Parkes is a country town in the Central West of New South Wales, better known than its size suggests because of the great radio telescope north of town. The dish helped receive signals from the Apollo 11 moon landing and later became the star of the film The Dish. Even if you do not care much about astronomy, the sight of the telescope against open paddocks is worth the detour.
The town itself is easy and practical, with a few federation-era buildings, a lookout on Memorial Hill, and a steady stream of visitors during the annual Elvis Festival. Parkes is not a big museum city, but it has enough character for a half-day or an overnight stop between Dubbo, Orange, and the Riverina.
You need a car for the best stop. The radio telescope is outside town, and public transport is too thin to plan a day around.