Junee

Postcode: 2663

Junee is a small town and local government area in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. It lies on the Olympic Way and the main southern railway line, 40 km northeast of Wagga Wagga, southwest of Cootamundra, approximately 470 km southwest of Sydney and 220 km northwest of Canberra. It has a population of 6000.

Its name which was previously spelled Jew.nee, originates from the local Aboriginal phrase "speak to me".

A pastoral lease after this area of Wiradjuri lands was colonised by Europeans, Junee grew as a town during the gold rushes that took place in the area from mid-1860 to mid-1880. It became prosperous from the early 1880s when the main railway line from Sydney (NSW capital) to Melbourne (capital of Victoria) was built through Junee. This proved a boon to local agricultural producers who could now easily trade in both of these markets.

The railway defined the character of Junee for nearly 100 years. Evidence of this exists in hotels and railway buildings that are still faithfully maintained in accordance with architectural standards of their day. While the railway still contributes to the local economy, its contribution has reduced since the 1970s. Many locals credit AJJ (John) Thompson, appointed as town clerk in 1970, as the "Father of Modern Junee" for his vision of the town's future and for taking the hard decisions that were needed to keep the town alive.

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