Narrabri ( ) is a locality and seat of Narrabri Shire local government area in the North West Slopes, New South Wales, Australia on the Namoi River, northwest of Sydney. It sits on the junction of the Kamilaroi Highway and the Newell Highway. At the 2016 census, the town of Narrabri had a population of 5,903. Because of the geography of Narrabri and the surrounding areas, Narrabri township was quite prone to flooding and fire. Recently, changes have been made to the river flow to improve overall safety. It is the centre of a major cotton-growing industry. Other agricultural industries in the area include wheat, beef and lamb. Nearby attractions are Mount Kaputar National Park, the Australia Telescope Compact Array at the Paul Wild Observatory (administered by the CSIRO) and a number of agricultural centres. Just to the south of town is the Pilliga Forest, the largest remnant temperate forest in Eastern Australia. Narrabri also has The Crossing Theatre, a 1,000-seat auditorium and cinema complex. History Before the arrival of the Europeans in the early 19th century, Narrabri was the home of the Gamilaroi people, who still constitute a significant part of the local population. Narrabri derives its name from an early property in the district called the Narrabry Run. The name Narrabri is aboriginal in origin and has several possible meanings which include 'snake place', 'big creek' or 'Forked Sticks'. In 1860, Narrabri was proclaimed a town and a year later, on 1 June 1861, Narrabri Post Office opened. Other buildings followed, with the hospital and the first courthouse (1864–65), the school (1868), the police station (1878–79) and post office (1879). During the 1880s the gaol and the second courthouse were built. Heritage listings Narrabri has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: Bowen Street: Narrabri Gaol and Residence 138-140 Maitland Street: Narrabri Post Office Population According to the 2016 census of Population, there were 13,084 people in Narrabri. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 12.2% of the population. 82.3% of people were born in Australia and 87.4% of people spoke only English at home. The most common responses for religion were Anglican 32.2%, Catholic 23.4% and No Religion 18.1%. Climate Narrabri West Post Office (1962–2002) Narrabri Airport AWS (2001–2020) Over the years, Narrabri has had a number of weather stations run by the Bureau of Meteorology or other government agencies. Narrabri West Post Office made rainfall observations