Lake Cargelligo

Postcode: 2672

Lake Cargelligo is a town of 1,204 (2001) in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia, on Lake Cargelligo. It is in Lachlan Shire. Its name is said to be a corruption of the Aboriginal word 'Kartjellakoo' meaning 'he had a coolamon'. A coolamon is a shallow wooden dish. Alternatively it is derived from Wiradhuri and Ngiyambaa 'gajal' for water container with suffix 'lugu' for 'her' or 'his'. In 2001 it had an indigenous population of 220 (18.0%) and a foreign born population of 45 (3.7%). The explorers, John Oxley and George Evans, followed the Lachlan River down to Lake Cargelligo in 1817.

A small western NSW town, Lake Cargelligo sits on the shores of a lake of the same name on the otherwise featureless plains about 115km west of Condobolin.

The lake, which provides water for surrounding farmers, is not only a popular fishing, water-skiing, sailing and swimming spot, but it is also an important bird sanctuary.

It is a seasonal and permanent home for many species of birdlife including pelicans, black swans, wild duck, geese and several varieties of parrot, especially galahs and, occasionally, the rare black cockatoo.

And the lake certainly left a distinct impression on explorer John Oxley when he 'discovered' it on an 1817 expedition to plot the course of the Lachlan River. As he recorded in his log: 'The noble lake before me gave a highly picturesque and pleasing character to the scenery.'

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