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New South Wales is Australia’s most populated state with over 6.2 million inhabitants. The state houses the countries largest and arguably the countries most well known city; Sydney, home to Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House.
Sydney is the place where over 3.25 million Australians call home. The state's area totals 802,000 square kilometres.
New South Wales has wonderful scenery incorporating western plains, mountains and coastal views. It is divided into four regions.
The coastal region running from Queensland to Victoria is the home to many beaches, coastal lakes and National Parks. The Great Dividing range runs parallel to this, hosting the Blue Mountains, the Snowy Mountains, the wineries of the Hunter Valley and the New England Tablelands. This then leads into the farming land and dry western slopes, which in total occupies two thirds of the whole state.
These regions are also divided. There are 5 different regions along the coast. These include the South Coast which starts at the Victoria and New South Wales border and heads north to Sydney, the Central Coast which starts at Sydney and heads north as far as Newcastle where it then changes to the Lower North Coast up until Port Macquarie.
From here begins running from the Mid North Coast from Port Macquarie until Grafton, and finally the Far North Coast to Tweed Heads at the New South Wales and Queensland border.
There are also the inland regions including the South West, Central West, North West and Outback stretching to south Queensland and east South Australia, as well as New England and the Snowy Mountains. Both Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island are also part of New South Wales.
There are two main highways leaving the lively city of Sydney. The Pacific Highway leads north to many magnificent beaches and pretty coastal towns. Heading north from Sydney you will come across the beautiful Port Stephens, which is less than a two and a half hour drive away from Sydney, great for dolphin watching, fishing and exploring the Hunter.
Nelson Bay is a real jewel in the crown of Port Stephens. The bay offers something for everyone, particularly those who enjoy fishing, surfing, and dolphin watching. The journey takes around 2 and a half hours from Sydney and is roughly 65 kilometres North of Newcastle.
The Princes Highway leads south towards the quieter coastal regions. There are also two main rivers; the Murray and the Darling. The climate is generally hotter the further north, dryer the further west and colder the further south. This makes it ideal for surfing, skiing, and bushwalking.
A LITTLE HISTORY
The state is packed with history, mostly concerned with the gold rush, although just as significant was the brutality of the penal settlement. New South Wales is also the original landing of Captain Cook.
The first European settlement was built in 1788 at the Sydney Harbour where Captain Arthur Phillip arrived with 11 sailing ships. Captain Cook had originally planned on setting up a colony at Botany Bay, although Captain Arthur Phillip decided on the more suitable Port Jackson (better known as Sydney Harbour).
Tank Stream (Circular Quay) was home to the first white settlement in Australia, and from then on further development occurred around Sydney's natural harbour.
NEW SOUTH WALES FACTS
- New South Wales Area: 800,642 square kilometres
- New South Wales Population: 6,774,200
- New South Wales Capital: Sydney
- New South Wales Major Industries: Property and business services, Finance and Insurance, Manufacturing, Ownership of dwellings
- New South Wales Unemployment Rate (2005): 5.3%
- Average Weekly Earnings for Employees (2006): $843
- New South Wales Births (2005): 88,100
- Sydney's Mean Maximum Temperature (Summer 2006): 27.0°c
- Sydney's Mean Minimum Temperature (Summer 2006): 20.6°c
- Sydney's Mean Maximum Temperature (Winter 2006): 17.0°c
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