Culture and Lifestyle
Parkes Shire has a thriving tourism industry with numerous events throughout the year and a large number of passing visitors along the Newell Highway. Overall, the tourism industry generates more than $48 million to the Parkes economy annually. The primary attractions are The Dish and major annual events including the Elvis Festival, Tullamore Irish Festival, Trundle Bush Tucker Day and ABBA Festival and the Peak Hill Spit and Spud as well as major sporting fixtures, car rallies and conventions. For more information visit Parkes Tourism.
Cultural facilities include the Parkes Little Theatre, Library and Cultural Centre and Henry Parkes Centre. The Henry Parkes Centre incorporates the Parkes Visitor Information Centre and four unique collections including The King’s Castle Elvis Exhibit, Parkes Motor Museum, Henry Parkes Museum (traditional history collection) and Antique Machinery Collection. Parkes enjoys a sister city link with Coventry, which is the oldest of the 505 such links in Australia and dates back to 1938.
Sporting facilities to earn the admiration of the most discerning enthusiast are found in Parkes. These include a solar heated Olympic Swimming Pool, an 18 hole grass-green Golf Course, Rugby League, Rugby Union, Little Athletics and AFL ovals, Synthetic Hockey Field, 3 turf wicket ovals for Cricket, 15 synthetic Tennis Courts, Squash, Basketball and Netball complexes, 2 Bowling Clubs, Racecourse, Trotting Track, Soccer Fields, Aero Club, Archery, Paintball and various forms of shooting ranges. Click here to visit the Parkes Community Directory page.
