Carcoar New South Wales | |||||||||
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Coordinates | 33°36′39.733″S 149°08′25.303″E / 33.61103694°S 149.14036194°E | ||||||||
Population | 271 (SAL 2021)[1] | ||||||||
Established | 1839 | ||||||||
Postcode(s) | 2791 | ||||||||
Elevation | 720 m (2,362 ft) | ||||||||
Location | |||||||||
LGA(s) | Blayney Shire | ||||||||
State electorate(s) | Bathurst | ||||||||
Federal division(s) | Calare | ||||||||
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Carcoar is a small town in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia, in Blayney Shire. In 2021, the town had a population of 271 people.[2] It is situated just off the Mid-Western Highway 258 km west of Sydney and 52 km south-west of Bathurst and is 720 m above sea level. It is located in a small green valley, with the township and buildings on both banks of the Belubula River.[3] It is the third oldest settlement west of the Blue Mountains.[3] Carcoar is a Gundungurra word meaning either 'frog' or 'kookaburra'.[4] Nearby towns are Blayney, Millthorpe, Mandurama, Neville, Lyndhurst and Barry
It was once one of the most important government centres in Western New South Wales. The town has been classified by the National Trust due to the number of intact 19th-century buildings, with a significant amount of cultural materials relating to 19th century Australian life.[3]
St Paul's Anglican Church is one of the oldest churches in the state, with graves dating back to the 1800s. It was reported in 2019 that the Anglican diocese plans to sell it to raise money for compensation for the church's sex abuse victims, a move which has outraged locals, who spent their own money on restorations.[5]