Young

Young is situated on the Olympic Highway in the South West Slopes region of NSW, just three and a half hours drive west of Sydney and one and half hours from Canberra. Widely known as the Cherry Capital of Australia, it is rich in history and character and offers a healthy and relaxed lifestyle in safe and friendly surroundings.

Centrally located in the 'Hilltops' food and wine region, the shire is being increasingly recognised for producing quality cool climate wines, foods and offering an authentic country experience. The area boasts many cherry and stone fruit orchards, with fresh fruit being available in the area from November until late March.

First settled by Europeans in 1826, the township has grown since the discovery of gold on the 'Lambing Flat' in 1860. Originally known as Lambing Flat, the discovery of gold here and the events at Lambing Flat in 1861 played an important roll in the development of the thriving town we see today played a significant role in the development of Australia as a nation. Over the past 100 years the town has embraced cultural diversitybrought to the region by these early settlers.

Everything you would expect from a bigger centreis here, with a wide range of services in the town it offers the perfect environment for families, couples and individuals. The town boasts an excellent health service including a new hospital (built in 2004), aged care facilities and community health services, choices in education and employment opportunities.

So does Young sound like a town you would like to call home? Let's look more closely at Australia's cherry capital.

CLIMATE

The district has a Mediterranean-style climate with typically hot, dry summers and cool winters. The picturesque, rolling hills of the area change colours with the four seasons, with stunning autumn colours and beautiful displays of spring blossoms and bulbs.

The cold night temperatures in winter are ideal for the production cherries and other stone fruits for which the area is famous, and for the production of the award winning cool climate wines produced in the region.

ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS

Annual events include:

• National Cherry Festival
  
  
• Lambing Flat Festival
  
  
• Burrangong Picnic Races
  
  
• Pro Rodeo
  
  
• Agricultural Show
  
  
• South West Slopes Merino Breeder's Field Day

There are many other regular and annual events from Pony Club, Motocross, and other sporting events to farmers markets, market stalls and open gardens.

Young caters for a variety of sporting and cultural interests. There is a variety of sports, from croquet to rugby league in the district. There are a number of excellent playing fields, an 18-hole golf course, trotting and racetracks, a public swimming pool and a new indoor sports stadium.

The town is also home to many talented artists and craftspeople. Artworks are displayed at the Burrangong Art Gallery, the Annabel Wallace Gallery, in specialty shops and many of the local restaurants. The Theatre Company uses the Catherine McAuley Hall for their locally produced stage shows and the Arts Council runs the newest community asset, the Southern Cross Cinema. The Art & Craft Club, the Camera Club, the Regional School of Music and the Family History Group all enjoy a strong membership.

TOWN SERVICES

Schools. There are 10 primary schools in the district, as well as 2 high schools, a TAFE campus and a Special School. There are also 4 childcare centres, a pre-school and a number of other educational and childcare facilities in the area which make it an ideal location to bring up children.

Health. The Young Health Service opened in March 2004 and incorporates the new District Hospital, the Mercy Care Centre and the Community Health Service. The new hospital has medical, surgical, paediatric and maternity services and an oncology unit, radiology and emergency services. The Mercy Care Centre is a Schedule 3 Hospital providing rehabilitation, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech therapy, palliative care and medical assessment to both in and out patients.

Caring for the community are 10 medical practitioners supported by a number of visiting specialists. There are also a full complement of dentists, orthodontists, optometrists, physiotherapists and other health practitioners.

Shops. As mentioned in the introduction, Young is an important retail centre in the region with a mix of multinationals and independent operators servicing the 55,000 people who live in the immediate region. With a wide variety of retail outlets and shopping available, the town has got everything that you could want, from speciality shops to large department stores.

Parks and Gardens. The Shire Council is proud of the town's many public parks and gardens. The Chinese Tribute Gardens, situated at Chinaman's Dam, is the perfect spot for a family BBQ or picnic, with grassed picnic areas, BBQs, the landscaped Chinese garden and walking tracks through the nature reserve. The historic Carrington Park, close to the centre of town, hosts many of the town's community events and is againa beautiful spot for a family get together or relaxing picnic.

YOUNG AREA

Young is situated amongst the picturesque rolling hills of the South West Slopes, and is surrounded by orchards and agricultural land. The landscape comes into it's own in Spring when the Cherry and other stone fruit orchards become covered in delicate coloured blossoms and the yellow canola flowers contrast with green cereal crops and the purple of the Patterson's Curse.

Relaxing weekend drives in the surrounding area are a pleasant way to pass the time and take in some of the best scenery in the state. There are several small villages, which lie in the surrounding area, such as Wombat, Murringo, Monteagle, Bendick Murrell, Maimuru, Bribbaree and Kingsvale, and several historic sites worth a look. Just outside of the Shire is the Weddin National Park, a great spot for bushwalking and camping just 40minutes from town. See the bushranger Ben Hall's cave or visit Seaton's Hut.

Young is best known as the Cherry Capital of Australia but there are many attractions here for both residents and visitors to the town. The Chinese Tribute Gardens, the Lambing Flat Museum and Blackguard Gully provide an historical perspective of the town. With other attractions such as JD's Jam Factory, Poppa's Fudge Factory, Yandilla Mustard Seed Oils, Sunnyside Rose Garden, Iandra Castle, the cellar doors of the 'Hilltops' region and somuch more mean that there is something for everyone.

We recommend contacting Young Tourism for more information. We hope you find them as helpful as we did.

Want to see a map of Young?

ECONOMICS

Employment. The unemployment rate at December 2005 was 5.2%.

Diversity underpins the wealth of the district and makes Young the success story that it is today. The Shire encompasses 2,693 sq kilometres and has in excess of 1500 businesses and this number continues to grow.

Employment opportunities exist in the rural sector in viticulture, horticulture, farming and grazing. The fruit industry employs over 3500 people annually in both seasonal and permanent positions. Other key industries include building, mining, steel fabrication, civil engineering and local value-adding industries. Opportunities also exist within the agedcare, health and government service sectors.

The town is an important retail centre in the region with a mix of multinationals and independent operators servicing 55,000 people in the immediate region.

There are excellent transport, power, energy and telecommunication networks all servicing local business and the town is situated just 88 km inland from the major Sydney to Melbourne traffic corridor. The Shire Council is committed to the growth of local business and offers incentives for the relocation and start up of business in Young on a case by case basis.

Investing. Coming soon. Search for real estate or rental properties available in the area.

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