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List of cities in Australia by population

 
List of Cities in Australia By Population

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List of cities in Australia by population



 
 
This list of Australian cities by population briefly explains the three different population figures given for Australian cities, and provides rankings for each.

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This list of Australian cities by population briefly explains the three different population figures given for Australian cities, and provides rankings for each.

Capital city Statistical Divisions and Statistical Districts by population


Statistical Divisions (SDs) are defined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics as areas under the unifying influence of one or more major towns or cities. Each capital city forms its own Statistical Division, and in Australia
Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
 the population of the SD is the most-often quoted figure for that city's population. Statistical Districts are defined as non-capital but predominantly urban areas. The Australian Government treats divisions and districts with more than 100,000 people as metropolitan.

Statistical Divisions are in bold, the rest are Statistical Districts.
Sydney Opera House and Skyline
Melbourne Yarra Twilight
View From Q1 Looking North
Lake Parlhouse


Rank Statistical Division/District State June 2007 Estimated Resident Population
1 Sydney
Sydney

Sydney is the List of cities in Australia by population in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of approximately 4.34 million . It is the List of Australian capital cities of New South Wales, and was the site of the first British Empire colony in Australia....
New South Wales
New South Wales

New South Wales is Australia's oldest and most populous States and territories of Australia, located in the south-east of the country, north of Victoria and south of Queensland....
4,336,374
2 Melbourne
Melbourne

Melbourne is the more common name for the geographic region and Census in Australia of the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area. It is the second List of cities in Australia by population in Australia, with a population of approximately 3.8 million and serves as the List of Australian capital cities of Victoria ....
Victoria
Victoria (Australia)

File:Map Victoria Aboriginal tribes .jpgVictoria is a States and territories of Australia located in the southeastern corner of Australia. It is the smallest mainland state in area but the most Population density and urbanised....
3,806,092
3 Brisbane
Brisbane

Brisbane is the state List of Australian capital cities of Queensland and its most populous city. It is also the List of cities in Australia by population in Australia, behind southern rivals Sydney and Melbourne....
Queensland
Queensland

Queensland is a States and territories of Australia of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory to the west, South Australia to the south-west and New South Wales to the south....
1,857,594
4 Perth
Perth, Western Australia

Perth is the List of Australian capital cities and largest city of the Australian States and territories of Australia of Western Australia. With a population of 1,554,769 , Perth ranks fourth amongst the nation's cities, with a growth rate consistently above the national average....
Western Australia
Western Australia

Western Australia is a States and territories of Australia occupying the entire western third of the Australia . The nation's largest state and the second largest subnational entity in the world, it has 2.1 million inhabitants , 85% of whom live in the south-west corner of the state....
1,554,769
5 Adelaide
Adelaide

Adelaide is the List of Australian capital cities and most populous city of the Australian States and territories of Australia of South Australia, and is the fifth-largest city in Australia, with a population of more than 1.1 million....
South Australia
South Australia

South Australia is a States and territories of Australia of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories....
1,158,259
6 Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland

The Gold Coast is a city and Local Government Areas of Australia in the South East Queensland corner of Queensland, Australia. It is the second most populous city in the state and the List of cities in Australia by population in the country....
-Tweed
Tweed Heads, New South Wales

Tweed Heads is a town located in north-eastern New South Wales, Australia in Tweed Shire Council. Tweed Heads is located next to the border with Queensland, adjacent to the "Twin Town" of Coolangatta, Queensland, a suburb of the Gold Coast, Queensland....
Queensland/New South Wales 583,657
7 Newcastle
List of suburbs in Greater Newcastle, New South Wales

Below is a list of Suburbs and localities located within the Greater Newcastle region in New South Wales, Australia. This region comprises the Local Government Areas of Australia of City of Newcastle, City of Lake Macquarie, City of Cessnock, City of Maitland and Port Stephens Council....
New South Wales 523,662
8 Canberra
Canberra

Canberra is the List of Australian capital cities of Australia. With a population of over 340,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth largest Australian city overall....
-Queanbeyan
Queanbeyan, New South Wales

Queanbeyan is a city and Local Government Areas in Australia in south eastern New South Wales, Australia. It is a city overshadowed somewhat by its proximity to the Australian federal capital city of Canberra: it has effectively become a de facto district of the nearby capital city as it lies on the Australian Capital Territory border and...
Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory

The Australian Capital Territory is the Capital districts and territories of the Australia and its smallest States and territories of Australia....
/New South Wales
388,072
* Canberra
Canberra

Canberra is the List of Australian capital cities of Australia. With a population of over 340,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth largest Australian city overall....
Australian Capital Territory 339,573
9 Wollongong
Wollongong, New South Wales

Wollongong is a seaside city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. It lies on the narrow coastal strip between the Illawarra Escarpment and the Pacific Ocean, 82 kilometres south of Sydney....
New South Wales 280,159
10 Sunshine Coast
Sunshine Coast, Queensland

The Sunshine Coast is a coastal region located in South East Queensland, north of the Queensland capital of Brisbane. The Sunshine Coast has recently been united into a single Local Government Areas in Australia, the Sunshine Coast Regional Council....
Queensland 230,429
11 Greater Hobart
Hobart

Hobart is the List of Australian capital cities and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1803 as a penal colony, Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney....
Tasmania
Tasmania

Tasmania is an Australian island and States and territories of Australia of the same name. It is located south of the eastern side of the continent, being separated from it by Bass Strait....
207,484
12 Geelong
Geelong, Victoria

Geelong is the second largest List of cities in Australia in the States and territories of Australia of Victoria , Australia and is the largest regional centre in the state....
Victoria 169,544
13 Townsville
Townsville, Queensland

Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Australia, in the state of Queensland. Adjacent to the central section of the Great Barrier Reef, it is in the dry tropics region of Queensland....
Queensland 157,174
14 Cairns
Cairns, Queensland

Cairns is a regional city in Far North Queensland, Australia. The area upon which the city has been built is known in the local Yidiny language as Gimuy....
Queensland 135,856
15 Toowoomba
Toowoomba, Queensland

Toowoomba is a city in South East Queensland Queensland, Australia. It is located west of Queensland's capital city, Brisbane. With an urban population of 95,265, Toowoomba is one of Australia's largest provincial cities....
Queensland 123,406
16 Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory

Darwin is the List of Australian capital cities of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 120,900, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely peopled Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities....
Northern Territory
Northern Territory

The Northern Territory is a federal states and territories of Australia of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions....
117,395
17 Launceston
Launceston, Tasmania

Launceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia, with a population of 99,675, located at the juncture of the North Esk River, South Esk River, and Tamar River, Tasmania rivers....
Tasmania 104,071
18 Albury
Albury, New South Wales

Albury is a city in New South Wales, Australia, located on the Hume Highway on the northern side of the Murray River. It is also a Local Government Areas in Australia, administered by Albury City Council....
-Wodonga
Wodonga, Victoria

Wodonga is a small city on the Victoria side of the border with New South Wales, 300 kilometres north-east of Melbourne, Australia. It is covered by the municipality Wodonga City Council....
New South Wales/Victoria 101,842
19 Ballarat
Ballarat, Victoria

Ballarat is a city in Victoria , Australia, and Victoria's largest inland city. It is well-known for its history and heritage.It is approximately 105 kilometres north-west of Melbourne, Australia, with an urban population of 88,437 people....
Victoria 89,665
20 Bendigo
Bendigo, Victoria

Bendigo is a regional city in central Victoria, Australia, located in the City of Greater Bendigo. The Greater Bendigo municipality is home to around 100,000 while the city has a steadily growing urban population of about 80,000 people which places it as the fourth largest regional centre in Victoria after Ballarat, Victoria, Geelong, Victo...
Victoria 86,510
21 Burnie
Burnie, Tasmania

Burnie is a port city on the north-west coast of Tasmania, originally settled in 1827 as Emu Bay. The town was renamed for William Burnie - a director of the Van Diemen's Land Company - in the early 1840s....
-Devonport
Devonport, Tasmania

Devonport is a city in the north-west of Tasmania, Australia, at the mouth of the Mersey River . It, along with the slightly smaller city of Burnie, Tasmania, are the major regional centres of the north-west of the state....
Tasmania 80,241
22 Mackay
Mackay, Queensland

Mackay is a city on the eastern coast of Queensland, Australia, about north of Brisbane, on the Pioneer River . Mackay is nicknamed the sugar capital of Australia because its region produces more than a third of Australia's cane sugar....
Queensland 79,172
23 La Trobe Valley
Latrobe Valley

The Latrobe Valley is nestled between the Strzelecki Ranges and the Great Dividing Range in Victoria, Australia, Australia. It is named after the Latrobe River which flows, eastwards, through it....
 
Victoria 77,270
24 Rockhampton
Rockhampton, Queensland

Rockhampton is a regional city and Local Government Areas of Australia located in Queensland, Australia. Rockhampton is the largest urban centre in Central Queensland with the 2006 census recording the Rockhampton Statistical Subdivision population to be 74,530 people....
Queensland 74,530
25 Mandurah
Mandurah, Western Australia

Mandurah is a city in Western Australia located approximately south of the state capital, Perth, Western Australia, Western Australia.Mandurah is the fastest-growing regional city in Australia, having experienced hypergrowth for several years....
Western Australia 73,477
26 Bundaberg
Bundaberg, Queensland

Bundaberg is a city in Queensland, Australia. The city lies on the Burnett River, approximately 385 kilometres north of the state capital, Brisbane and 15 kilometres inland from the coast....
Queensland 64,663
27 Bunbury
Bunbury, Western Australia

The port city of Bunbury is the third largest city in Western Australia after Mandurah and Perth, Western Australia the state capital. It is situated south of Perth's central business district ....
Western Australia 59,876
28 Wagga Wagga
Wagga Wagga, New South Wales

Wagga Wagga is a city in New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Murrumbidgee River, Wagga with an urban population of 46,735 people, is the state's largest inland city and the country's fifth largest inland city, as well as an important agricultural, military, and transport hub of Australia....
New South Wales 56,147
29 Hervey Bay
Hervey Bay, Queensland

Hervey Bay is a city in south eastern Queensland, Australia. The city is situated approximately 292 kilometres north of the state capital, Brisbane, and lies on the coast of a natural bay between the Queensland mainland and nearby Fraser Island....
Queensland 53,323
30 Coffs Harbour
Coffs Harbour, New South Wales

Geographic coordinate system: Coffs Harbour is a coastal city located on the north coast of New South Wales about 540 km north of Sydney and 440 km south of Brisbane....
New South Wales 50,726
31 Mildura
Mildura, Victoria

Mildura is a regional city in northwestern Victoria , Australia, part of the Rural City of Mildura. Mildura is located in the Sunraysia region, and is on the banks of the Murray River....
Victoria 48,691
32 Gladstone
Gladstone, Queensland

Gladstone is an Australian city located some 550 kilometres by road north of Brisbane and 100 kilometres south-east of Rockhampton. The city is situated between the Calliope River to the north and the Boyne River some 14 kilometres to the south....
Queensland 47,169
33 Shepparton
Shepparton, Victoria

Shepparton is the fifth largest List of cities in Australia in Victoria , Australia. The population of the municipality of City of Greater Shepparton in 2005 was estimated to be at 60,403 residents....
Victoria 46,680
34 Tamworth
Tamworth, New South Wales

Tamworth is a city in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Peel River , Tamworth with an urban population of 42,501 people is the major regional centre for southern New England and in the local government area of Tamworth Regional Council....
New South Wales 44,970
35 Port Macquarie
Port Macquarie, New South Wales

Port Macquarie is a large town on the mid-North Coast, New South Wales, Australia, located about 390 km north of Sydney, and 570 km south of Brisbane....
New South Wales 42,042
36 Orange
Orange, New South Wales

Orange is a provincial city in New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the Mitchell Highway, west of Sydney at an altitude of . Orange presently has a population of 31,544 and the city is a major provincial centre....
New South Wales 37,333
37 Dubbo
Dubbo, New South Wales

Dubbo is a city in the Central West, New South Wales of New South Wales, Australia. It is the largest population centre in the Orana region with a population of 30,574 at the time of the 2006 census, and serves an estimated catchment of 130,000....
New South Wales 36,150
38 Geraldton
Geraldton, Western Australia

Geraldton is a city and port in Western Australia located north of Perth, Western Australia. According to the 2006 census, Geraldton has a population of 31,553, making it the fifth-largest city in Western Australia....
Western Australia 34,214
39 Nowra
Nowra, New South Wales

Nowra is a city in the South Coast, New South Wales region of New South Wales, Australia. Located approximately 170 km south of the state capital of Sydney, it has a population together with its twin-town of Bomaderry, New South Wales of 27,478....
-Bomaderry
Bomaderry, New South Wales

Bomaderry is a town in the Shoalhaven council district area of New South Wales, Australia. It is on the north shore of the Shoalhaven River, across the river from Nowra ....
New South Wales 32,556
40 Bathurst
Bathurst, New South Wales

Bathurst is a regional centre in the state of New South Wales, Australia approximately 200km west of Sydney and is the seat of the Bathurst Regional Council Local Government Areas in Australia....
New South Wales 32,385
41 Warrnambool
Warrnambool, Victoria

Warrnambool is a regional city on the south-western coast of Victoria , Australia, located in the municipality City of Warrnambool. It is at the western end of the Great Ocean Road, but is more quickly reached along the Princes Highway, 265 kilometres and 3 hours from Melbourne by road or rail....
Victoria 32,042
42 Lismore
Lismore, New South Wales

Lismore is a Subtropical climate city in New South Wales, Australia. It is the main population centre in the City of Lismore Local Government Areas in Australia....
New South Wales 31,865
43 Kalgoorlie
Kalgoorlie, Western Australia

Kalgoorlie-Boulder is a Western Australian city located east-northeast of Perth, Western Australia located in the Eastern Goldfields.The city was founded in 1893 during the Yilgarn-Goldfields gold rush, and is located close to the so-called "Golden Mile"....
/Boulder
Western Australia 30,700





50 largest Urban Centres by population


Urban Centres are defined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics as being a population cluster of 1,000 or more people. For statistical purposes, people living in Urban Centres are classified as urban. These figures represent the populations of the contiguous built-up areas
Urban area

An urban area is an area with an increased Population density of human-created structures in comparison to the areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be city, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlet ....
 of each city.

State and territory capitals are in bold.

Rank Urban Centre Total number of persons, 2006 census Stat. Division/District
(if part of larger SD)
1 Sydney
Sydney

Sydney is the List of cities in Australia by population in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of approximately 4.34 million . It is the List of Australian capital cities of New South Wales, and was the site of the first British Empire colony in Australia....
, New South Wales
New South Wales

New South Wales is Australia's oldest and most populous States and territories of Australia, located in the south-east of the country, north of Victoria and south of Queensland....
 
2 Melbourne
Melbourne

Melbourne is the more common name for the geographic region and Census in Australia of the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area. It is the second List of cities in Australia by population in Australia, with a population of approximately 3.8 million and serves as the List of Australian capital cities of Victoria ....
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)

File:Map Victoria Aboriginal tribes .jpgVictoria is a States and territories of Australia located in the southeastern corner of Australia. It is the smallest mainland state in area but the most Population density and urbanised....
 
3 Brisbane
Brisbane

Brisbane is the state List of Australian capital cities of Queensland and its most populous city. It is also the List of cities in Australia by population in Australia, behind southern rivals Sydney and Melbourne....
, Queensland
Queensland

Queensland is a States and territories of Australia of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory to the west, South Australia to the south-west and New South Wales to the south....
 
4 Perth
Perth, Western Australia

Perth is the List of Australian capital cities and largest city of the Australian States and territories of Australia of Western Australia. With a population of 1,554,769 , Perth ranks fourth amongst the nation's cities, with a growth rate consistently above the national average....
, Western Australia
Western Australia

Western Australia is a States and territories of Australia occupying the entire western third of the Australia . The nation's largest state and the second largest subnational entity in the world, it has 2.1 million inhabitants , 85% of whom live in the south-west corner of the state....
 
5 Adelaide
Adelaide

Adelaide is the List of Australian capital cities and most populous city of the Australian States and territories of Australia of South Australia, and is the fifth-largest city in Australia, with a population of more than 1.1 million....
, South Australia
South Australia

South Australia is a States and territories of Australia of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories....
 
6 Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland

The Gold Coast is a city and Local Government Areas of Australia in the South East Queensland corner of Queensland, Australia. It is the second most populous city in the state and the List of cities in Australia by population in the country....
-Tweed Heads
Tweed Heads, New South Wales

Tweed Heads is a town located in north-eastern New South Wales, Australia in Tweed Shire Council. Tweed Heads is located next to the border with Queensland, adjacent to the "Twin Town" of Coolangatta, Queensland, a suburb of the Gold Coast, Queensland....
, Queensland/New South Wales
 
7 Canberra
Canberra

Canberra is the List of Australian capital cities of Australia. With a population of over 340,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth largest Australian city overall....
-Queanbeyan
Queanbeyan, New South Wales

Queanbeyan is a city and Local Government Areas in Australia in south eastern New South Wales, Australia. It is a city overshadowed somewhat by its proximity to the Australian federal capital city of Canberra: it has effectively become a de facto district of the nearby capital city as it lies on the Australian Capital Territory border and...
, Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory

The Australian Capital Territory is the Capital districts and territories of the Australia and its smallest States and territories of Australia....
/New South Wales
 
8 Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales

The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the state of New South Wales and includes most of the City of Newcastle and City of Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas of Australia....
, New South Wales
Newcastle
9 Central Coast, New South Wales Sydney
10 Wollongong
Wollongong, New South Wales

Wollongong is a seaside city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. It lies on the narrow coastal strip between the Illawarra Escarpment and the Pacific Ocean, 82 kilometres south of Sydney....
, New South Wales
 
11 Sunshine Coast
Sunshine Coast, Queensland

The Sunshine Coast is a coastal region located in South East Queensland, north of the Queensland capital of Brisbane. The Sunshine Coast has recently been united into a single Local Government Areas in Australia, the Sunshine Coast Regional Council....
, Queensland
 
12 Geelong
Geelong, Victoria

Geelong is the second largest List of cities in Australia in the States and territories of Australia of Victoria , Australia and is the largest regional centre in the state....
, Victoria
 
13 Townsville
Townsville, Queensland

Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Australia, in the state of Queensland. Adjacent to the central section of the Great Barrier Reef, it is in the dry tropics region of Queensland....
-Thuringowa
Thuringowa, Queensland

The City of Thuringowa was a City/Local Government Areas in Australia in North Queensland, Australia covering the northern and western parts of what is now Townsville, Queensland....
, Queensland
 
14 Hobart
Hobart

Hobart is the List of Australian capital cities and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1803 as a penal colony, Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney....
, Tasmania
Tasmania

Tasmania is an Australian island and States and territories of Australia of the same name. It is located south of the eastern side of the continent, being separated from it by Bass Strait....
 
15 Cairns
Cairns, Queensland

Cairns is a regional city in Far North Queensland, Australia. The area upon which the city has been built is known in the local Yidiny language as Gimuy....
, Queensland
 
16 Toowoomba
Toowoomba, Queensland

Toowoomba is a city in South East Queensland Queensland, Australia. It is located west of Queensland's capital city, Brisbane. With an urban population of 95,265, Toowoomba is one of Australia's largest provincial cities....
, Queensland
 
17 Ballarat
Ballarat, Victoria

Ballarat is a city in Victoria , Australia, and Victoria's largest inland city. It is well-known for its history and heritage.It is approximately 105 kilometres north-west of Melbourne, Australia, with an urban population of 88,437 people....
, Victoria
 
18 Bendigo
Bendigo, Victoria

Bendigo is a regional city in central Victoria, Australia, located in the City of Greater Bendigo. The Greater Bendigo municipality is home to around 100,000 while the city has a steadily growing urban population of about 80,000 people which places it as the fourth largest regional centre in Victoria after Ballarat, Victoria, Geelong, Victo...
, Victoria
 
19 Albury
Albury, New South Wales

Albury is a city in New South Wales, Australia, located on the Hume Highway on the northern side of the Murray River. It is also a Local Government Areas in Australia, administered by Albury City Council....
-Wodonga
Wodonga, Victoria

Wodonga is a small city on the Victoria side of the border with New South Wales, 300 kilometres north-east of Melbourne, Australia. It is covered by the municipality Wodonga City Council....
, New South Wales/Victoria
 
20 Launceston
Launceston, Tasmania

Launceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia, with a population of 99,675, located at the juncture of the North Esk River, South Esk River, and Tamar River, Tasmania rivers....
, Tasmania
 
21 Mandurah
Mandurah, Western Australia

Mandurah is a city in Western Australia located approximately south of the state capital, Perth, Western Australia, Western Australia.Mandurah is the fastest-growing regional city in Australia, having experienced hypergrowth for several years....
, Western Australia
 
22 Rockingham
Rockingham, Western Australia

Rockingham is a suburb and regional centre in Western Australia Australia south-west of the Perth, Western Australia city centre and south of Fremantle, Western Australia....
, Western Australia
Perth
23 Mackay
Mackay, Queensland

Mackay is a city on the eastern coast of Queensland, Australia, about north of Brisbane, on the Pioneer River . Mackay is nicknamed the sugar capital of Australia because its region produces more than a third of Australia's cane sugar....
, Queensland
 
24Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory

Darwin is the List of Australian capital cities of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 120,900, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely peopled Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities....
, Northern Territory
Northern Territory

The Northern Territory is a federal states and territories of Australia of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions....
 
25 Maitland
Maitland, New South Wales

Maitland is a city in the Lower Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia and the seat of Maitland City Council, situated on the Hunter River approximately by road north of Sydney and north-west of Newcastle, New South Wales....
, New South Wales
Newcastle
26 Rockhampton
Rockhampton, Queensland

Rockhampton is a regional city and Local Government Areas of Australia located in Queensland, Australia. Rockhampton is the largest urban centre in Central Queensland with the 2006 census recording the Rockhampton Statistical Subdivision population to be 74,530 people....
, Queensland
 
27 Bunbury
Bunbury, Western Australia

The port city of Bunbury is the third largest city in Western Australia after Mandurah and Perth, Western Australia the state capital. It is situated south of Perth's central business district ....
, Western Australia
 
28 Bundaberg
Bundaberg, Queensland

Bundaberg is a city in Queensland, Australia. The city lies on the Burnett River, approximately 385 kilometres north of the state capital, Brisbane and 15 kilometres inland from the coast....
, Queensland
 
29 Wagga Wagga
Wagga Wagga, New South Wales

Wagga Wagga is a city in New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Murrumbidgee River, Wagga with an urban population of 46,735 people, is the state's largest inland city and the country's fifth largest inland city, as well as an important agricultural, military, and transport hub of Australia....
, New South Wales
 
30 Hervey Bay
Hervey Bay, Queensland

Hervey Bay is a city in south eastern Queensland, Australia. The city is situated approximately 292 kilometres north of the state capital, Brisbane, and lies on the coast of a natural bay between the Queensland mainland and nearby Fraser Island....
, Queensland
 
31 Port Macquarie
Port Macquarie, New South Wales

Port Macquarie is a large town on the mid-North Coast, New South Wales, Australia, located about 390 km north of Sydney, and 570 km south of Brisbane....
, New South Wales
 
32 Shepparton
Shepparton, Victoria

Shepparton is the fifth largest List of cities in Australia in Victoria , Australia. The population of the municipality of City of Greater Shepparton in 2005 was estimated to be at 60,403 residents....
-Mooroopna
Mooroopna, Victoria

Mooroopna is a rural town located north of Melbourne, Victoria , Australia. It is on the banks of the Goulburn River opposite the larger town of Shepparton, Victoria....
, Victoria
 
33 Melton
Melton, Victoria

Melton is a satellite city in Melbourne, Victoria , Australia, 35 km west from Melbourne's Melbourne city centre. Its Local Government Areas of Victoria is the Shire of Melton....
, Victoria
Melbourne
34 Tamworth
Tamworth, New South Wales

Tamworth is a city in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Peel River , Tamworth with an urban population of 42,501 people is the major regional centre for southern New England and in the local government area of Tamworth Regional Council....
, New South Wales
 
35 Orange
Orange, New South Wales

Orange is a provincial city in New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the Mitchell Highway, west of Sydney at an altitude of . Orange presently has a population of 31,544 and the city is a major provincial centre....
, New South Wales
 
36 Dubbo
Dubbo, New South Wales

Dubbo is a city in the Central West, New South Wales of New South Wales, Australia. It is the largest population centre in the Orana region with a population of 30,574 at the time of the 2006 census, and serves an estimated catchment of 130,000....
, New South Wales
 
37 Mildura
Mildura, Victoria

Mildura is a regional city in northwestern Victoria , Australia, part of the Rural City of Mildura. Mildura is located in the Sunraysia region, and is on the banks of the Murray River....
, Victoria
 
38 Sunbury
Sunbury, Victoria

Sunbury is a satellite city, located 41 km north-west of Melbourne's Melbourne city centre, in the state of Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Areas of Victoria is the City of Hume....
, Victoria
 
39 Bathurst
Bathurst, New South Wales

Bathurst is a regional centre in the state of New South Wales, Australia approximately 200km west of Sydney and is the seat of the Bathurst Regional Council Local Government Areas in Australia....
, New South Wales
 
40 Gladstone
Gladstone, Queensland

Gladstone is an Australian city located some 550 kilometres by road north of Brisbane and 100 kilometres south-east of Rockhampton. The city is situated between the Calliope River to the north and the Boyne River some 14 kilometres to the south....
, Queensland
 
41 Kalgoorlie
Kalgoorlie, Western Australia

Kalgoorlie-Boulder is a Western Australian city located east-northeast of Perth, Western Australia located in the Eastern Goldfields.The city was founded in 1893 during the Yilgarn-Goldfields gold rush, and is located close to the so-called "Golden Mile"....
-Boulder, Western Australia
 
42 Warrnambool
Warrnambool, Victoria

Warrnambool is a regional city on the south-western coast of Victoria , Australia, located in the municipality City of Warrnambool. It is at the western end of the Great Ocean Road, but is more quickly reached along the Princes Highway, 265 kilometres and 3 hours from Melbourne by road or rail....
, Victoria
 
43 Nowra
Nowra, New South Wales

Nowra is a city in the South Coast, New South Wales region of New South Wales, Australia. Located approximately 170 km south of the state capital of Sydney, it has a population together with its twin-town of Bomaderry, New South Wales of 27,478....
-Bomaderry
Bomaderry, New South Wales

Bomaderry is a town in the Shoalhaven council district area of New South Wales, Australia. It is on the north shore of the Shoalhaven River, across the river from Nowra ....
, New South Wales
 
44 Geraldton
Geraldton, Western Australia

Geraldton is a city and port in Western Australia located north of Perth, Western Australia. According to the 2006 census, Geraldton has a population of 31,553, making it the fifth-largest city in Western Australia....
, Western Australia
 
45 Lismore
Lismore, New South Wales

Lismore is a Subtropical climate city in New South Wales, Australia. It is the main population centre in the City of Lismore Local Government Areas in Australia....
, New South Wales
 
46 Coffs Harbour
Coffs Harbour, New South Wales

Geographic coordinate system: Coffs Harbour is a coastal city located on the north coast of New South Wales about 540 km north of Sydney and 440 km south of Brisbane....
, New South Wales
 
47 Albany
Albany, Western Australia

Albany is located in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, situated around a port on the southern coast.Its metropolitan area has a population of 25,196 as of the 2006 census, making it the sixth largest city in the state....
, Western Australia
(no Stat. dist.)
48 Richmond
Richmond, New South Wales

Richmond is a town in New South Wales, Australia. Richmond is located 63 kilometres north-west of Sydney in the Local Government Areas in Australia of the City of Hawkesbury....
-Windsor
Windsor, New South Wales

Windsor is a town in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Windsor is located in the Local Government Areas in Australia of the City of Hawkesbury....
, New South Wales
Sydney
49 Palmerston
Palmerston, Northern Territory

Palmerston is a satellite city of Darwin, Northern Territory, the capital and largest city in Australia's Northern Territory. Palmerston is situated near Darwin Harbour and has a population of 27,185 people which makes up 12% or the territory's population and making it the second largest city in the Northern Territory....
, Northern Territory
Darwin
50 Mount Gambier
Mount Gambier, South Australia

Mount Gambier is the second most populous city in South Australia after Adelaide, the capital of the state.It is approximately 450 kilometres south of Adelaide and 435 kilometres west of Melbourne....
, South Australia
(no Stat. dist.)


25 largest Local Government Areas by population


Local Government Areas are the main units of local government in Australia. They may be termed cities, shires, councils or other names, but they all function similarly. Brisbane is the only state capital city with one LGA covering the majority of its urban area.
Rank Local Government Area Estimated resident population, 2007 Stat. Division/District
1 Brisbane City Council
Brisbane City Council

Brisbane City Council is the governing City council for Brisbane, which is the capital of Queensland, Australia. Unlike councils in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, where the local councils are generally responsible for relatively small areas of those cities, Brisbane City Council administers the larger part of the Brisbane metropolit...
, Queensland
Queensland

Queensland is a States and territories of Australia of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory to the west, South Australia to the south-west and New South Wales to the south....
1,007,901 Brisbane
2 Gold Coast City Council, Queensland 524,667 Gold Coast
3 Moreton Bay Regional Council
Moreton Bay Regional Council

Moreton Bay Regional Council is a new "super-shire" by the Local Government Reform Commission, created on 15 March 2008 when Shire of Caboolture, Shire of Pine Rivers and City of Redcliffe merged after the local council elections....
, Queensland
337,846 Brisbane
4 City of Blacktown
City of Blacktown

The City of Blacktown is situated approximately 35km from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on the Cumberland Plain in the heart of Western Sydney....
, New South Wales
New South Wales

New South Wales is Australia's oldest and most populous States and territories of Australia, located in the south-east of the country, north of Victoria and south of Queensland....
284,692 Sydney
5 City of Casey
City of Casey

The City of Casey is a Local Government Areas in Australia in Victoria , Australia, located in the outer south eastern suburbs of Melbourne. Casey is Victoria's most populous municipality, with a 2006 census population of 214,960....
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)

File:Map Victoria Aboriginal tribes .jpgVictoria is a States and territories of Australia located in the southeastern corner of Australia. It is the smallest mainland state in area but the most Population density and urbanised....
229,080 Melbourne
6 Sutherland Shire
Sutherland Shire

The Sutherland Shire, is a Local Government Areas of Australia in the Southern Sydney region of Sydney, Australia. Geographically, it is the area to the south of Botany Bay and the Georges River....
, New South Wales
213,917 Sydney
7 City of Greater Geelong
City of Greater Geelong

The City of Greater Geelong is a Local Government Areas of Victoria in Victoria, Australia.It is located in the western part of the state, south-west of Melbourne....
, Victoria
208,395 Geelong
8 City of Wollongong
City of Wollongong

The City of Wollongong is a Local Government Areas in Australia in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. It is on the Pacific Ocean, the Southern Freeway and the South Coast railway line, New South Wales....
, New South Wales
195,768 Wollongong
9 City of Lake Macquarie, New South Wales 193,092 Newcastle
10 City of Stirling, Western Australia
Western Australia

Western Australia is a States and territories of Australia occupying the entire western third of the Australia . The nation's largest state and the second largest subnational entity in the world, it has 2.1 million inhabitants , 85% of whom live in the south-west corner of the state....
189,083 Perth
11 City of Fairfield
City of Fairfield

The City of Fairfield is a Local Government Areas in Australia in the south-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia....
, New South Wales
187,362 Sydney
12 Logan City Council, Queensland 180,358 Brisbane
13 City of Bankstown
City of Bankstown

The City of Bankstown is a city and Local Government Areas in Australia in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
, New South Wales
179,657 Sydney
14 City of Penrith
City of Penrith

The City of Penrith is a Local Government Areas in Australia in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia.Demographics ...
, New South Wales
177,686 Sydney
15 City of Brimbank
City of Brimbank

The City of Brimbank is a Local Government Areas in Australia located within the metropolitan area of Melbourne, Victoria , Australia. It comprises the western suburbs between 10 and 20 km west and northwest from the Melbourne city centre....
, Victoria
176,249 Melbourne
16 City of Liverpool
City of Liverpool, New South Wales

The City of Liverpool is a Local Government Areas in Australia to the southwest of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia....
, New South Wales
172,932 Sydney
17 City of Monash
City of Monash

The City of Monash is a Local Government Areas of Victoria in Victoria , Australia. It is located in the southeastern suburbs of Melbourne and has an area of 81.0 square kilometres....
, Victoria
171,478 Melbourne
18 City of Sydney
City of Sydney

The City of Sydney comprises the Sydney central business district and the surrounding Inner West and inner city suburbs of the greater metropolitan area of Sydney, Australia....
, New South Wales
168,682 Sydney
19 Baulkham Hills Shire
Baulkham Hills Shire

The Hills Shire is a Local Government Areas in Australia in the north western region of Sydney, Australia. Home to bushland such as Bidjigal Reserve, market gardens and urban sprawl, it is one of the most rapidly growing local government areas in Australia....
, New South Wales
168,026 Sydney
20 City of Boroondara
City of Boroondara

The City of Boroondara is a Local Government Areas in Australia in Victoria , Australia. It is located in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne....
, Victoria
163,890 Melbourne
21 City of Gosford, New South Wales 162,388 Sydney
22 Hornsby Shire
Hornsby Shire

Hornsby Shire is a vast Local Government Areas in Australia in the Northern region of Sydney, Australia. The estimated population of Hornsby Shire was 155,971 ....
, New South Wales
158,285 Sydney
23 City of Parramatta
City of Parramatta

The City of Parramatta is a Local Government Areas in Australia in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia.Initially in 1861 it was formed as Municipality of Parramatta....
, New South Wales
157,775 Sydney
24 Maroochy Shire Council, Queensland 157,238 Sunshine Coast
25 City of Joondalup
City of Joondalup

The City of Joondalup is a Local Government Areas of Western Australia in the northern List of Perth suburbs of the Western Australian capital city of Perth, Western Australia, centred about north of Perth's central business district....
, Western Australia
157,203 Perth
In comparison with these figures, the populations of the other capitals are relatively small. Melbourne has 81,144, Darwin 72,852, Hobart 49,720, Adelaide 18,575, and Perth only 13,486. Most of these cities have suburban LGAs much larger than the central cities.

See also


  • List of cities in Australia
    List of cities in Australia

    This is a list of city in Australia arranged by state....
  • World's largest cities
    World's largest cities

    The question of determining the world's largest cities does not allow a single, simple answer. It depends on which definitions of "city" and "size" are used, and how those definitions are applied....