{{Use Australian English|date=July 2019}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}} {{Infobox Australian place | type = town | name = Weethalle | state = nsw | image = Weethalle Mid-Western Highway 003.JPG | caption = Railway Street (Mid-Western Highway), the main street of Weethalle | lga = Bland Shire | postcode = 2669 | est = | pop = | pop_year = | pop_footnotes= | coordinates = {{coord|33|52|32|S|146|37|30|E|display=inline,title}} | pushpin_label_position = | elevation= | maxtemp = | mintemp = | rainfall = | stategov = Cootamundra | fedgov = Parkes | dist1 = 526 | dir1 = W | location1= Sydney | dist2 = 100 | dir2 = NE | location2= Griffith | dist3 = 57 | dir3 = W | location3= West Wyalong }} '''Weethalle''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|w|iː|θ|æ|l|i}} {{respell|WEE|thal-ee}}) is a town in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. The town is in the Bland Shire local government area and on the Mid-Western Highway, {{convert|526|km|mi}} west of the state capital, Sydney, and {{convert|100|km|mi}} north east of Griffith. At the {{CensusAU|2011}}, Weethalle and the surrounding area had a population of 307.<ref name="ABS">{{Census 2011 AUS|id=SSC12450|name=Weethalle (State Suburb)|accessdate=2 April 2015|quick=on}}</ref> The name "Weethalle" is said to be an Aboriginal Australian word for drink. Locals refer to the town as the Wee or the Peethalle.<ref>{{NSW GNR|id =d51cd07f-3607-4676-b620-a5b1d56dfd6b|title = Weethalle|date = 25 August 1995|accessdate =14 January 2014}}</ref>
==History== The area now known as Weethalle lies on the traditional lands of the Wiradjuri people.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Studies |first=Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander |date=2021-01-10 |title=Map of Indigenous Australia |url=https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/map-indigenous-australia |access-date=2022-03-27 |website=aiatsis.gov.au |language=en}}</ref>
The Weethalle area was set aside as homestead farms for returned soldiers in 1921.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article119955803 |title=ORIGINAL HOMESTEAD FARMS. |newspaper=Narandera Argus and Riverina Advertiser (NSW : 1893 – 1953) |location=NSW |date=2 August 1921 |accessdate=14 January 2014 |page=1 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> The Rankins Springs railway line was extended to Weethalle in 1922.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article116189116 |title=BARMEDMAN R.S. RAILWAY. |newspaper=The Wyalong Advocate and Mining, Agricultural and Pastoral Gazette (NSW : 1900 – 1928) |location=NSW |date=28 July 1922 |accessdate=14 January 2014 |page=3 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> Land clearing commenced and by 1923 the first wheat from the area was delivered to the Weethalle railway station.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article99438367 |title=DISTRICT NEWS. |newspaper=Albury Banner and Wodonga Express (NSW : 1896 – 1938) |location=NSW |date=21 December 1923 |accessdate=14 January 2014 |page=25 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
By 1924, a site was surveyed for a village to service the surrounding farms with town allotment sales taking place the following year.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article108575275 |title=WEETHALLE. |newspaper=The Wyalong Advocate and Mining, Agricultural and Pastoral Gazette (NSW : 1900 – 1928) |location=NSW |date=14 November 1924 |accessdate=14 January 2014 |page=4 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article108635522 |title=WEETHALLE TOWNSHIP. |newspaper=The Wyalong Advocate and Mining, Agricultural and Pastoral Gazette (NSW : 1900 – 1928) |location=NSW |date=29 September 1925 |accessdate=14 January 2014 |page=7 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> A "skeleton" town was in existence by 1926, with "buildings in all states of construction" and "built mostly of wood".<ref name="Rugby League">{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article108640396 |title=WEETHALLE NOTES. |newspaper=The Wyalong Advocate and Mining, Agricultural and Pastoral Gazette (NSW : 1900 – 1928) |location=NSW |date=25 May 1926 |accessdate=14 January 2014 |page=5 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> In the same year, a provisional school was established along with a branch of the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article108643442 |title=WEETHALLE PUBLIC SCHOOL. |newspaper=The Wyalong Advocate and Mining, Agricultural and Pastoral Gazette (NSW : 1900 – 1928) |location=NSW |date=12 October 1926 |accessdate=14 January 2014 |page=6 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article108640053 |title=BANK OPENED AT WEETHALLE. |newspaper=The Wyalong Advocate and Mining, Agricultural and Pastoral Gazette (NSW : 1900 – 1928) |location=NSW |date=7 May 1926 |accessdate=14 January 2014 |page=1 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
An observer in 1928 described the growth of Weethalle as "remarkable" with the town having "sprung up in the night".<ref name=RisingWeethalle>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article128749410 |title=RISING WEETHALLE. |newspaper=The West Wyalong Advocate (NSW : 1928) |location=NSW |date=19 October 1928 |accessdate=14 January 2014 |page=8 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> In that year, a new hotel was built at a cost of £13,000. The hotel was the newest addition to a town that also boasted a bank, "2 stores ... butchers, bakers, hairdresser and tobacconist, several agents, a school, a doctor, a dance and picture hall, and a tri-weekly rail service."<ref name=RisingWeethalle/>
==Sport== The most popular sport in Weethalle is rugby league. The town's team, the Weethalle Kangaroos, used to compete in the Group 17 Rugby League competition. Nowadays, the town's players play for either former rivals Rankins Springs in the Western Riverina Community Cup competition or for West Wyalong.
Weethalle also has a golf course and cricket facilities.
The town formerly had a combined Australian rules team with Rankins Springs competing in the Northern Riverina Football League.
==Gallery== <gallery> File:Weethalle Mid-Western Highway 003.JPG|Weethalle Mid-Western Highway File:Weethalle Mid-Western Highway Signs.JPG|Weethalle Mid-Western Highway File:Weethalle Pioneer Park.JPG|Pioneer Park File:Weethalle Playground.JPG|park File:Weethalle Police Station & Court House 002.JPG|Court House File:Weethalle Post Office.JPG|Post Office File:Weethalle Presbyterian Church.JPG|Presbyterian Church File:Weethalle Roadhouse.JPG|Weethalle Roadhouse File:Weethalle Showgrounds.JPG|Weethalle Showgrounds File:Weethalle Sports Oval Entrance.JPG|Sports Ground File:Weethalle Tennis Courts.JPG|Tennis Courts File:Weethalle Town Entry Sign 001.JPG|Weethalle Town Entry File:Weethalle CWA Rooms.JPG|CWA Rooms File:Weethalle Building 001.JPG|Street in Weethalle File:Weethalle Building 002.JPG|Weethalle Street File:Weethalle CBC Bank Museum.JPG|Museum File:Weethalle War Memorial.JPG|War memorial File:Weethalle Wee St 001.JPG|Weethalle Wee St File:Weethalle Railway Station 001.JPG|Railway Station Wheatfield near Weethalle IMG 20211115 164812.jpg|Wheatfield near Weethalle </gallery>
==References== {{reflist}}
==Further reading== *{{Citation | author1=Weethalle 75th Celebration Committee | title=Talk About Weethalle : 75th celebration, 1924–1999 | publication-date=1999 | publisher=Weethalle 75th Celebration Committee | isbn=978-0-646-37856-5}}
==External links==
*[http://www.blandshire.nsw.gov.au/Live/OurVillages/Weethalle.aspx Weethalle] - Bland Shire Council
{{Bland Shire}}
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Category:Towns in New South Wales Category:1924 establishments in Australia Category:Populated places established in 1924 Category:Bland Shire