Willow Tree, New South Wales

Willow Tree New South Wales
Willow Tree with the Liverpool Range in the background
Willow Tree
Coordinates	31°39′S 150°44′E / 31.650°S 150.733°E / -31.650; 150.733Coordinates: 31°39′S 150°44′E / 31.650°S 150.733°E / -31.650; 150.733
Population	422 (2011 census)[1]
Established	1870
Postcode(s)	2339
Location	14 km (9 mi) from Quirindi
LGA(s)	Liverpool Plains Shire
State electorate(s)	Upper Hunter
Federal Division(s)	New England
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall 35 °C 95 °F 10 °C 50 °F 225 mm 8.9 in

Willow Tree is a village composed of about 422 people,^[1] located in New South Wales, Australia. It is situated in the Liverpool Plains, 14 kilometres south of Quirindi near the junction of the Kamilaroi and New England Highways. The town itself is small but the farms extend southwest out to the township of Warrah. It is a service centre to the rural areas of Warrah and Mount Parry.

History

Willow Tree is located at the north-eastern corner of the enormous Warrah grant which was made out to the Australian Agricultural Company in 1833. An inn was established on the future town site, at the junction of the roads north to Quirindi and north-east to Wallabadah in the mid-19th century. It was, however, the arrival of the railway in the 1870s that led to settlement. Willow Tree Post Office opened on 1 August 1872 (though known as Warrah for a few weeks in 1877).^[2]

The village was surveyed when part of the Warrah grant was subdivided and sold in 1908.

Demographics

According to the 2011 census, the village comprises 422 people,^[1] excluding impermanent residents. This was an increase from 169 people at the previous census in 2006.^[3] Of these, 229 (54.3%} were male and 193 (45.7%) were female. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 4.5% of the population. Their median age was 43 years, compared to the national median age of 37. Children aged under 15 years made up 19.2% of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 17.8% of the population.^[1]

86% of people living in Willow Tree were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were England 1.4%, Netherlands 1.0%, New Zealand 1.0%, Finland 0.7% and Germany 0.7%. 91% of people only spoke English at home. The only other response for language spoken at home which had sufficient responses to report was Arabic 1.0%.^[1]

The Census question about religion is optional; of the people who answered it, the most common responses were Anglican 38.5%, Catholic 28.0%, No Religion 8.3%, Uniting Church 6.7% and Baptist 1.0%.^[1]

63.3% of the residents over fifteen years old were married (53.2% in a registered marriage and 10.1% in a de facto marriage), 12.0% were either divorced or separated, and 6.7% widowed.^[1]

Education

Education is provided by a public preschool and a public primary school, Willow Tree Public School.^[4]

Transportation

Willow Tree station is on the Main North railway line, 375 km from Sydney. The station opened in 1877 as Warrah, and was renamed Willow Tree in 1879.^[5] It continues to be served by a daily rail service operated by a NSW TrainLink Xplorer train to and from Sydney and Armidale/Moree. The train to Armidale/Moree stops at 3:02pm and the train to Sydney stops at 12:03pm. They only stop on request.

References