Liverpool Plains
Encyclopedia : L : LI : LIV : Liverpool Plains
The Liverpool Plains () is a geographical area and Local Government Area (LGA) in north-western New South Wales. It is generally flat to undulating terrain formed from the remanants of old volcanoes such as that of the Liverpool Ranges to the southwest. To the south and east, it merges into the higher and cooler Northern Tablelands.
The Liverpool Plains is generally regarded as the richest agricultural region in Australia owing to its rich black soils, which originally supported a mixed grassland vegetation containing both annual and perennial grasses, which early in the region's history were used to feed cattle and sheep.
Wheat and cotton are the chief crops, although production fluctuates wildly according to rainfall and soil erosion is a major problem occurring both after droughts and floods. The climate is hot in summer, mild in winter, and of moderate rainfall. The average is generally around 635 millimetres (25 inches) with a slight summer maximum, but is quite erratic and can vary from 1,150 millimetres (45 inches) in very wet years to as little as 370 millimetres (15 inches). Temperatures in summer frequently exceed 35°C (95°F) and make cropping without irrigation risky without sophisticated meteorological forecasting techniques.
The largest town in the geographical area is Gunnedah, which actually lies outside the LGA. The Liverpool Plains Council was formed in 2004 by the amalgamation of Quirindi Shire, substantial parts of Parry (Split with Tamworth Regional Council) and Murrurundi Shires, and small parts of Gunnedah Shire. It has an area of 5,085 km2 and a population of 7,910. The largest town within the LGA is Quirindi. Other towns include Werris Creek, Wallabadah, Willow Tree and Curlewis.
External link
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.