Wentworth mine

Autumn in Orange

Lake Canobolas

Borenore railway station, near Orange, under a shroud of snow

A major provincial city in western New South Wales, Orange is located on the Mitchell Highway, 260 kilometres west of Sydney. Orange presently has a population of 31,544. Orange is one of the few cities in Australia to receive reasonably frequent snowfalls in winter.

Orange is a well known fruit growing district, and produces apples, pears, and many stone fruits such as cherries, peaches, apricots and plums. Somewhat ironically, oranges are not grown in the area, as the climate is too cool. In recent years, a large number of vineyards have been planted in the area for a rapidly expanding wine production industry. The growth of this wine industry, coupled with the further development of Orange as a gourmet food capital, has ensured Orange's status as something of a tourism capital.
Other large industries include the Cadia gold mine and an Electrolux white goods factory. Orange is also the location of the New South Wales Department of Industry and Investment head office, and a campus of Charles Sturt University.

Key industries include agriculture, mining, health services and education. A significant nearby landmark is Mount Canobolas; at an altitude of 1,395 metres (4,577 ft) it gives commanding views of the district.
Orange is the birthplace of poets Banjo Paterson and Kenneth Slessor, although Paterson only lived in Orange for a very short time as an infant. The first Australian Touring Car Championship, known today as V8 Supercar Championship Series, was held at the Gnoo Blas circuit in 1960.
Orange has two railway stations. The main station, on the Main Western Line to Bourke, is served by the daily Countrylink XPT service between Sydney and Dubbo and the weekly Xplorer service between Sydney and Broken Hill. A smaller station, known as Orange East Fork, lies on the branch line to Broken Hill and is served by the twice-weekly Indian Pacific service to Perth.

Climate: Orange has a temperate climate, with rainfall distributed fairly evenly throughout the year. Compared with most population centres in Australia it has colder winters, especially in terms of its daytime maximum temperatures, and average (and absolute) summer maximum temperatures are also lower than most inland centres, on account of its elevation. The climate has enabled the area to be a major apple and pear producer, and more recently a centre for cool-weather wine production.

History: In 1822 Captain Percy Simpson drove into the Wellington District and established a convict settlement which was called "Blackman's Swamp" after John Blackman. Percy had employed John Blackman as a guide because he had already accompanied an earlier explorer into that region.
In the late 1820s surveyor J. B. Richards worked on a survey of the Macquarie River below Bathurst and also of the road to Wellington. On a plan dated 1829, he indicated a village reserve, in the parish of Orange. It is thought that Sir Thomas Mitchell may have named the parish, as he had been an associate of the Prince of Orange in the Peninsular War, when both were aides-de-camp to the Duke of Wellington, whose title was bestowed on the valley westward, by Oxley.
Legal occupation by graziers began late in 1829, and tiny settlements grew up on the properties and in connection with the road. In 1844 surveyor Davidson was sent to check on encroachments onto the land reserved for a village, and to advise on the location for a township; the choice being Frederick's Valley, Pretty Plains or Blackman's Swamp.
Blackman's Swamp was decided upon and proclaimed a village and named Orange by Major Thomas Mitchell in 1846 in honour of Prince William of Orange. At nearby Ophir the first payable discovery of gold in Australia was made in 1851 which led to the Australian gold rush. Subsequent discoveries of gold in nearby areas led to the establishment of Orange as a central trading centre for the gold. This is contrary to the popular belief that gold was first discovered close to the nearby regional town of Bathurst.
The growth of Orange continued as the conditions were well suited for agriculture, and in 1860 it was proclaimed a municipality. The railway from Sydney reached Orange in 1877. In 1946, 100 years after first being established as a village, Orange was proclaimed a city.