DORRIGO
Dorrigo, although a three-ways town is
mostly not an encounted town. Dorrigo is more of a ‘go to’ and
destination town. The Dangar Falls, Dorrigo National Park and to a
point the town itself are the catalysts to visit.
 
The town is situated on the Dorrigo Plateau near the
New England Escarpment, which is part of the Great Dividing Range.
Dorrigo is 762 metres above sea level.

Dorrigo is derived from the Aboriginal word,
dondorrigo, meaning "stringy-bark". For many decades it was
believed that explorer and settler Major Edward Parke named the region
after a Spanish General named Don Dorrigo with whom Peake fought in
the Peninsula War.

By 1841, timber cutters had entered the Bellinger
River searching for red cedar. They set up
Timbergetters followed the early settler through the
sub-tropical rainforest and many sawmills grew due to demand for
timber, initially the highly prized Australian Red Cedar (Toona
australis).
Dorrigo is home to the Dorrigo Steam Railway Museum.
The Museum houses the largest collection of preserved railway vehicles
and memorabilia from the various Government and private railways of
New South Wales. It is one of the most comprehensive railway
collections in the world, with items in the collection ranging from
1855 to the present day. The museum is not yet open to the public
however the larger items such as steam engines and carriages can be
viewed from outside the property. There is also the Heritage Museum
and unofficial ‘worlds’ smallest motorcycle museum. 
The Dangar Falls
are located about 1.2 km north of Dorrigo, on the Bielsdown River. The
falls are small but picturesque, and are a popular photographic
subject. For a short time after rain they are quite spectacular.
Dorrigo has two classic 100 year old pubs. 
The Dorrigo War Memorial is located at town central.
The Catholic
and Anglican
Churches are modern buildings. The United a wooden structure (not
shown).
Dorrigo is a really nice town that has lots of unique
features.
   Allow
a day when visiting.
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