council', creating Junee Shire Council. ==Climate==

Junee has as a rather dry humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa), lying about above semi-arid classification. It features hot and dry summers and cool, moderately cloudy winters. The highest temperature recorded at Junee was on 31 January 1968; the lowest recorded was on 1 July 1971 and 6 August 1974. The average annual rainfall is spread across 88 days (with the majority in winter). It can snow on rare occasions, with the last snowfall in August 2019. ==Heritage listings==

Junee has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: • 119 Lorne Street: Junee Post Office • Main Southern railway: Junee railway station • The Broadway: Athenium Theatre ==Other attractions==

• Statue of rugby league commentator Ray Warren at Dobbyn Park, erected 6 August 2011 • Monte Cristo Homestead, for many years owned by the Ryan family, who did much restoration work. • Junee Licorice Factory and restaurant, confectionery manufacturer and tourism drawcard. ==Demographics==

According to the , there were people in Junee. • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 9.4% of the population. • 81.5% of people were born in Australia; the next most common countries of birth included China (excluding Special Administrative Regions (SARs) and Taiwan) 1.9%, England 1.3%, New Zealand 1.0%, Fiji 0.8%, and Malaysia 0.8%. 70.9% of people spoke only English at home; the next most common languages spoken at home included Mandarin 2.1%, Fijian 0.7%, Malay 0.6%, Chinese, not further defined 0.3%, and Cantonese 0.2%. • 25.2% of respondents in this area identified a religious connection with Catholicism, followed by No Religion at 23.8%, Anglican at 17.4%, and Prebysterian and Reformed 2.6%; a further 22.3% of respondents for this area elected not to disclose their religious status. == Sport ==

The most popular sport in Junee is rugby league. The town's team, the Junee Diesels, compete in the Group 9 Rugby League competition, in which they have won two premierships. The club is notable for having produced New South Wales and Australian captain Laurie Daley. The town had now defunct Australian rules and rugby union teams, known as the Bulldogs and Rams. ==Notable people==

• Laurie Daley, rugby league footballer and New South Wales and Australian captain • Bernie Fraser, former governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia • Bill Heffernan, former Senator for New South Wales, representing the Liberal Party • Lawrence Legend, motorcycle stuntman • Ray Warren, sports commentator • James Harrison, blood donor ==Communications==

Junee is served by: • Junee Independent newspaper • Radio 1RPH transmitter (99.5FM) ==See also==

File:Ray Warren.jpg|Ray Warren statue File:Junee Roundhouse Museum.jpg|Roundhouse File:Junee Liquorice Factory.JPG|Licorice Factory File:Monte Cristo Homestead.jpg|Monte Cristo ==References==