Queanbeyan

Queanbeyan is a  city in New South Wales, Australia. It is also the local government area called Queanbeyan City Council. It is very close to the Australian federal capital city of Canberra. It is really now a part of the capital city as it is on the Australian Capital Territory border and is only  from Canberra's CBD. The border itself is marked by a railway line. The Queanbeyan River flows through Queanbeyan, near the centre of the city.

History 
The town grew from a farm owned by ex-convict inn keeper, Timothy Beard. It was on the banks of the Molonglo River. The original name was Quinbean which means "clear waters".

Queanbeyan became a township in 1838. There were about 50 people living there. Some of the important historic buildings still standing were built in the early days. Traces of gold were found in 1851. There were also some lead and silver mines. Settlers were often robbed by bushrangers including John Tennant, Jacky Jacky, Frank Gardiner and Ben Hall. In 1836, the government built a Post Office at Queanbeyan. 

The first bank was opened in Queanbeyan on 19 September, 1859. This was the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Limited which is now part of the National Australia Bank. The Golden Age now called The Queanbeyan Age was Queanbeyan's first newspaper started in 1860 by John Gale. In 1880 John James Wright, the first mayor of Queanbeyan, built a house on the banks of the Queanbeyan River. In 1982 house became the Queanbeyan Art Centre.

The railway reached Queanbeyan railway station in 1887 and it became the junction for the lines going to Canberra and Bombala. There are now two trains a day, the Countrylink Xplorer service between Canberra and Sydney.

Queanbeyan became an important country town, with 16 hotels and six flour mills powered by wind, water, horse and steam. Canberra was started as the national capital in 1911. There were no hotels, so people crossed the border to get a drink at Queanbeyan's hotels. When the Parliament moved to Canberra from Melbourne in 1926, Canberra got it's first hotel.

Queanbeyan became a city on 7 July, 1972.  From 1982 to 1989, the Canberra Raiders rugby league team played their home games in Queanbeyan, at Seiffert Oval.

Notable residents 
 David Campese - retired Wallaby winger
 Glen Lazarus - former Canberra Raiders, Brisbane Broncos and Melbourne Storm player, NSW representative
 Matt Giteau - Australian Wallaby player, Australia's highest ever paid domestic football player of any code, plays for Western Force
 Brent Kite - Australian NRL player
 Brad Haddin - Australian cricketer
 Matt Henjak - former Wallaby halfback, former player for the Western Force
 George Lazenby - movie star, famous as the second official James Bond 007, after Sean Connery
 Hau Latukefu - ARIA award-winning MC & triple j radio & TV presenter
 Heather McKay AM, MBE - Australian squash champion
 Megan Marcks (née Still) - Olympic women's (pairs) rowing gold medallist
 Tommy Murphy - award-winning playwright
 Mark Webber - Formula 1 driver for Red Bull Racing Winner 2009 German Grand Prix 
 Terry Campese - present Canberra Raiders and Kangaroo's player
 Ben Snow - Academy Award Nominee for Visual Effects

Other websites 

 "Queanbeyan Rocks", ABC Stateline
 "Queanbeyan City Council", Official website

References 

Cities in New South Wales
1833 establishments