History

The Dunghutti people lived in this region for about 6000 years and in the colder months returned to the east, where fish and animals were plentiful. The tablelands had places for ceremonies and trade of goods and there are traces of bora grounds near Walcha.

Walcha was the first area to be discovered in the New England region. It was on the route taken by the explorer John Oxley and reached on
8 September 1818. He named the Apsley River after the Secretary of State for the colonies, Lord Apsley.

Walcha’s first settler, Hamilton Collins Sempill, arrived in 1832 from Belltrees in the Hunter River district. Sempill based his headquarters near the campsite used by John Oxley and he named the area Walcha (“Wolka”). No one has conclusive evidence of the meaning of “Wolka” but three Aboriginal meanings are “Sun”, “Deep Water” and “Water”.

Further settlers moved into the district over the years 1834 to 1858 when David William Jamieson formed the nucleus of the Walcha township by erecting various industrial structures such as a flour mill, store, smithy, etc.

In the 1850s and 1860s early squatters were able to purchase their runs, and selectors struggled on their small holdings. The town had its first school and churches established in these years. The population grew in the 1870s with small gold rushes at Glen Morrison, Tia and Nowendoc.

There was an attempt after disastrous floods in the 1860s to move the town up the hill to the west; a former bank, hotel and shops stand witness to this attempt.

By 1900 the town had almost a thousand people with another 1600 people in the surrounding district. In Walcha, there were 4 hotels, 4 blacksmiths, 2 flour mills and a tannery as well as over thirty shops.

The Municipality of Walcha was proclaimed on 12 March 1889; the adjacent Shire of Apsley was proclaimed on 7 March 1906. On 1 June 1955 the Shire of Walcha was constituted by the amalgamation of the Municipality of Walcha and the Shire of Apsley. From 1 July 1993 the Walcha Shire Council became known as the “Walcha Council” due to the new Local Government Act being introduced.

Contact Details

Clr Adam Iuston

First Elected to Council on 14 September 2024.

Clr Iuston is a member of the following Council Committees:

  • Walcha Council Beautification Advisory Committee;
  • Walcha Council Arts & Tourism Advisory Committee; and
  • Walcha Council Capital Review Committee.

 

Clr Iuston is Council’s Delegate on the following Committees:

  • NSW Public Libraries Assoc – North Eastern Zone;
  • Central Northern Regional Libraries Committee; and
  • Arts North West.

 

E – aiuston@walcha.nsw.gov.au 

 

Clr Rachel Greig

First Elected to Council on 14 September 2024

Clr Greig is a member of the following Council Committees:

  • Walcha Council Arts & Tourism Advisory Committee;
  • Walcha Council Preschool Advisory Committee; and
  • Walcha Council Capital Review Committee.

 

Clr Greig is Council’s Delegate on the following Committees:

  • Walcha Community Consultative Committee; and
  • New England Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) Community Reference Group.

 

E – rgreig@walcha.nsw.gov.au 

Clr Anne-Marie Pointing

First Elected to Council on 04 December 2021.

Clr Pointing is a member of the following Council Committees:

  • Walcha Council Beautification Advisory Committee; 
  • Walcha Apsley Riverview Committee;
  • Walcha Council Capital Review Committee; and
  • Walcha Council’s General Manager’s Performance Review Committee.

Clr Pointing is also Council’s Delegate on the Walcha Centre Management Committee (MPC).

E – apointing@walcha.nsw.gov.au 

Clr Eric Noakes

First Elected to Council on 10 September 2016.

Elected as Mayor on 28 September 2016, re-elected unopposed on
22 December 2021 and re-elected unopposed on 9 October 2024.

Councillor Noakes is Council’s Delelgate on the following Committees:

  • Country Mayors Association of NSW (CMA)
  • Walcha Local Health Committee
  • Coalition of Renewable Energy Mayors (CoREM)

And is also a member of the following Council Committees:

  • Walcha Council Apsley Riverview Committee;
  • Walcha Council Aboriginal Advisory Committee;
  • Walcha Council Capital Review Committee; and
  • Walcha Council General Manager’s Performance Review Committee.

 

E – enoakes@walcha.nsw.gov.au 

First Elected to Council on 14 September 2024.

Elected as Deputy Mayor on 9 October 2024.

Clr O’Brien is a member of the following Council Committees:

  • Walcha Council Motorcycle Rally Advisory Committee;
  • Walcha Council Aboriginal Advisory Committee; 
  • Walcha Council Capital Review Committee; and
  • Walcha Council’s General Manager’s Performance Review Committee.

 

Clr O’Brien is Council’s Delegate on the New England Bushfire Management Committee.

E – gobrien@walcha.nsw.gov.au 

Clr Hyde Thomson

First Elected to Council on 14 September 2024.

Clr Thomson is a member of the following Council Committees:

  • Walcha Council Youth Advisory Committee; and
  • Walcha Council Capital Review Committee.

 

E – hthomson@walcha.nsw.gov.au 

Clr Gary Olrich

First elected to Council on 14 September 2024.

Councillor Olrich is a member of the following Council Committees:

  • Walcha Council Community Care Advisory Committee
  • Walcha Motorcyle Rally Advisory Committee
  • Walcha Council Capital Review Committee

 

E – golrich@walcha.nsw.gov.au

Clr Stephen McCoy

First elected to Council on 14 September 2024.

Clr McCoy has been elected to:

  • Walcha Council Capital Review Committee; and
  • Walcha Council General Manager’s Performance Review Committee.

He is also Council’s representative on the Mid North Weight of Loads Group.

E – smccoy@walcha.nsw.gov.au