Ootha is a village in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. The village is in the Lachlan Shire Council Local Government area, 430 kilometres (270 miles) west of the state capital, Sydney. At the 2006 census, Ootha and the surrounding area had a population of 94 [Males 56 (59.6%, Females 38 (40.4%) and Families 26].
The place name is derived from an aboriginal word for 'ear'. Ootha and Burrawong West Station are located in homelands of the Calare River people, who are part of the Wiradjuri Nation of Aboriginal People of NSW. Through their cultural traditions, Aboriginal people maintain their connection to their ancestral lands and waters.
Ootha - History
Thomas Kite settled Burrawong Run in 1836. Kite was one of the first squatters in the Lachlan River area, running huge flocks of sheep in the 500,000 acres of the Burrawong Station.
In its time, Burrawong had one of the largest shearing sheds in Australia and recorded a clip wool clip of 5000 bales before Burrawong Station was split up and sold on. The townships of Bogan Gate, Yarrabandai, Derriwong and Ootha and Burrawong West Station all evolved out of the original mass of Burrawong Station.
Friday 7 March 1930 this story was reported in the Sydney Morning Herald
HEAVY CLOUD-BURST - SEVERE DAMAGE DONE
A heavy cloudburst near Derriwong, between Parkes and Condobolin, yesterday resulted in a terrific downpour of rain, which washed away three miles of railway. The train service was interrupted, the express from Sydney to Broken Hill being delayed 11 hours. Five inches of rain fell in 20 minutes, the centre of the fall being between Derriwong and Ootha.
About 14 miles east of Condobolin five square miles of country was underwater, great volumes having come down from near-by hills and covered the low-lying country. Banks of dams were burst, fences washed away, and many homes were flooded. Gangs of men were sent from Parkes to Condobolin to make temporary repairs to the railway line.
