by Carole Meisenhelter

Created on: June 22, 2010   Last Updated: June 23, 2010

Parkes is noted as an inland country town, on mostly red-soil plains, and primarily known for sheep, wheat, and various oil-crops, such as canola, rape and mustard, farming properties.  Early settlements came about back in 1862, due to the discovery of gold, whilst today; Parkes has evolved into being an innovative and welcoming township, and is well- known and even famous, for some very unique achievements. 

Population:

As of 2010, the shire of Parkes boasts an overall population of approximately 15,300 people.  This encompasses not only the township of Parkes, but also, smaller surrounding towns such as Bogan Gate, Peak Hill, Trundle and Tullamore.

Climate:

Parkes is known to be “hot and dry” in Summer, with temperatures capable of reaching up to 40 degrees Celsius maximum (or 104 degrees Fahrenheit), in the early new year.  Winter minimum early morning temperatures, sometimes will drop below freezing, perhaps to minus 3 or 4 degrees Celsius (approximately 26 degrees Fahrenheit).

Astronomy:

Radio astronomy is beamed via a 64 meter steel-dish telescope, at the Parkes Observatory.  Having opened in the year of 1961, this observatory became well-known when it was able to receive and transmit to 600 million people, the historic Apollo 11 moonwalk on the 21st July, 1969. 

Every 30 seconds, an updated webcam image from this telescope, can be viewed by accessing this site: http://www.outreach.atnf.csiro.au/visiting/parkes/pa rkeswebcam.html

Elvis visits Parkes too:

Who’d have thought that the Parkes township, could swell with visitors exceeding their population, during the second week of January each year?  2010’s festival organizers claimed 12,000 attended their highly popular Elvis festival!  

Ardent fans from Sydney will hop on a Country Link “Elvis Express” train leaving Sydney on Friday morning, full of beans and just busting to ”let it all loose” in Parkes, now known as the Elvis capital of Australia!

Nightly news around the state, perhaps the country, will show footage of the guys dressed in their fine Elvis garments, with greased and slicked Elvis-style hairdo’s.  Their partners dressed in traditional “rock ‘n roll” gear, dancing away on Central station before boarding.  Choruses of Elvis hits are belted out along the tracks for the next 365 kilometers, as they head for Parkes.  Fans will pre-book every available accommodation within the Parkes township well ahead of the planned festivities.  Local businesses are stretched to their limits seeing to the needs of this huge influx of humanity, and they just love it!

If visiting Australia, do try to fit in a trip to see “a little bit of country”.  Parkes offers a variety of accommodation in the way of hotels, motels, B & B’s and caravan parks.  Numerous “eating out” opportunities are available to suit every visitor. 

Base yourself in Parkes, and from there you can tour to other regional towns via coach, or hire your own vehicle for a few days longer, to explore more of the region, in the Central West of New South Wales.

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