Forbes

Welcome to our town of Forbes, located on the Newell Highway in the heart of the Lachlan Valley.  We can offer you heritage, country hospitality, distinctive local attractions including boutique shopping, and a beautiful natural environment.  Our town borders the Lachlan River and nestles beside Lake Forbes, a natural lagoon, giving plenty of opportunity for rest and recreation.   Or use up some surplus energy by taking the cycling/walking track that runs for 4.8km around the Lake.  Naturalist interest can be completed with a visit to Gum Swamp, on the edge of town, for great bird-watching and other wildlife opportunities and those interested in our local history can follow the Heritage Walking Trail. 

Forbes Shire is part of the extensive traditional lands of the Wiradjuri people.  The recently-established Wiradjuri Dreaming Information Centre containing local species of trees and shrubs which were once the source of their foodstuffs, utensils and medicines, can be found on the edge of Lake Forbes.  White settlement first began in 1817 with the arrival of explorer John Oxley.   Gold was discovered in 1861 when the town was officially named Forbes after Sir Francis Forbes, the first Chief Justice of New South Wales.  The lust for easy money attracted bushrangers, the most notorious in the district being Ben Hall.  Ben’s ‘career’ started in 1862 and ended in 1865, when he was shot dead by the police at Billabong Creek, close to Forbes.  He is buried in the Forbes Cemetery.  Find out more about Ben at the Forbes Railway Arts and Tourist Centre and at the local Forbes Museum.     

                            


                                                            The Tidy Towns float entered in the Australia Day 2008 parade

Forbes first entered the Tidy Towns competition in 1981, its inaugural year, and has been an entrant for all but one of the following eighteen years.  Over that time Forbes has been recognised as a Tidy Town in many categories, receiving many achievement awards, the highlight of which was winner of the State award in 1992, followed by the honour of being first town in NSW to win the National award, in 1993.  This achievement was recognised by the planting of a tree in the town’s central Victoria Park by HRH Prince Charles in 1994.

This year, 2009, Forbes North Primary School gained highly commended in the Schools’ Environment Award for its Stephanie Alexander Kitchen/Garden Program, which has raised the environmental awareness of the students as well as given them appreciation of fresh, wholesome food.  Well done Forbes North School.

                                              Students and their Teacher at Forbes North Primary School admire the 
                                                            crop of silverbeet they have grown  in their school garden

The endless activities of the many groups and hundreds of volunteers who give their time freely to create a network of caring and sharing within our community imbue our town with a robust bush spirit. 

Come visit us – you will find us “Friendly, Historic, Inviting”.

For further information, such as calendar of events, please visit the Forbes Shire Council website:

www.forbes.nsw.gov.au