WHAT'S IN A NAME: 02 FEBRUARY 2019

The village of Manildra

The village of Manildra, population 464 at the 2011 Census, is in the Cabonne Shire, lying about halfway between the much larger centre of Orange and Parkes.

There are various stories about the origin of the name, the most likely being that it came from a local Wiradjuri Aboriginal word meaning 'winding river', referring to Mandagery Creek which winds around the village's east side.

Other possible sources are Aboriginal terms for 'snake hole' and 'waterhole below the railway bridge'

The former is decidedly unflattering; the latter remeniscent of the story about suburban Yagoona's naming — an Aboriginal word for 'where big road crosses railway line'.

The village's most notable industrial complex is the huge Manildra Flour Mill; the most significant historic builing the near-century-old, still-operating Amusu Theatre.

Among the more interesting items on the Manildra Memories website (www.manildramemories.cwl.nsw.gov.au) are the 1915 rules for women teachers, which include lsting such as 'You are NOT to keep company with mean', 'You may NOT dress in bright colours' and 'You must wear AT LEAST two petticoats and your dresses must NOT be any shorter than 2 inches above the ankles'.