What is Menindee, New South Wales?
[[File:MenindeeMaidensHotel.JPG|thumb|220px|Maidens (Pains) Hotel, Menindee]] '''Menindee''' is a small town on the banks of the [[Darling River]] in [[New South Wales]], [[Australia]]. It is 1,271 km west of the state capital, Sydney.<ref name=tnsw>{{cite web |url= http://www.visitnsw.com/town/Menindee.aspx |title=Menindee, NSW, |first= |last= |work=Tourism New South Wales |year=2011 |accessdate=17 June 2011}}</ref> There are about 980 people who live in Menindee.<ref name=tnsw/> The explorer Major [[Thomas Mitchell]] was the first [[Europe]]n to visit the area in 1835. He named the lakes in the area Laidley Ponds.<ref name=tnsw/> A hotel was built by Tom Paine in 1853, which became an important supply base for the [[Burke and Wills expedition]] in 1860.<ref name=tnsw/> ==References== {{reflist}} {{geo-stub}} [[Category:Towns in New South Wales]]