Join Us

Meetings

The MDPA has been operational for over twenty years. When you join the MDPA you are joining a group of community-minded people who are interested in improving the prosperity and liveability of the local district and its residents.

We meet monthly at 6:00 PM in the Reg Fletcher Room at the Merriwa RSL Club on the third Wednesday of every month (except January). Meetings are open to both members and the general public. Full details of meetings can be located on our Calendar of Events page.

Become a Member

As a community we are more effective when we work together by drawing on all our resources. Whether you were born in Merriwa or moved here yesterday, we welcome your input.

You may be wondering what you can offer. Don’t sell yourself short. We all have skills, experience and qualities that allow us to help build “community” together.

Sharing ideas and building a strong community can be very empowering and a valuable source of collective thinking and learning.

Join the MDPA

Fun Facts

And just for a little trivia ...

Did you know?

Alexander Graham Bell demonstrated the first telephone in Australia at "Brindley Park" Merriwa

Merriwa hosted the first bushmen's carnival (rodeo) at the Merriwa Showground in 1928

Racehorse 'OId Rowley' is now resting in Merriwa after winning the 1940 Melbourne Cup at 100 to 1

Merriwa is recognised as the birthplace of the Pony Club movement in 1946

Night-time cricket was played under lights in Merriwa (in 1983), years before the Melbourne Cricket Ground (Feb 1985)

In the early days, bullock teams hauled heavily laden wagons with huge loads of wool bales long distances over non-existent roads to Morpeth to be loaded onto ships for the trip to Sydney and then on to London

Merriwa's annual Festival of the Fleeces started in 1990, and was originally held at the "Brindley Park" wool shed. It is a tribute to the vital part sheep and wool have played in establishing Merriwa as a recognised premium agricultural district

Some of the early settlers to Merriwa included: Legislative Council AL Mackenzie, Charles Blaxland ("Cullingral"), WC Wentworth, JB Bettington ("Brindley Park" also a MLC and a director of the Bank of NSW 1828-1850), George Hall ("Gundibri"), Henry Dutton ("Terragong")