Parkes experienced a brief but spectacular boom during the gold rush before it matured as the centre of a rich agricultural district. Much of its fortune goes back to visits in 1873 & 1893 by the Premier of NSW at the time, Sir Henry Parkes. The town (once Bushman's) was re-named to Parkes in his honour and the main street was named after his wife Clarinda. Other streets are named after his sons.
The Parkes Town & Around Town Site is still growing - there is more to come. We look forward to you checking back soon to discover more about Parkes.
It was the influence of Sir Henry Parkes that routed the main western railway line through Parkes.
Being situated at the cross roads of the Newell Highway, connecting Melbourne and Brisbane and the transcontinental railway linking the east coast to Adelaide, Perth and Darwin, Parkes is one of hte most significant locations in the future of transport and logistics in Australia.
It is a thriving community situated in almost the geographical centre of New South Wales.
Nowdays it is also famous as the home of ‘the dish’ - the Parkes Radio Telescope and the much-loved Parkes Elvis Festival held the 2nd weekend of January each year.