MOREE

town, northern New South Wales, Australia, on the Gwydir River, in the Western Slopes district. Originating in 1848 as a livestock station, it became a village in 1852, a town in 1862, and a municipality in 1890. Its name comes from an Aboriginal word for rising sun, long spring, or water hole. At the junction of the Gwydir and Newell highways, with regular air and rail service to Sydney (319 mi southeast), Moree serves an area of pastoralism and grain farming. It is also known as a health spa, based on artesian mineral water drawn from a bore 3,000 ft (900 m) deep made in 1895. Broadwater Creek, a local stream, is a rare phenomenon; flowing into the Gwydir River during times of high water, it reverses itself at low water to flow into the Mehi River. Flooding is an occasional problem. A major satellite telecommunications station is located near Moree. Pop. (1981) 10,459.