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New South Wales



 
 
New South Wales (abbreviated as NSW) is 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....
's oldest and most populous state
States and territories of Australia

The Australia is made up of six states and two major mainland territories. There are also lesser territories that are under the administration of the federal government....
, located in the south-east of the country, north of 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....
 and south of 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....
. It was founded in 1788 and originally comprised much of the Australian mainland, as well as Lord Howe Island
Lord Howe Island

Lord Howe Island is a small island in the Pacific Ocean east of the Australian mainland. Along with Ball's Pyramid, it is administered by the Lord Howe Island Board, one of 175 local authorities in the state of New South Wales, and is part of the Mid-North Coast Statistical Division....
 and Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island

Norfolk Island is a small island in the Pacific Ocean located between Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. It and two neighbouring islands form one of Australia's external Territory ....
.






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Timeline

1788   Australia Day: 11 ships of First Fleet from Botany Bay led by Arthur Phillip land in what would become Sydney, Australia. Great Britain establishes the prison colony of New South Wales, the first permanent European settlement on the continent.

1795   The ''Battle of Richmond Hill'' in the colony of New South Wales between the Darug people and British Colonial Forces.

1808   Rum Rebellion: On the twentieth anniversary of the foundation of the colony of New South Wales, disgruntled military officers of the New South Wales Corps (the "Rum Corps") overthrow and imprison Governor William Bligh and seize control of the colony.

1851   Colony of Victoria separates from New South Wales.

1859   The British Crown colony of Queensland in Australia is created by devolving part of the territory of New South Wales

1859   Australia: Queensland is established as a separate colony from New South Wales.

1889   Sir Henry Parkes, Premier of New South Wales, delivers the Tenterfield Oration calling for the Federation of Australia.

1901   The British colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia federate as the Commonwealth of Australia. Edmund Barton becomes first Prime Minister.

1965   Bob (later Sir Robert) Askin replaces Jack Renshaw as Premier of New South Wales.

1966   Chatham High School is opened in Taree, New South Wales.







Encyclopedia


Bernhard Otto Holterman With 630lb Gold From Hill End
New South Wales (abbreviated as NSW) is 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....
's oldest and most populous state
States and territories of Australia

The Australia is made up of six states and two major mainland territories. There are also lesser territories that are under the administration of the federal government....
, located in the south-east of the country, north of 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....
 and south of 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....
. It was founded in 1788 and originally comprised much of the Australian mainland, as well as Lord Howe Island
Lord Howe Island

Lord Howe Island is a small island in the Pacific Ocean east of the Australian mainland. Along with Ball's Pyramid, it is administered by the Lord Howe Island Board, one of 175 local authorities in the state of New South Wales, and is part of the Mid-North Coast Statistical Division....
 and Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island

Norfolk Island is a small island in the Pacific Ocean located between Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. It and two neighbouring islands form one of Australia's external Territory ....
. New Zealand
New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous Islands of New Zealand, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands....
 was not initially part of the colony, although when Britain annexed New Zealand in 1840 it was briefly a part of New South Wales. During the 19th century large areas were successively separated to form the British
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name and the state form of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927....
 colonies of 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....
, 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....
, Victoria, Queensland, and New Zealand.

Inhabitants of New South Wales are referred to as being New South Welsh or New South Welshmen. New South Wales's largest city and capital is 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....
.

History


Aborigines


The original inhabitants of the area were Aboriginal tribes who arrived in Australia approximately forty to sixty thousand years ago.

European settlement

The Europe
Europe

Europe is, conventionally, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural , the Caspian Sea, and by the Caucasus Mountains to the southeast....
an discovery of New South Wales was made by Captain James Cook
James Cook

Captain James Cook Royal Society Royal Navy was an English explorer, navigator and cartographer, ultimately rising to the rank of Captain in the Royal Navy....
 during his voyage along the east coast of Australia in 1770.

In the journal covering his survey of the eastern coast of the Australian continent, Cook first named the east coast of Australia "New Wales", which he later corrected in his journal to "New South Wales".

The first British settlement was made by what is known in Australian history
History of Australia

The written history of Australia began when Netherlands explorers first sighted the landmass in the 17th century. The interpretation of the history of Australia is currently a matter of History Wars, particularly regarding the British Empire settlement and early treatment of Indigenous Australians....
 as the First Fleet
First Fleet

First Fleet is the name given to the 11 ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 to establish the first European colony in New South Wales....
 led by Captain Arthur Phillip
Arthur Phillip

Admiral Arthur Phillip Royal Navy was a British naval Admiraland colonial administrator. Phillip was appointed Governors of New South Wales of New South Wales, the first European colony on the Australian continent, and was the founder of the site which is now the city of Sydney....
 who assumed the role of governor of the settlement on arrival in 1788 until 1792. During this time New South Wales was an entirely penal colony
Penal colony

A penal colony is a Human settlement used to detain prisoners and generally use them for penal labour in an economically underdeveloped part of the state's territories, and on a far larger scale than a prison farm....
.

After years of chaos, anarchy and the overthrow
Rum Rebellion

The Rum Rebellion, also known as the Rum Puncheon Rebellion, of 1808 was the only successful armed takeover of government in Australia recorded history....
 of Governor William Bligh
William Bligh

Vice-Admiral William Bligh Fellow of the Royal Society Royal Navy was an officer of the British Royal Navy and a colonial administrator. The notorious Mutiny on the Bounty occurred during his command of HMS Bounty in 1789; Bligh and his loyal men made a remarkable voyage to Timor, after being set adrift by the mutineers in the Bounty's l...
, a new governor, Lieutenant-colonel (later Major-General) Lachlan Macquarie
Lachlan Macquarie

Major-General Lachlan Macquarie Order of the Bath , was a British military officer and colonial administrator, served as Governor of New South Wales from 1810 to 1821 and had a leading role in the social, economic and architectural development of that colony....
, was sent from Britain to reform the settlement in 1809. During his time as governor, Macquarie commissioned the construction of roads, wharves, churches and public buildings, sent explorers across the continent and employed a planner to design the street layout of 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....
. Macquarie's legacy is still evident today.

Gold rush

A gold rush
Gold rush

A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers into the area of a dramatic discovery of commercial quantities of gold.Eight gold rushes took place throughout the 19th century in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States....
 in the mid 19th century created a huge influx in the New South Wales population. Soon after the gold rush, settlers demanded a responsible government
Responsible government

Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy....
 that could govern itself. The result was the New South Wales Constitution Act of 1855, steered through the British Parliament by the veteran radical Lord John Russell
John Russell, 1st Earl Russell

John Russell, 1st Earl Russell, Order of the Garter, Order of St Michael and St George, Privy Council of the United Kingdom , known as Lord John Russell before 1861, was an England British Whig Party and Liberal Party politician who served twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the mid-19th century....
, who wanted a constitution which balanced democratic elements against the interests of property, as did the Parliamentary system in Britain at this time. The Act created a bicameral Parliament of New South Wales
Parliament of New South Wales

The Parliament of New South Wales is the supreme law making body in New South Wales, a state of Australia. It is a bicameral parliament elected by the people of the state in general elections....
, with a lower house, the Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly

The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales. The other is the New South Wales Legislative Council....
, consisting of 54 members. As the population continued to rise, separate colonies were split off from greater NSW. Tasmania, Victoria, South Australia, and Queensland were formed as self-governing colonies reducing NSW to its present area.

Federation

At the end of the 19th century, the movement toward federation between the Australian colonies gathered momentum. Conventions and forums involving colony leaders were held on a regular basis. Proponents of NSW as a free trade state were in dispute with the other leading colony Victoria who had a protectionist economy. At this time customs posts were common on borders, even on the Murray River
Murray River

The Murray River, or River Murray and sometimes informally referred to as the "Mighty Murray", is Australia's largest river. At in length, the Murray rises in the Australian Alps, draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains and, for most of its length, meanders across Australia's inland plains, forming the border between...
. Travelling from NSW to Victoria in those days would have been very similar to travelling from NSW to New Zealand today. Supporters of federation included the NSW premier Sir Henry Parkes whose 1889 speech in Tenterfield
Tenterfield, New South Wales

Tenterfield is a town, parish and Local Government Areas in Australia , in New South Wales, Australia. It is located in the New England region of northern New South Wales, at the intersection of the New England Highway and Bruxner Highways....
 was pivotal in gathering support for NSW involvement. Edmund Barton
Edmund Barton

Sir Edmund Barton, Order of St Michael and St George, Queen's Counsel , Australian politician and judge, was the first Prime Minister of Australia and a founding justice of the High Court of Australia....
 later to become Australia's first Prime Minister was another strong advocate for federation and a meeting held in Corowa in 1893 drafted an initial constitution.

In 1898 popular referendums on the proposed federation were held in NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. All votes resulted in a majority in favour, but the NSW government under Premier George Reid
George Reid (Australian politician)

Sir George Houstoun Reid, Order of the Bath, Order of St Michael and St George, KC was an Australian politician, Premier of New South Wales and fourth Prime Minister of Australia....
 (popularly known as "yes-no Reid" because of his constant changes of opinion on the issue) had set a requirement for a higher "yes" vote than just a simple majority which was not met.

In 1899 further referendums were held in the same states as well as Queensland (but not Western Australia). All resulted in yes votes with majorities increased from the previous year. NSW met the conditions its government had set for a yes vote. As a compromise to the question on where the capital was to be located, an agreement was made that the site was to be within NSW but not closer than from Sydney. Eventually the area that now forms the 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....
 was ceded by NSW when 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....
 was selected.

Early 20th century

In the years after World War I
World War I

World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers....
, the high prices enjoyed during the war fell with the resumption of international trade, and farmers became increasingly discontented with the fixed prices paid by the compulsory marketing authorities set up as a wartime measure by the Hughes
Billy Hughes

William Morris 'Billy' Hughes, Companion of Honour, Kings Counsel , Australian politician, was the seventh Prime Minister of Australia, the List of longest-serving members of the Australian House of Representatives, and one of the most colourful figures in Australian political history....
 government. In 1919 the farmers formed the Country Party
National Party of Australia

The National Party of Australia is an List of political parties in Australia.Traditionally representing rural voters, it was originally called the Country Party, but adopted the name National Country Party in 1975 and changed to its present name in 1982....
, led at national level by Earle Page
Earle Page

Sir Earle Christmas Grafton Page, Order of St Michael and St George, Order of the Companions of Honour , Australian politician, was the eleventh Prime Minister of Australia, and is to date the List of longest-serving members of the Australian House of Representatives in Australian history with 41 years, 361 days in Parliament....
, a doctor from Grafton
Grafton, New South Wales

Grafton is the commercial hub of the Clarence River Valleywhich has a population approaching 20,000. Established in 1855, Grafton features many historic buildings and tree-lined streets....
, and at state level by Michael Bruxner
Michael Bruxner

Sir Michael Frederick Bruxner Order of the British Empire, Distinguished Service Order was an Australian politician and soldier....
, a small farmer from Tenterfield.

The Great Depression
Great Depression

File:International depression.pngThe Great Depression was a worldwide economic Recession starting in most places in 1929 and ending at different times in the 1930s or early 1940s for different countries....
 which began in 1929 ushered a period of political and class conflict in New South Wales. The mass unemployment and collapse of commodity prices brought ruin to both city workers and to farmers. The beneficiary of the resultant discontent was not the Communist Party
Communist Party of Australia

The Communist Party of Australia was founded in 1920 and dissolved in 1991. It achieved its greatest political strength in the 1940s and faced an attempted banning in 1951....
, which remained small and weak, but Jack Lang
Jack Lang (Australian politician)

John Thomas Lang , Australian politician, usually referred to as J. T. Lang during his career, familiarly known as "Jack" and nicknamed "The Big Fella," was Premiers of New South Wales for two terms ....
's Labor
Australian Labor Party

The Australian Labor Party is an List of political parties in Australia.Known as the Australian Labor Party#Etymology for short, the party is the current governing party of Australia, since the Australian federal election, 2007....
 populism. Lang's second government was elected in November 1930 on a policy of repudiating New South Wales' debt to British bondholders and using the money instead to help the unemployed through public works. This was denounced as illegal by conservatives, and also by James Scullin
James Scullin

James Henry Scullin , Australian Labor politician and ninth Prime Minister of Australia. Two days after he was sworn in as Prime Minister, the Wall Street Crash of 1929 occurred, marking the beginning of the Great Depression and subsequent Great Depression in Australia....
's federal Labor government. The result was that Lang's supporters in the federal Caucus brought down Scullin's government, causing a second bitter split in the Labor Party. In May 1932 the Governor, Sir Philip Game
Philip Game

Air Vice-Marshal Sir Philip Woolcott Game Order of the Bath, Royal Victorian Order, Order of the British Empire, Order of St Michael and St George, Distinguished Service Order was a British Royal Air Force commander, who later served as Governors of New South Wales of New South Wales, Australia, and Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis o...
 dismissed his government. The subsequent election was won by the conservative opposition.
Cowrapowcamp
By the outbreak of World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
 in 1939, the differences between New South Wales and the other states that had emerged in the 19th century had faded as a result of federation and economic development behind a wall of protective tariffs. New South Wales continued to outstrip Victoria as the centre of industry, and increasingly of finance and trade as well. Labor returned to office under the moderate leadership of William McKell
William McKell

Sir William John McKell Order of St Michael and St George Venerable Order of St John , Australian politician, was Premiers of New South Wales from 1941 to 1947, and was the twelfth Governor-General of Australia....
 in 1941 and stayed in power for 24 years. World War II saw another surge in industrial development to meet the needs of a war economy, and also the elimination of unemployment.

Postwar New South Wales

Labor stayed in power until 1965. Towards the end of its term in power it announced a plan for the construction of an opera/arts facility on Bennelong Point
Bennelong Point, New South Wales

Bennelong Point is the location of the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia . It was called Tubowghule by the local Indigenous Australians....
. The design competition was won by Jørn Utzon
Jørn Utzon

J?rn Oberg Utzon, Order of Australia was a Danish architect most notable for designing the Sydney Opera House in Australia....
. Controversy over the cost of what would eventually become the Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House is located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was conceived and largely built by Denmark architect J?rn Utzon, who in 2003 received the Pritzker Prize, architecture's highest honour....
 became a political issue and was a factor in the eventual defeat of Labor in 1965 by the conservative Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Australia

The Liberal Party of Australia is an List of political parties in Australia.Founded a year after the Australian federal election, 1943 to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office....
 led by Sir Robert Askin
Robert Askin

Sir Robert William Askin, Order of St Michael and St George was Premiers of New South Wales from 1965 to 1975. He was born Robin William Askin, but he always disliked his first name and he changed it by deed poll in 1971....
. Sir Robert remains a controversial figure with supporters claiming him to be reformist especially in terms of reshaping the NSW economy. Others though regard the Askin era has synonymous with corruption with Askin the head of a network involving NSW police and SP bookmaking (Goot).

In the late 1960s, a secessionist movement
New England New State Movement

The New England New State Movement was an Australian political movement in the twentieth century. Originally called the Northern Separation Movement, the aim of the movement was to seek the secession of the New England region and surrounding areas from the States and Territories of Australia of New South Wales and the establishment of a ne...
 in the New England
New England (Australia)

New England is the name given to an undefined region in the north of the state of New South Wales, Australia.The two traditional centres of New England are Armidale, New South Wales and Tamworth, New South Wales....
 region of the state led to a referendum on the issue. The new state would have consisted of much of northern NSW including 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....
. The referendum
Referendum

A referendum , ballot question, or plebiscite is a direct vote in which an entire Constituency is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal....
 was narrowly defeated and there are no active or organised campaigns for new states in NSW beyond individuals.

Askin's resignation in 1975 was followed by a number of short lived premierships by Liberal Party leaders. When a general election came in 1976 the ALP under Neville Wran
Neville Wran

Neville Kenneth Wran Order of Australia Queen's Counsel was the Premier of New South Wales from 1976 until 1986. He was National President of the Australian Labor Party from 1980 to 1986 and Chairman of both the Lionel Murphy Foundation and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation from 1986 to 1991....
 were returned to power. Wran was able to transform this narrow one seat victory into landslide wins (known as Wranslide) in 1978 and 1981. was complete in 1973 and has become a World Heritage Site]]

After winning a comfortable though reduced majority in 1984, Wran resigned as premier and left parliament. His replacement Barry Unsworth
Barry Unsworth

Barry Unsworth is a Great Britain novelist who is known for novels with historical themes. He has published 15 novels, and has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize three times, winning once for the 1992 novel Sacred Hunger....
 struggled to emerge from Wran's shadow and lost a 1988 election against a resurgent Liberal Party led by Nick Greiner
Nick Greiner

Nicholas Frank Hugo Greiner, Order of Australia was the parliamentary leader of the Liberal Party of Australia in New South Wales, Australia and also Premiers of New South Wales from 1988 to 1992....
. Unsworth was replaced as ALP leader by Bob Carr. Initially Greiner was a popular leader instigating reform such as the creation of the Independent Commission Against Corruption
Independent Commission Against Corruption

Several places have organisations called the Independent Commission Against Corruption:*Independent Commission Against Corruption , established 1974...
 (ICAC). Greiner called a snap election in 1991 which the Liberals were expected to win. However the ALP polled extremely well and the Liberals lost their majority and needed the support of independents to retain power.

Greiner was accused (by ICAC) of corrupt actions involving an allegation that a government position was offered to tempt an independent (who had defected from the Liberals) to resign his seat so that the Liberal party could regain it and shore up its numbers. Greiner resigned but was later cleared of corruption. His replacement as Liberal leader and Premier was John Fahey
John Fahey (politician)

John Joseph Fahey Order of Australia is the former Premier of New South Wales and Federal Minister for Finance in Australia. John Fahey is currently the chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency....
. Although personally popular, Fahey's government suffered from a series of scandals including tax evasion, illegal recording of customer conversations, sexual harassment, and death threats. In the 1995 election, Fahey's government lost narrowly and the ALP under Bob Carr
Bob Carr

Robert John Carr , Australian politician, was Premier of New South Wales of New South Wales from 4 April 1995 to 3 August 2005. He holds the record for the longest continuous service as Premier of New South Wales....
 returned to power.

Like Wran before him Carr was able to turn a narrow majority into landslide wins at the next two elections (1999 and 2003). During this era, NSW hosted the 2000 Sydney Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics

The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 13 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
 which were internationally regarded as very successful and helped boost Carr's popularity. Carr surprised most people by resigning from office in 2005. He was replaced by Morris Iemma
Morris Iemma

Morris Iemma , is an Australian politician and 40th Premiers of New South Wales, succeeding Bob Carr after he resigned on 3 August 2005. Iemma led the Australian Labor Party to victory in the New South Wales state election, 2007 before resigning as Premier on 5 September 2008, and as a Member of Parliament on 19 September 2008....
, who remained Premier after being re-elected in the March 2007 state election, until he resigned from parliament in September 2008.

Government


Executive authority is vested in the Governor of New South Wales, who represents and is appointed by Queen Elizabeth II. The current Governor is Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir
Marie Bashir

Marie Roslyn, Lady Shehadie, Order of Australia, Royal Victorian Order, Venerable Order of Saint John , known as Marie Bashir, is the current Governor of New South Wales and Chancellor of the University of Sydney....
 (Lady Shehadie). The Governor commissions as Premier the leader of the parliamentary political party that can command a simple majority of votes in the Legislative Assembly. The Premier then recommends the appointment of other Members of the two Houses to the Ministry, under the principle of responsible or Westminster government
Westminster System

The Westminster system is a Democracy parliamentary system of government modelled after the British government . The term comes from the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the UK Parliament....
. It should be noted, however, that as in other Westminster systems, there is no constitutional requirement in NSW for the Government to be formed from the Parliament - merely convention. The Premier is Nathan Rees
Nathan Rees

Nathan Rees , Australian politician, is the 41st Premiers of New South Wales of New South Wales and parliamentary leader of the New South Wales division of the Australian Labor Party since 2008, and member for Electoral district of Toongabbie since 2007....
 of the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party

The Australian Labor Party is an List of political parties in Australia.Known as the Australian Labor Party#Etymology for short, the party is the current governing party of Australia, since the Australian federal election, 2007....
.

Constitution

The form of the Government of New South Wales is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1856, although it has been amended many times since then. Since 1901 New South Wales has been a state of the Commonwealth of 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....
, and the Australian Constitution regulates its relationship with the Commonwealth.

Under the Australian Constitution, New South Wales ceded certain legislative and judicial powers to the Commonwealth, but retained independence in all other areas. The New South Wales Constitution says: "The Legislature shall, subject to the provisions of the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act, have power to make laws for the peace, welfare, and good government of New South Wales in all cases whatsoever."

Parliament

Political
Party
Legislative
Assembly
Legislative
Council
ALP
Australian Labor Party

The Australian Labor Party is an List of political parties in Australia.Known as the Australian Labor Party#Etymology for short, the party is the current governing party of Australia, since the Australian federal election, 2007....
52 (56%)19 (45%)
Liberal
Liberal Party of Australia

The Liberal Party of Australia is an List of political parties in Australia.Founded a year after the Australian federal election, 1943 to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office....
22 (24%)10 (24%)
National
National Party of Australia

The National Party of Australia is an List of political parties in Australia.Traditionally representing rural voters, it was originally called the Country Party, but adopted the name National Country Party in 1975 and changed to its present name in 1982....
13 (14%)5 (11%)
Independent/Other6 (6%)8 (20%)
Source: Parliament of New South Wales.


The State Parliament
Parliaments of the Australian states and territories

The Parliaments of the Australian states and territories are legislative bodies within the federal framework of the Australia. Before the formation of the Commonwealth in 1901, the six Australian colonies were self-governing, with parliaments which had come into existence at various times between 1825, when the New South Wales Legislative Cou...
 is composed of the Sovereign and two houses: the
Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly

The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales. The other is the New South Wales Legislative Council....
 (lower house), and the
Legislative Council
New South Wales Legislative Council

The New South Wales Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales of New South Wales in Australia....
 (upper house). Elections are held every four years on the fourth Saturday of March, the most recent being on 24 March 2007. At each election one member is elected to the Legislative Assembly from each of 93 electoral districts
New South Wales Legislative Assembly electoral districts

The New South Wales Legislative Assembly is elected from 93 single-member electorates called districts....
 and half of the 42 members of the Legislative Council are elected by a statewide electorate.

Emergency services

New South Wales is policed by the New South Wales Police Force, a statutory authority. Established in 1862, the NSW Police Force investigates Summary and Indictable offences throughout the State of New South Wales. The state has two fire services: the volunteer based New South Wales Rural Fire Service
New South Wales Rural Fire Service

The New South Wales Rural Fire Service is a volunteer-based firefighting agency and statutory body of the NSW Government. The RFS is responsible for the general administration of rural fire management affairs including administration of the Rural Fire Fighting Fund, co-ordination with local government of the State's Rural Fire Brigades, desi...
, mainly active in small towns and the countryside, and the New South Wales Fire Brigades
New South Wales Fire Brigades

The New South Wales Fire Brigades a New South Wales government agency for firefighting in the major cities, metropolitan areas and towns across rural and regional NSW....
, a government agency responsible for protecting urban areas. There is some overlap due to suburbanisation. Ambulance services are provided through the Ambulance Service of New South Wales
Ambulance Service of New South Wales

The Ambulance Service of New South Wales is the main provider of pre-hospital emergency care and ambulance services in the state of New South Wales , Australia....
. Rescue services (ie. vertical, road crash, confinement) are a joint effort by all emergency services, with Ambulance Rescue, Police Rescue Squad and Fire Rescue Units contributing. Volunteer rescue organisations include the State Emergency Service (SES) and Volunteer Rescue Association (VRA).

Demographics


Population

The estimated population of New South Wales at the end of June 2007 was 6.89 million people. Population grew by 1.1% over the preceding year, lower than the national rate of 1.5%.

62.9% of NSW's population is based in 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....
. above Wombarra over the northern Illawarra
Illawarra

File:Subpointlookout.jpgIllawarra is a region in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is a coastal region situated immediately south of Sydney and north of the Shoalhaven region, encompassing the cities of Wollongong and Shellharbour and the municipality of Kiama....
 plain viewing Austinmer, Thirroul, Bulli, Wollongong and up to Port Kembla in the far distance.]]

Rank Statistical Division/District June 2007 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....
4,336,374
2 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....
523,662
3 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....
280,159
4 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....
56,147
5 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....
50,726
6 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....
50,726
7 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....
44,970
8 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....
44,787
9 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....
42,042
10 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....
37,333
11 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...
36,331
12 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....
36,150
13 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 ....
32,556
14 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....
32,385
15 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....
31,865



with The Rocks
The Rocks, New South Wales

The Rocks is an inner-city suburb, tourist precinct and historic area of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the southern shore of Port Jackson, immediately north-west of the Sydney central business district and is part of the Local Government Areas in Australia of the City of Sydney....
 on the left and Darling Harbour
Darling Harbour, New South Wales

Darling Harbour, a locality of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is a large recreational and pedestrian precinct that is situated on western outskirts of the Sydney central business district....
 on the right]]

Education

Cbd031 01

Primary and Secondary

The NSW school system comprises a kindergarten to year twelve system with primary schooling up to year 6 and secondary schooling between year 7 and 12. Schooling is compulsory until age 15.

Primary and secondary schools include government and non-government schools. Government schools are further classified as comprehensive and selective schools
Selective school (New South Wales)

Selective schools in New South Wales, Australia are most commonly Public school high schools operated by the New South Wales Department of Education and Training, that have accepted their students based upon their academic merit....
. Non-government schools include Catholic schools, other denominational schools, and non-denominational independent schools.

Typically, a primary school provides education from kindergarten level to year 6. A secondary school, usually called a "high school", provides education from years 7 to 12. Secondary college
College

File:Government college for Women Dhoke Kala Khan.JPGCollege is a term most often used today to denote an education institution. More broadly, it can be the name of any group of collegialitys, for example, an electoral college, a College of Arms or the College of Cardinals....
s are secondary schools which only cater for years 11 and 12.

The government classifies the 12 years of primary and secondary schooling into six stages, beginning with stage 1 (years 1 and 2) and ending with stage 6 (years 11 and 12).

School Certificate

The School Certificate
School Certificate

The School Certificate is a qualification issued by the Board of Studies, New South Wales, typically at the end of Year 10. The successful completion of the School Certificate is a requirement for completion of the Higher School Certificate....
 is awarded by the Board of Studies to students at the end of Year 10. Typically, students in secondary schools will have completed a course of study in accordance with the Board's requirements, and sit for the tests at the end of year 10.

The Board administers five external tests in English-literacy, Mathematics, Science, Australian History, Geography, Civics and Citizenship. Students are not given a "pass" or "fail" result. The tests are designed to grade a student on their ability. The results of this test are categorised into bands 1 through to 6 with band 1 as the lowest and band 6 as the highest.

Higher School Certificate

The Higher School Certificate (HSC) is the usual Year 12 leaving certificate in NSW. Most students complete the HSC prior to entering the workforce or going on to study at college, university or TAFE (although the HSC itself can be completed at TAFE). The HSC must be completed for a student to get a University Admissions Index, which determines the students rank against fellow students who completed the Higher School Certificate.

Tertiary

Eleven universities primarily operate in New South Wales. Sydney is home to Australia's first university, the University of Sydney
University of Sydney

The University of Sydney is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation in Australia. It was established in Sydney in 1850. It is a member of Australia's "Group of Eight " universities that are highly ranked in terms of their research performance....
, founded in 1850, as well as the University of New South Wales
University of New South Wales

The University of New South Wales, also known as UNSW or colloquially as New South, is a university situated in Kensington, New South Wales, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
, Macquarie University
Macquarie University

Macquarie University is an Australian public research university located in Sydney. Its main campus is in Macquarie Park and also has overseas campuses in Hong Kong and Singapore....
, the University of Technology, Sydney
University of Technology, Sydney

The University of Technology, Sydney , is a university in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the Australian Technology Network of universities, and is the third largest university in Sydney in terms of enrollment numbers....
 and the University of Western Sydney
University of Western Sydney

The University of Western Sydney, also known as UWS, is a university in New South Wales, Australia.UWS has campuses in the Greater Western Sydney suburbs of Rydalmere, New South Wales, Westmead, New South Wales, Richmond, New South Wales, Quakers Hill, New South Wales, Werrington, New South Wales South, Werrington North, Kingswood, Ne...
. The Australian Catholic University
Australian Catholic University

Australian Catholic University, or ACU National, is Australia only public Catholic university. It has more than 13,000 students and 900 staff on six campuses located in three states and the Australian Capital Territory....
 has two of its six campuses in Sydney, and the private University of Notre Dame Australia
University of Notre Dame Australia

The University of Notre Dame Australia is a private Roman Catholic Church university established in 1990 in the Western Australian port city of Fremantle, Western Australia, ....
 also operates a secondary campus in the city.

Outside Sydney, the leading universities are the University of Newcastle
University of Newcastle, Australia

The University of Newcastle is an Public university#Australia that was established in 1965 and is located in Callaghan, New South Wales, a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales....
 and the University of Wollongong
University of Wollongong

The University of Wollongong is a public university with approximately 22,000 students, located in the coastal city of Wollongong, which is 80 kilometres south of Sydney, in New South Wales, Australia....
. Armidale is home to the University of New England
University of New England, Australia

The University of New England is an Australian public university with approximately 18,000 higher education students. Its original and main campus is located in the city of Armidale, New South Wales in northern New South Wales....
, and Charles Sturt University
Charles Sturt University

Charles Sturt University is an Australian multi-campus university in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. It has campuses at Bathurst, New South Wales, Albury, New South Wales, Dubbo, New South Wales, Orange, New South Wales and Wagga Wagga....
 and Southern Cross University
Southern Cross University

Southern Cross University is a university based on the Mid North and North coast of New South Wales, Australia. It is a regional University with more than 14,000 students....
 have campuses spread across cities in the state's south-west and north coast respectively.

The public universities are state government agencies, however they are largely regulated by the federal government, which also administers their public funding. Admission to NSW universities is arranged together with universities in the 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....
 by another government agency, the Universities Admission Centre.

Primarily vocational training is provided up the level of advanced diplomas is provided by the state government's ten Technical and Further Education
Technical and Further Education

Technical and Further Education or TAFE institutions provide a wide range of predominantly vocational post-secondary education courses in Australia....
 (TAFE) institutes. These institutes run courses in over 130 campuses throughout the state.

Geography and ecology


New South Wales is bordered on the north by Queensland, on the west by South Australia, on the south by Victoria and on the east by the Tasman Sea
Tasman Sea

The Tasman Sea is the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand, approximately 2000 kilometres across. It extends 2800 km from north to south....
. The 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....
 and the Jervis Bay Territory
Jervis Bay Territory

The Jervis Bay Territory is a territory of the Australia. It was bought by the Commonwealth Government in 1915 from the state of New South Wales so that the Federal capital at Canberra would have access to the sea....
 are Federal enclaves of New South Wales. The state can be divided geographically into four areas. New South Wales' three largest cities, 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....
, 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....
 and 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....
, lie near the centre of a narrow coastal strip extending from cool temperate areas on the far south coast to subtropical areas near the Queensland border. The Illawarra
Illawarra

File:Subpointlookout.jpgIllawarra is a region in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is a coastal region situated immediately south of Sydney and north of the Shoalhaven region, encompassing the cities of Wollongong and Shellharbour and the municipality of Kiama....
 region is centred on the city of Wollongong, with the Shoalhaven
Shoalhaven

The City of Shoalhaven is a Local Government Areas in Australia in south-eastern New South Wales , Australia, two hours south of Sydney. It is more or less conterminous with an area referred to as The Shoalhaven....
, Eurobodalla and the Sapphire Coast
Sapphire Coast

The Sapphire Coast is the marketing/ tourist name for the Bega Valley Shire region in South East, New South Wales, Australia.The Sapphire Coast is known for its clean beaches, clear water and great quality of life....
 to the south. The Central Coast
Central Coast, New South Wales

The Central Coast is an urban region in the Australian state of New South Wales, located on the coast north of Sydney and south of Lake Macquarie ....
 lies between Sydney and Newcastle, with the North Coast
North Coast, New South Wales

The North Coast refers to the region adjoining the Pacific Ocean in the north-eastern part of the State of New South Wales, Australia.The North Coast region is traversed by the Pacific Highway and the North Coast railway line, New South Wales which links Sydney to Brisbane in Queensland....
 and Northern Rivers regions reaching northwards to the Queensland border. Tourism is important to the economies of coastal towns such as 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....
, 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....
, 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....
 and 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....
, but the region also produces seafood, beef, dairy, fruit, sugar cane and timber.

The Great Dividing Range
Great Dividing Range

The Great Dividing Range, or the Eastern Highlands, is Australia's most substantial mountain range and the 4th longest in the world. The range stretches more than 3,500 km from Dauan_Island,_Queensland off the northeastern tip of Queensland, running the entire length of the eastern coastline through New South Wales, then into Victoria...
 extends from Victoria in the south through New South Wales to Queensland, parallel to the narrow coastal plain. This area includes the Snowy Mountains
Snowy Mountains

The Snowy Mountains, known informally as "The Snowies", are the highest Australia mountain range and contain the Australian mainland's highest mountain, Mount Kosciuszko, which reaches 2,228 metres Australian Height Datum....
, the Northern
Northern Tablelands, New South Wales

The Northern Tablelands is a plateau and a region of the Great Dividing Range in northern New South Wales, Australia. It is the narrow highlands area of the New England region, stretching from the Moonbi Range in the south to the Queensland border in the north....
, Central
Central Tablelands

The Central Tablelands in New South Wales is an area that is between the Sydney Metropolitan Area and the Central West Slopes and Plains. This area has a part of the Great Dividing Range running through it, including the Blue Mountains ....
 and Southern Tablelands
Southern Tablelands

The Southern Tablelands is a geographic area of the State of New South Wales, Australia. This area is located west of the Great Dividing Range and includes the towns of Yass, New South Wales, Crookwell, New South Wales and Boorowa, New South Wales....
, the Southern Highlands and the South West Slopes. Whilst not particularly steep, many peaks of the range rise above , with the highest Mount Kosciuszko
Mount Kosciuszko

Mount Kosciuszko is a mountain located in the Snowy Mountains in Kosciuszko National Park. With a height of above sea level, it is the Extremes of Altitude mountain in Australia ....
 at . The relatively short ski season underwrites the tourist industry in the Snowy Mountains
Snowy Mountains

The Snowy Mountains, known informally as "The Snowies", are the highest Australia mountain range and contain the Australian mainland's highest mountain, Mount Kosciuszko, which reaches 2,228 metres Australian Height Datum....
. Agriculture, particularly the wool industry, is important throughout the highlands. Major centres include Armidale
Armidale, New South Wales

Armidale is a College town and cathedral city in northern New South Wales, Australia, in Armidale Dumaresq Council. It is the administrative centre for the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales region....
, 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....
, Bowral
Bowral, New South Wales

Bowral is a town located in the Southern Highlands, New South Wales of New South Wales, Australia, in Wingecarribee Shire, New South Wales. It was previously known by the name Bowrall....
, Goulburn
Goulburn, New South Wales

Goulburn is a provincial city in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia in Goulburn Mulwaree Council Local Government Areas in Australia....
, Inverell
Inverell, New South Wales

Inverell is a town in the north of New South Wales, Australia, situated on the Macintyre River. It is also the centre of Inverell Shire Council....
, 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....
, 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...
 and 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....
.
Thredbo Ski Resort
There are numerous forests in New South Wales, with such tree species as Red Gum Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of Flowering plant trees in the Myrtus family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia....
 and Crow Ash (
Flindersia australis
Flindersia

Flindersia is a genus of 14 species of tree in the family Rutaceae. They are native to the Moluccas, New Guinea, Australia and New Caledonia....
), being represented. Forest floors have a diverse set of understory shrubs and fungi. One of the widespread fungi is Witch's Butter (Tremella mesenterica
Tremella mesenterica

Tremella mesenterica is a jelly fungus that is commonly found on rotting wood, especially Common Gorse, as a parasite of crust fungi of the genus Peniophora....
).

The western slopes fill a significant portion of the state's area and have a much sparser population than areas nearer the coast. Agriculture is the central to the economy of the western slopes, particularly the Riverina
Riverina

The Riverina is an agricultural List of regions in Australia of south-western New South Wales , Australia. The Riverina is distinguished from other Australian regions by the combination of flat plains, warm to hot climate and an ample supply of water for irrigation....
 region and Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area
Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area

The Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area is geographically located within the Riverina area of New South Wales was created to control and divert the flow of local river and creek systems for the purpose of food production....
 in the state's south-west. Regional cities such as 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....
, 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....
, Griffith
Griffith, New South Wales

Griffith is a city in south-western New South Wales, Australia. It is also the seat of the City of Griffith Local Government Areas in Australia....
 and 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....
 and towns such as Deniliquin
Deniliquin, New South Wales

Deniliquin, known locally as "Deni", is a town in the Riverina region of New South Wales close to the border with Victoria, Australia.Deniliquin is located at the intersection of the Riverina Highway and Cobb Highway approximately 725 kilometres south west of the state capital, Sydney and 285 kilometres north of Melbourne....
, Leeton
Leeton, New South Wales

Leeton is a town in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. Leeton is situated approximately 550 km west of Sydney and 450 km north of Melbourne in the productive Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area....
 and Parkes
Parkes, New South Wales

Parkes is a town in New South Wales, Australia. It has a population of approximately 11,700 . It is the main settlement in the Local Government Areas of Australia of Parkes Shire Council....
 exist primarily to service these agricultural regions. The western slopes descend slowly to the western plains that comprise almost two-thirds of the state and are largely arid or semi-arid. The mining town of Broken Hill
Broken Hill, New South Wales

Broken Hill is an isolated mining city and Local Government Areas of Australia in the far west of outback New South Wales, Australia. The world's largest mining company, BHP Billiton, has roots in the town....
 is the largest centre in this area.

The highest maximum temperature recorded was at Wilcannia
Wilcannia, New South Wales

Wilcannia is a small town with a population of 759, located within the Central Darling Shire in north western New South Wales, Australia....
 in the state's west on 11 January 1939. The lowest minimum temperature was at Charlotte Pass
Charlotte Pass, New South Wales

Charlotte Pass is a location in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales, Australia where the Kosciuszko Road crosses Kangaroo Ridge. The location is also often referred to as Charlotte's Pass, both colloquially and in official documents....
 on 29 June 1994 in the Snowy Mountains. This is also the lowest temperature recorded in whole of Australia excluding the Antarctic Territory.

One possible definition of the centre for New South Wales is located west-north-west of Tottenham
Tottenham, New South Wales

Tottenham is a small town in Lachlan Shire in the Central West, New South Wales of New South Wales, Australia. It had a population of 343 in 2001, including 21 indigenous people and 20 foreign born people ....
.

National parks

New South Wales has more than 780 national parks and reserves covering more than 8% of the state. These parks range from rainforests, spectacular waterfalls, rugged bush to marine wonderlands and outback deserts, including World Heritage
World Heritage Site

A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site that is on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 Sovereign state which are elected by their General Assembly for a four-year term....
 areas.

The Royal National Park
Royal National Park

The Royal National Park is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, 29 km south of Sydney.Founded by John Robertson , Acting Premiers of New South Wales of New South Wales, and formally proclaimed on 26 April 1879, it is the world's second oldest purposed national park, the first usage of the term "national park" after Yellowston...
 on the southern outskirts of Sydney became Australia's first National Park when proclaimed on 26 April 1879. Originally named The National Park until 1955, this park was the second National Park to be established in the world after Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress as a national park on March 1, 1872, is located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, though it also extends into Montana and Idaho....
 in the U.S. Kosciuszko National Park
Kosciuszko National Park

Kosciuszko National Park covers over 6,910 km? and contains Australia's highest peak, Mount Kosciuszko for which it is named, and Cabramurra, New South Wales the highest town in Australia....
 is the largest park in state encompassing New South Wales' alpine region.

The National Parks Association was formed in 1957 to create a system of national parks all over New South Wales. This government agency is responsible for developing and maintaining the parks and reserve system, and conserving natural and cultural heritage, in the state of New South Wales. These parks preserve special habitats, plants and wildlife, such as the Wollemi National Park
Wollemi National Park

Wollemi National Park is the second largest national park in New South Wales, and contains most of the largest wilderness area, the Wollemi Wilderness....
 where the Wollemi Pine grows and areas sacred to Australian Aboriginals such as Mutawintji National Park
Mutawintji National Park

Mutawintji is a national park in New South Wales , 878 km west of Sydney, Australia and about 130 km north-east of Broken Hill.The rugged, mulga-clad Byngnano Range is dissected by colourful gorges, rockpools and creek beds lined with red gums....
 in western New South Wales.

Economy

cows and calves]]
Hunter Panorama 1b Web L
Agriculture is spread throughout the New South Wales state, except in the western third. Cattle, sheep and pigs are the predominant types of livestock
Livestock

Livestock is the term used to refer to a domesticated animal intentionally reared in an agricultural setting to produce things such as food or fibre, or for its labour....
 produced in NSW and they have been present since their importation during the earliest days of European settlement. Economically the state is the most important state in Australia, with about a third of the country's sheep, a fifth of its cattle, and a third of its small number of pigs.

New South Wales produces a large share of Australia's hay, fruit, legumes, lucerne, maize, nuts, wool, wheat, oats, oilseeds (about 51%), poultry, rice (about 99%), vegetables, fishing including oyster farming, and forestry including wood chips. Bananas and sugar are grown chiefly in the Clarence, Richmond and Tweed River areas. The world's finest wools are produced on the Northern Tablelands as well as prime lambs and beef cattle. The cotton industry is centred in the Namoi Valley in north western New South Wales. On the central slopes there are many orchards with the principal fruits grown being apples, cherries and pears. Approximately 40,200 ha of vineyards lie across the eastern region of the state with excellent wines produced in the Hunter Valley with the Riverina being the largest largest wine producer in New South Wales. Australia’s largest and most valuable Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred

The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds best known for its use in Thoroughbred horse race. Although the word "thoroughbred" is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed....
 horse breeding area is centred on Scone in the Hunter Valley.

About half of Australia's timber production is in New South Wales. Large areas of the state are now being replanted with eucalyptus forests.

Since the 1970s, New South Wales has undergone an increasingly rapid economic and social transformation. Old industries such as steel and shipbuilding have largely disappeared, and although agriculture remains important its share of the state's income is smaller than ever before. New industries such as information technology and financial services are largely centred in Sydney and have risen to take their place with many companies having their Australian headquarters in Sydney CBD
Sydney central business district

The Sydney central business district , is the main commercial centre of Sydney, Australia. It extends southwards for about 3 kilometres from Sydney Cove, the point of first European settlement....
. In addition, the Macquarie Park area of 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....
 has attracted the Australian headquarters of many information technology firms.

Coal and related products are the state's biggest export. Its value to the state's economy is over AUD
Australian dollar

The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Islandss of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu....
$5 billion accounting for about 19% of all exports from NSW.

Tourism has also become important, with Sydney as its centre but also stimulating growth on the North Coast, around Coffs Harbour and Byron Bay. Tourism is worth over $23 billion to the New South Wales economy and employs over 8% of the workforce. In 2007, the (then) Premier of New South Wales, Morris Iemma established Events New South Wales
Events New South Wales

Events New South Wales was by the Premier of New South Wales, Morris Iemma to "market Sydney and NSW as a leading global events destination". It was tasked with attracting and supporting the types of events that could bring significant economic and community benefits to both Sydney and Regional NSW....
 to "market Sydney and NSW as a leading global events destination".

New South Wales had a Gross State Product in 2006 (equivalent to Gross Domestic Product
Gross domestic product

File:GDP nominal per capita world map IMF 2008.pngThe gross domestic product or gross domestic income is one of the measures of national income and output for a given country's economy....
) of $310 billion which equalled $45,584 per capita.

On 9 October 2007, NSW announced plans to build a 1,000 MW (megawatt) bank of wind powered turbines. The output of these is anticipated to be able to power up to 400,000 homes. The cost of this project will be $1.8 billion for 500 turbines.

On 28 August 2008, the New South Wales cabinet voted to privatise electricity retail, causing 1,500 electrical workers to strike after a large anti-privatisation campaign.

The NSW business community is represented by the NSW Business Chamber
NSW Business Chamber

NSW Business Chamber is NSW's leading member-based business organisation providing businesses with information, advice, products and services they need to grow and stay competitive....
 which has 30,000 members.

is notable for its steelworks industry, with many ships utilising the port.]]

Sport

Newcastleknights
Throughout Australian history, NSW sporting teams have been very successful in both winning domestic competitions and providing players to the Australian national teams. The NSW Blues play in the Ford Ranger Cup and Sheffield Shield cricket competitions, the NSW Waratahs in the Super 14
Super 14

The Super 14 is the largest rugby union football club championship in the southern hemisphere, consisting of four state teams from Australia , five New Zealand franchises, each of which is comprised by a number of provinces , and five teams from South Africa ....
 rugby union competition and The 'Blues' represent NSW in the annual Rugby League State of Origin
Rugby League State of Origin

The State of Origin is an annual best-of-three series of rugby league football matches between the Queensland Maroons, representing the state of Queensland, and the New South Wales Rugby League team, representing the state of New South Wales....
 series.

As well as the State of Origin
State of Origin

State of Origin is the name used in Australia for sporting events or other competitions which involve domestic representative teams.The term, when used in isolation, usually refers to rugby league football or Australian Football matches, in which players are selected for the States and territories of Australia where they either first played...
, the headquarters of the Australian Rugby League
Australian Rugby League

The Australian Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in Australia. It is made up of state bodies, including the New South Wales Rugby League and the Queensland Rugby League ....
 and National Rugby League
National Rugby League

The National Rugby League is the top Sports league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL competition is contested by 16 teams, 15 based in Australia and one based in New Zealand, and is the Southern Hemisphere's elite rugby league championship....
 (NRL) are in Sydney, which is home to 9 of the 16 National Rugby League
National Rugby League

The National Rugby League is the top Sports league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL competition is contested by 16 teams, 15 based in Australia and one based in New Zealand, and is the Southern Hemisphere's elite rugby league championship....
 (NRL) teams. (South Sydney Rabbitohs
South Sydney Rabbitohs

The South Sydney Rabbitohs, also known as Souths, The Bunnies, SSFC or The Rabbits, are an Australian professional rugby league team based in Sydney, New South Wales....
, Sydney Roosters
Sydney Roosters

The Sydney Roosters is a professional rugby league football team based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, Australia. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the most successful clubs in Rugby league in Australia, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League premiership and National Rugby League titles, and several othe...
, Parramatta Eels
Parramatta Eels

The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football football team based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta, New South Wales....
, Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, Wests Tigers
Wests Tigers

The Wests Tigers are a Sydney-based professional rugby league football club in the National Rugby League , the premier rugby league competition in Australasia....
, Penrith Panthers
Penrith Panthers

The Penrith Panthers is an Australian professional rugby league football team. The Panthers compete in the National Rugby League premiership, the top rugby league football competition in Australasia....
, Canterbury Bulldogs
Canterbury Bulldogs

The Bulldogs Rugby League Football Club are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Belmore, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney....
 and Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles

The Manly, New South Wales-Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. They play in the National Rugby League, the premier rugby league competition in Australasia....
), as well as being the northern home of the St George Illawarra Dragons
St George Illawarra Dragons

The St George, New South Wales Illawarra, New South Wales Dragons are an Australian professional rugby league football club. They compete in the National Rugby League's Telsta Premiership, Australasia's top-level rugby league football competition....
, which is half-based in Wollongong. A tenth team, the Newcastle Knights
Newcastle Knights

The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Newcastle, New South Wales. They compete in Australasia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership....
 is located in 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....
. The main summer sport is cricket.
Bathurst Racktrack Holden Corner
The state is represented by three teams in association football's
Football (soccer)

Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players, and is widely considered to be the most popular sport in the world....
 A-League
A-League

The A-League is the premier Australasian domestic association football competition. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia, it was founded in 2004 and staged its A-League 2005-06 in 2005-06....
: Sydney FC
Sydney FC

Sydney FC, founded in 2004, is an Australian association football club based in Sydney and competes in Australia's premier competition, the A-League....
 (the inaugural champions in 2005-06), the Central Coast Mariners
Central Coast Mariners FC

Central Coast Mariners FC, also known as The Mariners or The Coast, are an Australian professional Association football football team based on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia....
, based at Gosford and the Newcastle United Jets
Newcastle United Jets

Newcastle United Jets FC is an Association football club based in Newcastle, New South Wales, a city about 160km north of Sydney, Australia. The club competes in the A-League and plays its home games at Energy Australia Stadium ....
 (2007-08 A League Champions). Football has the highest number of registered players in New South Wales of any football code. Australian rules football
Australian rules football

Australian football, or simply known as football, footy, Aussie rules or as AFL, is a team sport played between two teams of 18 players with a football in the shape of a prolate spheroid....
 has historically not been strong in New South Wales outside the Riverina
Riverina

The Riverina is an agricultural List of regions in Australia of south-western New South Wales , Australia. The Riverina is distinguished from other Australian regions by the combination of flat plains, warm to hot climate and an ample supply of water for irrigation....
 region. However, the Sydney Swans
Sydney Swans

The Sydney Swans are an Australian Football League club based in Sydney, New South Wales.The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney Swans....
 relocated from South Melbourne
South Melbourne, Victoria

South Melbourne is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria , Australia, 2 km south from Melbourne's Melbourne city centre. Its Local Government Areas of Victoria are the Cities of City of Port Phillip and City of Melbourne....
 in 1982 and their presence and success since the late 1990s has raised the profile of Australian rules football
Australian rules football

Australian football, or simply known as football, footy, Aussie rules or as AFL, is a team sport played between two teams of 18 players with a football in the shape of a prolate spheroid....
, especially after their AFL premiership in 2005. Other teams in national competitions include basketball's Sydney Spirit (formerly the West Sydney Razorbacks) and the defunct team Sydney Kings
Sydney Kings

The Sydney Kings were a basketball team competing in the National Basketball League in Australia. They were the first team to win three consecutive championships in the NBL....
 and Sydney Uni Flames, and netball's Sydney Swifts
Sydney Swifts

The Sydney Swifts were an Australian netball team, playing in the national Commonwealth Bank Trophy. They were based out of Acer Arena and Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre in the suburb of Homebush, New South Wales....
.

Sydney was the host of the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics

The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 13 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
 and the 1938 British Empire Games
1938 British Empire Games

The 1938 British Empire Games was the third British Empire Games, the Commonwealth Games being the modern-day equivalent. Held in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia from February 5-12 1938, they were timed to coincide with Sydney's sesqui-centenary ....
. The Olympic Stadium, now known as ANZ Stadium is the scene of the annual NRL Grand Final. It also regularly hosts rugby league State of Origin games and rugby union internationals, and has recently hosted the final of the 2003 Rugby World Cup
2003 Rugby World Cup

The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth rugby union Rugby World Cup and was won by England national rugby union team. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Union and Rugby World Cup Limited....
 and the football World Cup qualifier between Australia and Uruguay
Uruguay national football team

The Uruguay national football team is controlled by the Asociaci?n Uruguaya de F?tbol.Uruguay is one of the most successful national football teams in the world....
.

The Sydney Cricket Ground
Sydney Cricket Ground

The Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney. It is used for Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches, and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian Football League....
 hosts the 'New Year' cricket Test match
Test cricket

Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. It has long been considered the ultimate test of playing ability between cricketing nations....
 from 2-6 January each year, and is also one of the sites for the finals of the One Day International series. The annual Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race

The Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, starting in Sydney, Australia on Boxing Day and finishing in Hobart....
 begins in Sydney Harbour on Boxing Day. The climax of Australia's touring car racing
Touring car racing

Touring car racing is a general term for a number of distinct auto racing competitions in heavily-modified street cars. It is notably popular in United Kingdom, Germany, Scandinavia, and Australia....
 series is the Bathurst 1000
Bathurst 1000

The Bathurst 1000 is a touring car racing race held annually at Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia. The race was traditionally run on the first Sunday in October but is now held on the second Sunday....
, held near the city of 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....
.

The popular equine sports of campdrafting
Campdrafting

Campdrafting is a unique and very popular Australian sport involving a horse and rider working cattle. The riding style is like that of Western riding and the event is somewhat related to the American events such as cutting , working cow horse, and team penning....
 and polocrosse
Polocrosse

Polocrosse it is a team sport that is played all over the world. It is a combination of polo and lacrosse. It is played outside, on a field , on horseback....
 were developed in New South Wales and competitions are now held across Australia. Polocrosse is now played in many overseas countries.

Culture


As Australia's most populous state, New South Wales is home to a number of cultural institutions of importance to the nation. In music, New South Wales is home to the Sydney Symphony Orchestra
Sydney Symphony Orchestra

The Sydney Symphony is a symphony orchestra based in Sydney, Australia. It is often considered Australia's finest orchestra and it has the unique privilege of having the Sydney_Opera_House as its home concert hall....
, Australia's busiest and largest orchestra. Australia's largest opera company, Opera Australia
Opera Australia

Opera Australia is the principal opera company in Australia. Based in Sydney, its performance season at the Sydney Opera House runs for approximately eight months of the year, with the remainder of its time spent in the The Arts Centre in Melbourne....
, is headquartered in Sydney. Both of these organisations perform a subscription series at the Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House is located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was conceived and largely built by Denmark architect J?rn Utzon, who in 2003 received the Pritzker Prize, architecture's highest honour....
. Other major musical bodies include the Australian Chamber Orchestra
Australian Chamber Orchestra

The Australian Chamber Orchestra is an orchestra based in Sydney, which tours its programs to most major Australian cities. It was created in 1975 by former Sydney Symphony principal cello John Painter , and one of its founding members was viola Winifred Durie....
. Sydney is host to the Australian Ballet for its Sydney season (the ballet is headquartered in 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 ....
). Apart from the Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House is located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was conceived and largely built by Denmark architect J?rn Utzon, who in 2003 received the Pritzker Prize, architecture's highest honour....
, major musical performance venues include the City Recital Hall
City Recital Hall

City Recital Hall, or City Recital Hall Angel Place, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, is a purpose-built concert venue with the capacity for 1,238 guests seated over three tiers of sloped seating....
 and the Sydney Town Hall
Sydney Town Hall

The Sydney Town Hall is a landmark sandstone building located in the heart of Sydney. It stands opposite the Queen Victoria Building and alongside St....
.

New South Wales is home to a number of major art galleries. The Art Gallery of New South Wales
Art Gallery of New South Wales

The Art Gallery of New South Wales located in The Domain in Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, is the most important public gallery in Sydney and the fourth largest in Australia....
 (AGNSW), houses a significant collection of Australian art, while the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney
Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney

The Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney, Australia is an Australian museum solely dedicated to exhibiting, interpreting and collecting contemporary art, both from across Australia and around the world....
 focuses on contemporary art.

Major museums include the natural history-focussed Australian Museum
Australian Museum

The Australian Museum is the oldest museum in Australia, with an international reputation in the fields of natural history and anthropology. It features collections of vertebrate and invertebrate zoology, as well as mineralogy, palaeontology, and anthropology....
, the technology and arts-and-crafts focussed Powerhouse Museum
Powerhouse Museum

The Powerhouse Museum is the major branch of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences in Sydney, the other being the historic Sydney Observatory....
, and the history-focussed Museum of Sydney
Museum of Sydney

The Museum of Sydney is built on the ruins of the house of New South Wales' first Governor, Arthur Phillip on the present-day corner of Phillip and Bridge Streets, Sydney....
. Other museums include the Sydney Jewish Museum
Sydney Jewish Museum

The Sydney Jewish Museum in Sydney, Australia identifies the 16 Jews who arrived on the First Fleet and describes life for those people and their families in the early days in the settlement of Australia....
.

Sydney is home to five Arts teaching organisations which have all produced world famous students: The National Art School, The College of Fine Arts, the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA)
National Institute of Dramatic Art

The National Institute of Dramatic Art is an Australian national training institute for students of theatre, film, and television, based in the Sydney suburb of Kensington, New South Wales....
, the Australian School of Film, Radio and Television and the Conservatorium of Music (now part of the University of Sydney
University of Sydney

The University of Sydney is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation in Australia. It was established in Sydney in 1850. It is a member of Australia's "Group of Eight " universities that are highly ranked in terms of their research performance....
).

See also

  • NSW Volunteer of the Year
    NSW Volunteer of the Year

    The NSW Volunteer of the Year Award is an annual State Government supported award for volunteering in New South Wales, Australia. It was launched in June 2007 by the NSW Minister for Volunteering Linda Burney....
  • States and territories of Australia
    States and territories of Australia

    The Australia is made up of six states and two major mainland territories. There are also lesser territories that are under the administration of the federal government....
  • Territorial evolution of Australia
    Territorial evolution of Australia

    This is a list of the evolution of the borders of the colonies and later states of Australia. It lists each change to the internal and external borders of Australia before and after Federation....

External links

  • - from the Open Directory Project