Parkes

Postcode: 2870

Parkes is a town with a population of approximately 10,500 (as of 2004) located in New South Wales, Australia. It is also a Local Government Area (see Parkes Shire). Parkes is located on the Australian transcontinental railway line, and the Newell Highway linking Victoria to Queensland.

With the presence of the nearby Parkes Observatory, Parkes has had an important role in the scientific community. In addition to local research conducted at the radio telescope, Parkes scientists have assisted NASA for several missions as a Southern Hemisphere relay and communications station. (The movie The Dish was based somewhat loosely on the role the telescope played during the 1969 Lunar Landing.) As a bit of Trivia, much footage of that movie were actually filmed in nearby Forbes, 32km South.

A rich variety of farming is conducted in the region immediately surrounding Parkes, although the staple farming is most definitely wheat and wool. Parkes is also supported by a gold and copper mine north of the town.

Parkes became a key country location after the completion of the railway in 1893, serving as a hub for a great deal of passenger and freight transport up until the 1980s. Unfortunately as successive governments reduced the NSW country rail systems, this part of the economy was largely lost to the community. Nevertheless, FCL runs a significant intermodal operation at Gooobang Junction on Parkes' eastern outskirts. On 20 October 2006, Premier Morris Iemma opened Specialised Container Transport's intermodal terminal nearby on a 296 hectare site. It has 5km of rail sidings, a 7,400 square metre warehouse and about 40 staff. An even larger terminal to be sited nearby is also being promoted.

Periodically governments and businesses have raised the topic of an "inland port" whereby Parkes' local air-port would be expanded considerably to serve as a starting point for domestic and international freight destined for areas in the West of NSW. It is yet to be seen whether this option will eventuate for the town.

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