BREWARRINA Brewarrina is a small outback town in the west of NSW. Brewarrina is equidistant between Bourke to the West and Walgett to the east. Brewarrina has a reputation of quite often recording the highest temperature for the state of NSW. No one knows exactly what the word "Brewarrina" means. The most common translation is "clumps of acacias". The first white settlers arrived in the district around 1839-40. The first people to own land where the town now stands were the Lawson brothers, who had two holdings - one called "Walcha" and another called "Moona". The first name given to the settlement was "Walcha Hut" but this later changed to "Brewarrina". In 1859 a riverboat called Gemini, skippered by William Randell, reached the town. This opened up the possibility of developing the town as a port. The 1870s were something of a boom time for Brewarrina. The Mechanics Institute was formed in 1873. The following year two hotels, two stores and the Commercial Bank all opened, and in 1875 a public school was established. All this development was largely due to Cobb and Co. The War Memorial is located near the info centre. And the number of names confirms the earlier and busier era. Brewarrina is represented with an Anglican and Catholic churches. When passing through be sure to visit the info centre and get a feel for the history of this outback township.