Area profile
A quick snapshot of Bogan Shire, drawn from official ABS estimates and the NSW Government's council data. The shire's seat and only town is Nyngan, on the Bogan River at the junction of the Mitchell and Barrier Highways in the Orana region of western NSW — the council describes it as "an ideal rest point for the weary traveller". Council's own Operational Plan notes that the shire covers about 1.8% of the state's land surface and that the geographical centre of NSW lies within its boundaries.
New to these terms? Read them in plain English
- Local Government Area (LGA)
- The official area a council governs.
- Estimated Resident Population (ERP)
- The official population count for an area.
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)
- The national statistics agency behind population figures.
The area at a glance
- Population (ERP, 2023-24)
- 2,407ABS Estimated Resident Population, per OLG time-series data. The council's 2026/2027 Operational Plan states an estimated population of 2,467.
- Area
- 14,599.9 km²OLG time-series figure; the council's own Operational Plan states 14,610 km², "equivalent to about 1.8% of the State's land surface".
- Population density
- ~0.16 people per km²Roughly one resident for every 6 km² of shire.
- Region
- Orana / western NSW, on the Bogan River at the junction of the Mitchell and Barrier Highways
- Council classification
- Rural (OLG group 9)
- Main centres
- Nyngan (council seat and administrative centre), with the villages of Girilambone, Hermidale and CoolabahThe council names those three villages in its rating and waste arrangements; Bobadah is a further locality in the south of the shire. A selection of localities is listed below.
- Local economy
- Sheep and cattle production, large-scale cropping, and copper miningCouncil describes "an abundance of productive agricultural land for sheep and cattle production and large scale cropping enterprises", and says the shire's prosperity is also built around "a thriving mining industry of which copper is the primary metal found". Mining is a distinct rating category on Bogan's rates notice. The shire hosts the Nyngan Solar Plant, built with support from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, which published knowledge-sharing reports on its construction.
- Services in Nyngan
- Hospital, one high school, four primary schools, TAFE campus, council-run medical centre and Early Learning CentreCouncil's own summary also lists an aged hostel, a dentist, a pre-school and mobile pre-school, a Youth Centre, a library, a visitor information centre and the Nyngan Memorial Swimming Pool.
- Nyngan and Cobar's water
- Nyngan is the pumping point for Cobar's town water supplyThe Cobar Water Board, created by the Cobar Water Supply Act 1963, pipes water from the Bogan River at Nyngan to Cobar — a 300mm line built in 1963 and a parallel 375mm line in 1983. The source is regulated water reaching Nyngan via the Albert Priest Channel from Warren.
Suburbs & postcodes
- Nyngan2825
- Girilambone2831
- Hermidale2831
- Coolabah2831
- Bobadah2877
- Canonba2825
- Miandetta2825
- Honeybugle2825
On the map
The shaded area is the official Local Government Area boundary.
The suburb list and postcodes are a selection of the localities in the Bogan Shire LGA (postcodes confirmed against Australia Post). The shaded area on the map is the official Local Government Area boundary. Council records that the shire sits across the traditional lands of the Ngemba, Wayilwan and Wiradjuri peoples, and acknowledges the Wangaaypuwan (Wongaibon) and Ngiyampaa peoples of the Bogan River country. The present LGA was formed in 1972 when Bogan Shire Council and Nyngan Municipal Council amalgamated; Bogan Shire was incorporated in 1906 and the Municipality of Nyngan proclaimed in 1891. The defining event in the town's modern history is the flood of April 1990: after record rainfall in the Bogan River catchment the levee was breached and by the morning of 24 April 1990 Nyngan was submerged and isolated, with damage the council estimates at about $50 million and almost the entire population airlifted out. A new levee bank, built one metre higher than the 1990 flood level, now protects the township.
Sources — check it yourself
- Office of Local Government — Time-Series Data 2023-24 (population, area, classification) · 2023-24
- Bogan Shire Council — Operational Plan and Budget 2026/2027, 'About Bogan Shire' (PDF) · Jun 2026
- Bogan Shire Council — History of Nyngan (including the 1990 flood) · Aug 2026
- Cobar Shire Council — Cobar Water Board (pipeline from Nyngan) · Aug 2026
- Australian Renewable Energy Agency — Nyngan Solar Plant knowledge-sharing reports
- Bogan Shire (Wikipedia)
Figures are current as at the dates shown and may change — always confirm with the linked source. See the notice at the bottom of the page for full details and how to report a correction.