Willow Tree

Willow Tree is a village (population 308 in 2016) in the southernmost part of New England region of New South Wales in Australia.

Understand

Willow Tree is located in what was the substantial land allocation named Warrah which was granted to the Australian Agricultural Company in 1833. An inn was established on the site where the road from the Hunter Valley branched north to Quirindi and north-east to Wallabadah and Tamworth. The site of the settlement and the first blocks of land sold in 1908. The railway station was opened as Warrah in 1877, but renamed to Willow Tree two years later. Willow Tree is a popular break for highway travellers.

Get in

By car

Willow Tree is located on the New England Highway (A15), approximately 1 km south of the junction of the New England Highway and the Kamilaroi Highway (B51).

Willow Tree is 19 km north-west of Murrurundi via the New England Highway, and it is 74 km south-west of Tamworth also via the New England Highway.

Willow Tree is 18 km south-east of Quirindi via the Kamilaroi Highway/B51.

From Murrurundi
  • 🌍 Liverpool Range Rest Area (5 km north-west of Murrurundi on the New England Highway, both side of the highway). Light vehicle access. Picnic tables. Wheelchair accessible. Shelter. Litter bins. No toilets. 
From Quirindi
  • 🌍 Braefield, Kamilaroi Highway (7.5 km south-east of Quirindi, left hand side). Light vehicle access. Picnic tables. Shelter. Litter bins. No toilets. 
From Tamworth
  • 🌍 First Fleet Memorial Garden, Coach Street, Wallabadah (55.5 km south of Tamworth via the New England Highway southbound, at Wallabadah turn right onto Coach Street, park just on the right). Light vehicle access. Picnic tables. Wheelchair accessible. Shelter. Litter bins. Toilets open daylight hours. 

By train

Trains run from Sydney daily to Willow Tree, and on to Werris Creek, where lines branch off to Tamworth and Armidale and to Narrabri and Moree.

Trains depart Sydney at Central Station M-Su 9:30AM and arrive at Willow Tree 2:25PM. Trains depart Willow Tree M-Su 11:41AM and arrive at Central Station in Sydney 4:39PM.

A timetable and map can be downloaded here.

Bookings and railway stations

Get around

Private transport is essential, as there is no taxi service or a local bus service in Willow Tree.

The nearest car rental agencies are in Quirindi, Werris Creek, and Tamworth.

See
  • First Fleet Memorial Garden, Wallabadah (19.5 km north-east of Willow Tree via the New England Highway northbound, at Wallabadah turn left onto Coach Street, park just on the right). 11 circular gardens, representing the ships of the First Fleet approaching a large garden representing Australia. A storyboard lists the names of the convict settlers and their histories. The Second Fleet is commemorated in two other gardens. See Driver rest areas above for amenities. 
  • 🌍 Burning Mountain Nature Reserve (Burning Mountain Rest Area), New England Highway, Wingen (36 km south-east of Willow Tree via the New England Highway southbound, continue through Murrurundi, continue through Blandford, turn-off to rest area is on the left), ☏ +61 1300 072 757. Nature Reserve hours 7AM-7PM, rest area open 24 hours. A naturally burning coal seam which has been burning for an estimated 5,500 years. Wear sturdy footwear - no worn-out shoes, no thongs/flip-flops, no sandals, and definitely no bare feet! Public toilets at rest area, Open 24 hours. (updated Mar 2021)

Buy

Locals do their essential shopping in Quirindi, and what they can't get there they go to Tamworth to shop.

Eat

Drink

Sleep
  • 🌍 Graze Willow Tree Inn, New England Highway (northbound) (near the King George V Memorial Park), ☏ +61 2 6747 7711. Phone for rates and availability. (updated Mar 2021)
  • 🌍 Willow Tree Recreation Ground (Willow Tree Freedom Camp), Recreation Rd. Donation based campgrounds with Power, Water, Toilets and Hot Showers. Maximum Stay is 72 Hours. Suitable for all sizes of Motorhomes and Caravans and camping. Close to the Willow Tree Bowling Club. Donation. (updated Apr 2022)

Cope

Emergency

Fuel

Public telephones
  • Public telephone (outside The Plains Pantry, opposite the Graze Willow Tree Inn). 

Public toilets
  • Public toilet, King George V Memorial Park (next to the Liverpool Plains Visitors Information Centre). Open 24 hours. 

Banks and ATMs

There are no banks or ATMs in Willow Tree. It is advisable to do any necessary banking and to obtain cash before departing for Willow Tree, and to use EFTPOS whenever possible while there.

Go next
  • Quirindi - north-west of Willow Tree: 18 km via Kamilaroi Highway/B51 northbound (13 min)
  • Gunnedah - north-west of Willow Tree: 97.5 km via Kamilaroi Highway/B51 northbound, through Quirindi on the Kamilaroi Highway, pass the Quirindi Rural Heritage Village Museum on the left, through Breeza, through Curlewis, continue straight through both roundabouts ahead to Gunnedah (1 hr 4 min)
  • Tamworth - north-east of Willow Tree: 74 km via New England Highway/A15 northbound, through Wallabadah (53 min)
  • Armidale - north-east of Willow Tree: 180 km via New England Highway/A15 northbound, through Wallabadah, at Tamworth turn right/east onto the New England Highway/Oxley Highway, continue through Nemingha, through Kootingal, through Moonbi, continue straight through Bendemeer on the New England Highway/A15, through Uralla, continue ahead to Armidale (2 hr 10 min)
  • Murrurundi - south-east of Willow Tree: 19 km via New England Highway/A15 southbound (14 min)
  • Scone - south-east of Willow Tree: 58 km via New England Highway/A15 southbound, through Murrurundi, through Blandford, pass the Burning Mountain Nature Reserve on the left, through Wingen, through Parkville, take the exit on the left and continue ahead through the roundabout to Scone (44 min)
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