Alectown, New South Wales

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}} {{Use Australian English|date=January 2015}} {{Infobox Australian place | type = town | name = Alectown | state = nsw | image = | caption = | lga = Parkes Shire | postcode = 2870 | established = | pop =  | pop_year =  | pop_footnotes =  | elevation= | coordinates = {{coord|32|56|0|S|148|14|30|E|display=inline,title}} | maxtemp = | mintemp = | rainfall = | stategov = Orange | fedgov = Parkes | dist1 = 382 | dir1 = WNW | location1= Sydney | dist2 = 97 | dir2 = SW | location2= Dubbo | dist3 = 24 | dir3 = N | location3= Parkes }} '''Alectown''' is a town in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. The town is on the Newell Highway and in the Parkes Shire local government area, {{convert|382|km|mi}}, west north west of the state capital, Sydney. The name is also applied to the surrounding rural locality, for postal and statistical purposes.

==History== Originally known as Alecs Flat, the district was named after the three men who first prospected here - Alexander Cameron, Alexander Patton, and Alexander Whitelaw.<ref>{{NSW GNR|id =MnjLWy|title = Alectown, New South Wales|date = 2 November 1979|accessdate =1 August 2013}}</ref>

It was originally a gold mining town which once had a population above 1,000. ''Bachelors Rush'' Post Office opened on 1 May 1888 and was renamed ''Alicktown'' in 1889 and ''Alectown'' in 1891. It closed in 1983.<ref name="Post Office">{{Cite web | last = Phoenix Auctions History | title = Post Office List | publisher = Phoenix Auctions | url = http://www.phoenixauctions.com.au/cgi-bin/wsPhoenix.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=NSW&filter=*Alectown* | access-date = 18 February 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=1889-12-03|title=Government Gazette Notices|pages=8685|work=New South Wales Government Gazette (Sydney, NSW : 1832 - 1900)|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article224335713|access-date=2020-11-25}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=1891-07-24|title=Government Gazette Notices|pages=5767|work=New South Wales Government Gazette (Sydney, NSW : 1832 - 1900)|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article224305296|access-date=2020-11-25}}</ref> The police station closed in 1930.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1930-10-01 |title=ALECTOWN POLICE STATION CLOSED. |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article252051851 |access-date=2024-07-30 |work=New South Wales Police Gazette and Weekly Record of Crime |pages=741}}</ref> Alectown had a school, from March 1890 until December 1974.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alectown |url=https://nswgovschoolhistory.azurewebsites.net/schoolHistory?schoolId=58 |access-date=2024-07-30 |website=nswgovschoolhistory.azurewebsites.net}}</ref> Today, only two churches and some residences remain in the town.

Around 7km by road to the west of Alectown, on the Parkes-Narromine railway line. is the former site of Alectown West railway station, which closed in 1974. There is grain storage at the location, but it is no longer used as a train loading point.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alectown West Station |url=https://www.nswrail.net/locations/show.php?name=NSW:Alectown+West |access-date=2024-07-30 |website=www.nswrail.net}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Satellite view - 32°56'10.0"S 148°10'21.4"E · Alectown NSW 2870, Australia |url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/32%C2%B056'10.0%22S+148%C2%B010'21.4%22E/@-32.9361,148.1700251,731m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m4!3m3!8m2!3d-32.9361!4d148.1726?hl=en&entry=ttu |access-date=2024-07-30 |website=Google Maps |language=en}}</ref>

== Demographics == At the {{CensusAU|2016}}, Alectown and the surrounding area had a population of 168.<ref name="Census2016Y">{{Census 2016 AUS|id=SSC10029|name=Alectown (State Suburb)|accessdate=1 February 2018|quick=on}}</ref> In the 2021 census the population had dropped to 151.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2021 Alectown, Census All persons QuickStats |url=https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2021/SAL10029 |access-date=2024-07-16 |website=Australian Bureau of Statistics}}</ref>

==Notable residents== * Scott Westcott

thumb|right|Christmas at Alectown, 1910s, by A B Unger.

== See also == * Houston, New South Wales

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{commons}} {{Parkes Shire}}

Category:Towns in New South Wales Category:Towns in the Central West (New South Wales) Category:Newell Highway Category:Parkes Shire Category:Mining towns in New South Wales