Couridjah, New South Wales

Couridjah is a locality in the Macarthur Region of New South Wales, Australia, in Wollondilly Shire. It was previously known officially as "Village of Couridjah". At the, Couridjah had a population of 303.HistoryThe name "Couridjah" has been variously reported to mean, in a local Aboriginal language, anything from "The Place of the White Ants" to "The Home of the Medicine Man".Couridjah was formerly a station on the Main Southern Railway. At the time of the line's construction, it was known as "Jones's Hut". That line was deviated in 1919 to a less steep alignment with easier grades, and the original line became the Picton-Mittagong Loop line. Thirlmere Lakes, to the west of the station, supplied water to the standpipes at Couridjah for replenishing steam locomotives, after their long haul up the steep grade from Picton. The lakes were formerly known as the "Coridja Lagoons" and "Picton Lagoons". The sandstone pump-house is still in existence adjacent to the Lakes. The standpipes, too, remain near the station, but have been disused since 1964.Couridjah todayThe platform and the small waiting room have been restored and are maintained by volunteers from the Rail Museum at Thirlmere, though none of the Heritage trains which still use sections of the Picton Loop line stops there.The station and platform were featured in a television advertisement for "Minties" lollies.