More than 50 years ago, 19 koalas were brought to Narrandera to restore a population lost to local extinction.

This year, 200 participants of the Annual Koala Count at the Narrandera Koala Festival last weekend, counted 49 koalas including five joeys, contributing to what has become a remarkable conservation success story.

The annual Koala Count is at the heart of the festival, bringing volunteers and expert guides together in the Flora and Fauna Reserve. This year’s highlight centred on the excitement at the muster point, which lasted right until the end of the count.

The children returned bursting with stories of their sightings, but the standout moment was a highly inquisitive koala.

Sitting just metres above one of the groups, it seemed completely content doing a bit of people-watching.

Established through re-introductions in the 1970s, Narrandera’s koala colony has become an important population for koala conservation.

It’s genetic diversity and disease-free status give researchers valuable opportunities to understand what supports a healthy, thriving koala population.

The community has played a longstanding role in that work.

With annual counts dating back to 1989, Narrandera’s Koala Count is one of Australia’s longest-running citizen science events, with generations of volunteers have helped keep watch over Narrandera’s koalas.

For festival visitors, it’s an opportunity to experience conservation in action.

That spirit of discovery ran throughout the Koala Festival weekend. Visitors explored by kayak and habitat train, joined guided bushwalks, met wildlife experts, and came face to face with reptiles.

Between adventures, there was live music, food and artisan stalls, creative workshops, and performances.

Narrandera Shire Council would like to thank the guides, volunteers and sponsors whose knowledge, enthusiasm and generous support made the festival possible, helping attendees experience Narrandera’s wildlife and contribute to its conservation.

The Narrandera Koala Festival will return next spring on 18-19 September 2027, inviting festivalgoers back for another for another weekend of wildlife, science and adventure.