Forbes

Postcode: 2871

Forbes is a town and Local Government Area (see Shire of Forbes) in the Central West of New South Wales, Australia, located on the Newell Highway between Parkes and West Wyalong. The town currently has a population of 8,500.

It is on the banks of the Lachlan River. It is 245m above sea-level and about 380 km west of Sydney. The district is a cropping area where wheat and similar crops are grown. Towns and villages near-by are: Parkes, Bedgerebong, Bundbarrah, Corradgery, Daroobalgie, Eugowra, Ooma North and Paytens Bridge.

The area was occupied by the Wiradjuri people prior to European settlement. John Oxley passed through in 1817 during one of the first inland expeditions. Oxley named the site Camp Hill. He was unimpressed with the clay soil, poor timber and swamps and he concluded, it is impossible to imagine a worse country. The first settlers moved into the district in 1834.

Gold was discovered by Harry Stephens, also known as "German Harry", in June 1861. The goldfields were originally named "Black Ridge", and the name "Forbes" celebrating Sir Francis Forbes was declared from Sydney as the result of a possible government administrative error, it is said that the name was meant for the town now known as "Hill End" near Mudgee NSW where gold was discovered around a similar time.

Forbes Shire has four public primary schools: Forbes Primary School, Forbes North Primary School, Corinella Public School and Bedgerebong Public School. There is one private primary school, St Laurences Primary School.

Local tertiary institutions are the Forbes College of Technical and Further Education (TAFE) and the Forbes Conservatorium.

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