Quandialla

Quandialla is a village in the Central West region of New South Wales Australia. The town is 412 km west of Sydney. It is situated on the plains of The Bland country at the western edge of the Weddin Shire. The town of Grenfell is 46 km to the north-east, Young is 65 km to the south-east and West Wyalong is 57 km to the west. The Weddin Mountains are within sight.

At the, Quandialla and the surrounding area had a population of 349.

History
Home to the Wiradjuri people, the area was first settled by Europeans in the 1830s. According to Bruce Robinson "The area was 'station' country known as 'The Bland' or 'The Levels' and was famous for its prime grazing and fattening pastures..." The villages of Morangarell to west, and Bimbi to the east, developed along creeks and pre-dated Quandialla.

The Quandialla township, founded in 1914, was a product of the coming of the Stockinbingal-Parkes railway line. Opening in 1916, the rail line was both a result of closer settlement - and the move from grazing to farming, as well as a catalyst for the further development of a grain based farming economy. Quandialla became an important service town for wheat production and fat lamb raising. The Quandialla Post Office opened on 19 June 1916.

The township grew rapidly in the 1920s, while Bimbi and Morangarell, which were bypassed by the railway, went into decline. In the 1950s Quandialla was serviced by three motor garages, two stock and station agents, a cinema, state and Roman Catholic schools and sales yards with yardings of up to 10,000 stock. In the late 1950s the Quandialla Central School enrolment exceeded 230 pupils, compared with 50 in 2009. Over 600 people attended the opening of the Memorial Hall in 1955. The town until recently had its own hospital.

Today
In 2010 the village still retained its general store, The Bland Hotel, the central school, a public swimming pool and a bowling club. The Quandialla area today is in the heart of the wheat belt, as well as producing other grains - canola, oats and barley. Wool and fat lamb production are also significant.

Film and television
Cinematographer Don McAlpine was born and raised in Quandialla. McAlpine started his career as a physical education teacher. He then moved on to cinematography, filming a wide range of well known movies such as Breaker Morant, Moulin Rouge, My Brilliant Career, Predator, Mrs Doubtfire, Romeo and Juliet, Patriot Games and The Getting of Wisdom.

'1915', a television mini-series about two young Australian soldiers during World War I was partly filmed in Quandialla and Bimbi. This film sold to almost 40 countries and won two Logies.