COONABARABRAN

town, east-central New South Wales, Australia. It lies along the Castlereagh River, near the Pilliga Scrub district. Surveyed in 1859 and gazetted a shire in 1906, it derived its name from an Aboriginal word meaning inquisitive person. Lying along the Newell and Oxley highways, with regular air and rail services to Sydney (210 miles southeast), Coonabarabran serves an area of wheat and sheep farming, lumbering (cypress pine), and diatomite mining. The town's industries include a freezing plant and sawmills. The town is also a gateway to the Warrumbungle Range and the Warrumbungle National Park, which lie to the west. One of the world's largest optical telescopes is at nearby Siding Spring Mountain. Pop. (1981) 3,001.