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History In 1818 the Surveyor-General John Oxley discovered the Liverpool Plains, that area of rich grazing land, north of the Hunter. It is east of the Great Dividing Range and north of the Warrumbungles, which he named after Lord Liverpool, the then British Prime Minister. Oxley came into the plains from the west and not over the pass north of Murrurundi when on his way to the coast, after changing his plans to go further afield. The Breeza General Store near Quirindi It created great interest, and the search was on to find a more direct route there. There was a demand for wool from the English woollen mills, and the sheep and cattle numbers were growing in the already settled areas. The promise of drier weather and the attraction of fertile new grass lands, drove them forever on. There was danger from the existing Aboriginal tribes which were unfriendly. In 1824 they attacked a party led by surveyor Henry Dangar (1796-1861) near Mount Towarri in his initial exploration. Allan Cunningham, explorer and botanist, discovered a way into the Liverpool Plains from the west in 1823 while on a botanical tour. Then in 1825 Henry Dangar discovered another pass from the Hunter Valley to the Plains. Cunningham crossed the Range in two different places on his journey to and from the Darling Downs in 1827. William Nowland discovered the pass over the range in 1827, which follows today’s New England Highway, and can justly claim to being the first to take a dray over the Murrurundi crossing of the Liverpool Range. The Loder family feature prominently in the history of Quirindi and George and Loder Streets commemorate this family today. Ned Dwyer was a stockman for the Loders, and they laid claim to the Quirindi area in about 1829. George was sent to the Liverpool Plains by the Hawkesbury Benevolent Society to choose 1000 acres on its behalf, which he did, and at the same time, he occupied land on the Quirindi Creek for himself and his brother Andrew. John Bingle of Scone rode by in 1830 and recorded that he came unexpectedly upon the cattle station of the Loder brothers, with Ned Dwyer in charge. A bark hut and rough stockyards were the beginnings of Quirindi Station. The Joint Stock Bank 1910, corner George & Henry Streets. A stunning example of architecture in Quirindi.   Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Ltd. George St Quirindi, 1889. In 1832 Sir Edward Parry of the Australian Agricultural Company travelled through the area inspecting the A.A. Company’s land of Warrah and Goonoo Goonoo. He noted on 24 March 1832: "Old Ned and his wife have a good garden producing potatoes, pumpkins and maize. The former are excellent and he also furnished us with milk, butter and a cock. He has 1,100 head of cattle and 1,700 sheep in three flocks, belonging to Mr Loder. Some good land in the neighbourhood." The name Quirindi, though the spelling varied in the early years, was adapted from the aboriginal dialect of the place. Sir Edward Parry represented the sound as ‘Kuwherindi’. Various meanings have been suggested, and it could well have a connection with water. White settlement caused catastrophic changes to the lives of aboriginal people. Thomas Mitchell saw natives stricken with smallpox soon after he crossed the Liverpool Range and tried to alleviate their suffering with some of his medical supplies. By 1827, it was estimated that 10,000 cattle had gone by various routes to the Liverpool Plains, and it was clear that settlement was well underway by 1830. The junction of two creeks at Quirindi, meant that it was a good water hole even in dry seasons, and it was a stopping place for those trekking north and returning south. The first known business at Quirindi was an inn, kept in the 1840’s by William Roach. He obtained a wine and beer licence for his house at Loder’s Station in June 1843. At the time of the 1841 census, 18-year-old George Thomas Loder was personally in charge of the Quirindi run. William Telfer, writing of Quirindi in 1846, stated that all the Loders lived for a short time at Quirindi, however as the Loder boys became young men, the family properties were divided among them. George Thomas went to live on a freehold property near Singleton, and Quirindi Station was divided in 1852 between James Mein (then aged 22) who took Quirindi North, and Andrew (27 years) who took Quirindi South or Colly Creek. Memorial gates at the entry to the old Quirindi Showground dedicated to Edward Grimes Underwood (photo taken in 1985). The gates have recently been restored thanks to all involved, with the initials EGU, being a special feature in the centre of each gate. After James Mein Loder died, his widow married Edward Underwood, who bought the Quirindi North Station from the Loder family. Underwood Street commemorates him today. The town is a bustling commercial centre, with fine Victorian buildings in the main street. It is a place for the growing of wheat raising of cattle and on the main rail line north and south. For further information see: http://www.narrabri.net/ConnectNorthWest.aspx https://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/quirindi-nsw Compiled by Liz Parkinson