Narrandera
Narrandera is a rural town in the Riverina region of south-western New South Wales, Australia, situated on the Murrumbidgee River and serving as the administrative centre of Narrandera Shire.[1] As of the 2021 Australian census, the town had a population of 4,369, with a median age of 44 years and 1,663 occupied private dwellings.[2] The local economy is primarily driven by agriculture, encompassing sheep, grains, beef, and dairy production, which underpin output, employment, and exports in the shire.[3] The area's traditional custodians are the Wiradjuri people, with European settlement commencing in the 1860s via pastoral stations and expanding through river navigation, rail connections, and irrigation developments that supported agricultural growth.[4] Narrandera functions as a service hub for surrounding farming communities, featuring infrastructure such as the Newell and Sturt highways junction for freight transport of produce, alongside community facilities including a railway station and sportsgrounds.[1] The shire, encompassing 4,116 square kilometres, recorded 5,698 residents in the 2021 census, reflecting a stable rural demographic with agriculture occupying nearly 89% of land use.[5][6]Geography and Environment
Location and Topography
Narrandera is situated in the Riverina region of south-western New South Wales, Australia, at geographic coordinates 34°45′S 146°33′E. The town occupies a position along the banks of the Murrumbidgee River, approximately 560 kilometres west of Sydney and serving as a key access point via the Newell and Sturt highways.[7][8] The local elevation stands at about 152 metres above sea level, with the broader Narrandera Shire generally below 160 metres and featuring low river gradients conducive to periodic flooding. Topography in the area comprises flat alluvial plains characteristic of the Riverina, interspersed with meandering waterways and river red gum corridors that define the natural landscape. Surrounding terrain includes low-lying floodplains and wetlands, supporting agricultural use within the Murray-Darling Basin.[9][10][8]Climate and Natural Resources
Narrandera features a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa), with hot summers, mild winters, and relatively low annual precipitation concentrated in the cooler months.[11] Mean annual maximum temperature is 24.0 °C, while the mean minimum is 9.9 °C, based on records from Narrandera Airport AWS spanning 1967 to 2025.[12] Annual rainfall averages 444.2 mm, distributed across approximately 59.7 days, supporting dryland farming but necessitating irrigation for higher yields.[12]| Month | Mean Max Temp (°C) | Mean Min Temp (°C) | Mean Rainfall (mm) | Median Rain Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33.4 | 17.6 | 40.2 | 4.0 |
| Feb | 32.3 | 17.3 | 33.0 | 3.1 |
| Mar | 28.8 | 14.2 | 34.0 | 3.5 |
| Apr | 23.9 | 9.7 | 34.7 | 4.0 |
| May | 18.9 | 6.3 | 39.0 | 5.2 |
| Jun | 15.1 | 3.9 | 38.6 | 6.3 |
| Jul | 14.5 | 3.2 | 35.7 | 6.9 |
| Aug | 16.3 | 3.7 | 38.5 | 7.0 |
| Sep | 20.2 | 5.7 | 35.0 | 5.6 |
| Oct | 24.6 | 9.3 | 40.5 | 5.3 |
| Nov | 28.3 | 12.7 | 38.7 | 4.6 |
| Dec | 31.2 | 15.1 | 36.4 | 4.2 |
| Annual | 24.0 | 9.9 | 444.2 | 59.7 |