Wellington is a town in the Central Western Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia, located at the junction of the Wambuul Macquarie and Bell Rivers.

[3] The 'Wambuul' (Macquarie River) was an important source of sustenance for this widespread Aboriginal group united by kinship and a common language.

Surviving evidence in the Wellington area of the occupation by the Wiradjuri people prior to European contact includes rock shelters with archaeological deposits, a carved tree, scarred trees, open camp sites, grinding grooves sites and bora (ceremonial) grounds.

[5] The European discovery of the Wellington Valley occurred during the return journey of John Oxley's Lachlan River expedition in 1817.

Oxley was effusive about the valley, describing it as “beautifully picturesque” and “studded with fine trees upon a soil which may be equalled, but can never be excelled”.

[6][7] In January 1823 Lieutenant Percy Simpson was appointed by the colonial government to establish a settlement at the junction of the Bell and Macquarie rivers in the Wellington Valley.

Simpson and a party of soldiers and convicts arrived at the locality via Bathurst in February with 12 cows and 40 sheep, as well as a provision of wheat.

Simpson chose a site for the settlement on high ground above the Bell River (about three kilometres south of the modern cityship).

There were early problems, including desertions and stock theft by convicts, but fields of wheat and other staples were eventually established.

[8][9] A traveller to the area in 1832 described the settlement as “abandoned” except for “a dozen stockmen and soldiers who remained to protect the buildings from the mischievous spoilation of the natives”.

[10] In December 1831 the secretary of state for the colonies informed Governor Bourke that an agreement had been entered into with the Church Missionary Society in England “by which the organisation had undertaken to send out and superintend a mission to the natives”.

[15] One of its hotels, the Lion of Waterloo, established by Nicolas Hyeronimus in 1842, is the oldest operating west of the Blue Mountains.

Wellington possesses a humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cfa), with hot summers and cool winters.

[27] Wellington station is served by a daily NSW TrainLink XPT service which runs between Sydney and Dubbo.

Bodangora Airport for general aviation aircraft is located twelve kilometres east of Wellington.