This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 40-year-old bookmark (give or take a few years) and I proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC).
Today’s travel notes
Me and the TC continue our Outback adventures. Our first overnight stop, after a long day of driving, was Nyngan. This is a little Australian town with a big heart. In the middle of the town is a large steel statue of a fisherman, fondly dubbed the Big Bogan. There are layers of meaning behind the word bogan. Read on to know more about the statue, the name, and the town.
The book I’m in
The Book of Eve, by Meg Clothier. Ancient intrigue and engaging characters. This worm is about a third of the way through the book, and is thoroughly enjoying it.
Travel tips
Take the time to stop at little towns along the way. There’s a story at every town.
Recommended accommodation
Nyngan Riverside Tourist Park. It’s a well-kept camp ground that has place for tents and trailers, and also offers stand-alone cabins for hire.
The photos
Me with the Big Bogan and his dog, Rusty:
The town of Nyngan lies in the Bogan Shire council in western New South Wales. With a population of around 1,900 people, Nyngan is a small town with a big heart.
The Big Bogan statue was erected in 2015, to give the town a tourist attraction and to honour the history of the area. The dog, Rusty, was added in 2022. The Big Bogan is made of steel and is nearly 6 metres high:
On the statue are various decorations, including a large spider on its leg and the Southern Cross star formation on its arm. Between the man and the dog rests an esky (an Australian word for a cooler).
What does the word bogan mean, a faithful reader might wonder, and where did it come from? There are numerous stories about the word and its origins. Your trusty Wordsworm likes to tell it like this: The word bogan has acquired an unfortunate meaning over recent years. It’s used to refer to country people, along the lines of country bumpkin or redneck. However, the original meaning of the word in the Aboriginal Wiradjuri language is “birthplace of a great man”.
Through the town of Nyngan runs the Bogan River, on its way from the Harvey Ranges to join the Darling River. The TC snapped this photo in the early evening, at the Riverside Tourist Park where we spent the night:
Early the next morning, a fearsome raptor surveyed its territory from the river bank. Needless to say, yours truly, Wordsworm, stayed out of sight. There’s no place like a good book, especially when danger looms:
In 1990, Nyngan was devastated by the worst flooding since the settlement of the town. Almost all residents had to be airlifted to safety. To commemorate the rescue, an Army helicopter stands on a pole outside the railway station:
The railway station itself has been converted into a museum:
Outside the museum stands a replica of an old Royal Mail coach that used to travel between Bathurst and Bourke. Imagine traversing the Australian Outback in a horse-drawn vehicle like this:
The Commonwealth Bank building in Nyngan was built sometime between the First and Second World Wars. The building was designed by E.H. Henderson, who was Chief Architect of the Commonwealth of Australia from 1929-1939. He designed many of the Commonwealth Banks buildings in Australia:
Our Outback adventures continue. Until my next post…
That’s all for today, folks.
Travelling Worm 
Talk to the Travelling Worm!