Parkes is a town in the central west of New South Wales, Australia. Parkes is located on the Newell Highway linking Victoria to Queensland. It is also located on the transcontinental rail line and is the hub for a major grain-growing area. Parkes was named after the noted 19th century politician Sir Henry Parkes. It is the home of the Parkes Observatory, which houses the radio telescope featured in the movie The Dish, starring Sam Neill and Patrick Warburton.