Peak Hill

• Summary
• Weather for Peak Hill

Peak Hill "The Town with a Heart of Gold" enjoys a proud history indelibly linked with the discovery of gold in 1889. Prior to this in 1835 following Thomas Mitchell's exploration of the Bogan River, the first squatters began the rural activities of grazing and cropping, which continue until this day.

Central and accessible, Peak Hill is situated between the larger towns of Parkes and Dubbo on the Newell Highway 384km from Sydney, 754km from Melbourne, 926km from Brisbane, 1097km from Adelaide and 362km from Canberra. This location makes Peak Hill is a great base for visiting other major attractions in the region including the famous Parkes Radio Telescope (22 Km south), the highly rated Western Plains Zoo (65 Km north) at Dubbo. The newly established Goobang National Park (25km east) awaits your discovery or walk to the "open cut experience" right at the edge of town.

Accommodation in Peak Hill is friendly and refreshingly good value for money, with 3 Motels 2 Caravan parks, a Hotel and a Farm stay to chose from. The town offers a varied selection of take away or dine in restaurants such as coffee shops, family cafe incorporating a dolls collection and the vibrant Services and Bowls and Golf clubs. The town also boasts arts and craft shops, the dolls shop, an antique shop, and is up to date with Internet access available at the local CTC office.

From 1959-1961 the CSIRO built The Parkes Radio Telescope, the first big-dish antenna radio telescope in the southern hemisphere, 22km south of Peak Hill. One of the world's most powerful - it has played a vital role in the detection of quasars and pulsars. The Parkes Radio Telescope was the star of the popular Australian movie 'The Dish'.