Junee, New South Wales

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Junee is a small town and local government area (see Junee Shire) in the Riverina District of New South Wales, Australia. It lies on the Olympic Way and the main southern railway line, 40 km northeast of Wagga Wagga, southwest of Cootamundra, approximately 470 km southwest of Sydney and 220 km northwest of Canberra. It has a population of 6000. Its name that was previously spelled Jew.nee^{[citation needed]}, originates from the local Aboriginal phrase "speak to me".

Charles Sturt passed through the Jew.nee area on his 1829-1830s expedition down the Murrumbidgee^{[citation needed]}.

A pastoral lease after this area of Wiradjui lands was colonised by Europeans, Junee grew as a town during the gold rushes that took place in the area from mid-1860 to mid-1880. It became prosperous from the early 1880s when the main railway line from Sydney (NSW capital) to Melbourne (capital of Victoria) was built through Junee. This proved a boon to local agricultural producers who could now easily trade in both of these markets.

The railway defined the character of Junee for nearly 100 years. Evidence of this exists in hotels and railway buildings that are still faithfully maintained in accordance with architectural standards of their day. While the railway still contributes to the local economy, its contribution has reduced since the 1970s. Many locals credit AJJ (John) Thompson, appointed as town clerk in 1970, as the "Father of Modern Junee" for his vision of the town's future and for taking the hard decisions that were needed to keep the town alive.

This period saw Junee accept that income from the railways was on the decline and that growth was going to come from diverse areas. Land was allocated for new development and housing with assistance from the State Government. Local producers were encouraged to diversify and increase the quality of their produce. New businesses were sought for the town. As a result, Junee is now known for its lamb and high quality crops of wheat, canola, oats, barley and triticale. A manufacturing sector has also evolved with emphasis on steel engineering, meat processing and organic flour. It is also the location of the ACM Correctional Facility.

Housing development has increased steadily and community facilities have matured and developed to make Junee a sought after lifestyle choice and tourist destination of the Riverina District.