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(The Other) New England Trivia Quiz

In New South Wales, Australia, there is "another" New England - let's take a quick tour of the area and see the sights.

A multiple-choice quiz by Rowena8482. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
Rowena8482

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
320,354

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
833

Question 1 of 10

1. The first European to explore the New England area of New South Wales was John Oxley, who made his journeys in the early nineteenth century. In 1818 he reached the Pacific coast after travelling overland through the region, and found a beautiful bay at the mouth of the Hastings River.
In 1821, a town was founded there as a penal colony, and named for the then Governor of New South Wales. Today it is still a thriving town, and is famous for the 'Billabong Koala Park' tourist attraction. Where are we? Hint

Port Hastings

Port Darling

Port Talbot

Port Macquarie

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Question 2 of 10

2. Between 1864 and 1870, one Frederick Ward was a very busy man. As well as having four children with his devoted wife Mary Bugg, he was also a notorious Bushranger (outlaw or highwayman type robber) committing hundreds of robberies and stealing horses. Fred had a nickname during his years of notoriety; what was it? Hint

Captain Thunderbolt

Deadeye Fred

Mad Karroo

Cornelius Cliff

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Question 3 of 10

3. Not far from the small settlement of Ebor (east of Armidale), is the source of a river (which shares its name with a very famous non-Australian river). Running south west until it joins the Macleay river and thus the Pacific Ocean 600 miles away, which river is this? Hint

Thames

Rubicon

Styx

Lethe

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Question 4 of 10

4. Black Mountain, near Guyra, has an elevation of just over 4300 feet above sea level. It is the site of the highest business of its kind anywhere in Australia. What business will visitors find there? Hint

Cattle Station

Vineyard

Opal Mine

Kangaroo Farm

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Question 5 of 10

5. Australian State Highway 78 is the main road link between the inland and coastal regions of New England in New South Wales. It is also named after certain geographical features in one of the seven National Parks on and adjacent to its route. How is it known? Hint

Billabong Way

Wattlebush Way

Waterfall Way

Lakeside Way

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Question 6 of 10

6. This river, which rises near the village of Ebor, is named for a famous figure from English history. It was discovered and named by the explorer John Oxley when he camped on the banks on 5th November 1821. Who is this river named after? Hint

Guy Fawkes

Admiral Nelson

Lord Wellington

King Arthur

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Question 7 of 10

7. Which is the highest peak in the New England (Northern Tablelands) area of Australia? Hint

Abbott Peak

Mount Gibraltar

Bushy Mountain

Round Mountain

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Question 8 of 10

8. Near the town of Guyra in New England, New South Wales, is a visitor attraction called 'Mother of Ducks'. What geographical feature is 'Mother of Ducks'? Hint

Rock Formation

Lagoon

Waterfall

Cave System

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Question 9 of 10

9. The town of Tamworth is one of the main towns in New England, New South Wales, and as well as being an administrative centre for the area it is also famous as "The ______ Capital of Australia" ... for what is Tamworth famous? Hint

Country music

Irish folk dancing

Sausages (or snags as they are called locally)

Camel racing

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Question 10 of 10

10. In which New South Wales town is the main campus of the University of New England located? Hint

Tamworth

Armidale

Newcastle

Wallangarra

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The first European to explore the New England area of New South Wales was John Oxley, who made his journeys in the early nineteenth century. In 1818 he reached the Pacific coast after travelling overland through the region, and found a beautiful bay at the mouth of the Hastings River. In 1821, a town was founded there as a penal colony, and named for the then Governor of New South Wales. Today it is still a thriving town, and is famous for the 'Billabong Koala Park' tourist attraction. Where are we?

Answer: Port Macquarie

Lachlan Macquarie, for whom Port Macquarie is named, was Governor of New South Wales from 1810 until 1821. The town was an operational penal colony for ten years, until 1831. Folklore and history tell us that any escapees who were found by the native Australian tribes in the area were immediately returned to the prison colony and exchanged for gifts of items such as tobacco and blankets!

Answer: Captain Thunderbolt

A member of the Ward family was shot and killed by a policeman during a botched robbery in 1870, but nobody knows if it was in fact Fred "Captain Thunderbolt" Ward or his uncle Harry. Rumours abound and the truth is lost to history, but Captain Thunderbolt is still commemorated in the name of several roads in the area around the town of Uralla where this shooting happened.

Answer: Styx

The name Ebor was used by the Roman invaders and then settlers for the English town of York, also known to the Vikings as Jorvik. The river Styx is of course the river that winds its way around Hades in Greek mythology. The souls of the dead must pay Charon the ferryman to take them across.
At Gara Gorge on the Styx, visitors can view the remains of two nineteenth century hydro-electric power stations which were built by miners during the gold rush to the area in the 1850s.

Answer: Vineyard

The specific geography of the region makes this part of New England particularly suitable for viticulture; the unusual combination of soil type, elevation, and climate there is not found anywhere else in Australia. The first vineyards in New England were laid out in the early nineteenth century, and all together there are now over forty vineyards and five wineries in the region. Black Mountain is the highest and actually has to contend with snow and frosts during the winter months! Not too far from Black Mountain are the Liverpool Plains, home to the largest "gourmet snail farm" in Australia (of all things!).

Answer: Waterfall Way

The actual waterfalls that the road is named for are in Dorrigo National Park. Three of the seven parks, including Dorrigo, along Highway 78 are designated Official World Heritage Sites by the United Nations, and are home to some very rare plants and animals found nowhere else in the world.

Answer: Guy Fawkes

November 5th is Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes Night in the UK. On that day, people light fires, burn effigies, and let off fireworks to commemorate Guy Fawkes and his gang's failed attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament and King James I, in 1605. The Guy Fawkes River runs along the length of the geological "Demon fault line" and eventually joins with the Clarence River and thus to the Pacific Ocean.

7. Which is the highest peak in the New England (Northern Tablelands) area of Australia?

Answer: Round Mountain

Round Mountain is near Ebor village, and its slopes are drained by the Guy Fawkes River. The Ebor Falls, which are over 100 metres high, are a popular tourist attraction on the river. Round Mountain is 1585 metres high; the next highest point in New England is Point Lookout which is 1564 metres high.
The highest mountain in Australia is Mount Kosciuszko, which is also in New South Wales, but it is not in the New England area of the state.

8. Near the town of Guyra in New England, New South Wales, is a visitor attraction called 'Mother of Ducks'. What geographical feature is 'Mother of Ducks'?

Answer: Lagoon

The Mother of Ducks Lagoon is set in an ancient volcanic crater, and is home to the Mother of Ducks Nature Reserve. Many species of endangered wild bird can be seen there, and it is an Australian Heritage Site, protected by law.
Interestingly, Guyra and the Lagoon sit right on the watershed for the New England region, so that rainfall to the east of the site drains to the Pacific Ocean, and rainfall to the west of the site finds its way into the Murray-Darling river system.

Answer: Country music

The major event of the year in Tamworth is the Telstra Country Music Festival which lasts for ten days and is held every January. It attracts over fifty thousand visitors each year to the Festival and Country music museum. Even the tourist information centre is guitar shaped!

10. In which New South Wales town is the main campus of the University of New England located?

Answer: Armidale

Originally a satellite college of the University of Sydney, the University of New England was the first one in Australia to be in a town or city that was not the capital city of a state. It gained independence from the University of Sydney in 1954, having been founded in 1938.

Source: Author Rowena8482

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.
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