New England is a geographical region in the north of the state of

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

, Australia, about inland from the

Tasman Sea The Tasman Sea is a marginal sea of the South Pacific Ocean, situated between Australia and New Zealand. It measures about across and about from north to south. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, who in 1642 wa ...

. The area includes the

Northern Tablelands The Northern Tablelands, also known as the New England Tableland, is a plateau and a region of the Great Dividing Range in northern New South Wales, Australia. It includes the New England Range, the narrow highlands area of the New England regio ...

(or New England Tablelands) and the

North West Slopes The North West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia, refers generally to the area west of the Northern Tablelands, to the north of the Central West region and to the east of the Far West region. Despite its name, the region is in north- ...

regions. As of 2021, New England had a population of 185,560, with over a quarter of the people living in the area of

Tamworth Regional Council Tamworth Regional Council is a Local government in Australia, local government area in the New England (Australia), New England region of New South Wales, Australia. The area under administration is located adjacent to the New England Highway an ...

History

The region has been occupied by

Indigenous Australians Indigenous Australians are people with familial heritage from, or recognised membership of, the various ethnic groups living within the territory of contemporary Australia prior to History of Australia (1788–1850), British colonisation. The ...

for tens of thousands of years, in the west by the

Kamilaroi The Gamilaroi, also known as Gomeroi, Kamilaroi, Kamillaroi and other variations, are an Aboriginal Australian people whose lands extend from New South Wales to southern Queensland. They form one of the four largest Indigenous Australians, Indi ...

people. In the highlands, the original languages (which are now extinct) included Anaiwan to the south of

Guyra Guyra is a town situated midway between Armidale and Glen Innes on the Northern Tablelands in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. It is within Armidale Regional Council and at the 2021 census, it had a population of 2,077. M ...

and

Ngarbal The Ngarabal are an Aboriginal people of the area from Ashford, Tenterfield and Glen Innes in northern New South Wales, Australia. Language Ngarabal was still spoken in the area around Glen Innes, Stonehenge and Emmaville when John MacPherson p ...

to the north of Guyra. The population of the tablelands has been estimated to be 1,100 to 1,200 at the time of colonisation – quite low in comparison to the Liverpool Plains and Gwyder River region, estimated to be 4,500 to 5,500. Conflict, disease and environmental damage caused the tablelands population to be reduced to 400 by the 1890s. The first European to explore the New England area was English explorer

John Oxley John Joseph William Molesworth Oxley (1784 – 25 May 1828) was an English List of explorers, explorer and surveyor of Australia in the early period of British colonisation. He served as Surveyor General of New South Wales and is perhaps bes ...

, who crossed the southern part of the New England Range near the

Apsley Falls The Apsley Falls are two waterfalls on the Apsley River in the Northern Tablelands region of New South Wales, Australia. The falls are located about east of Walcha, and 1 kilometre off the Oxley Highway in a deep gorge, that is part of the ...

before he discovered and named

Port Macquarie Port Macquarie, sometimes shortened to Port Mac and commonly locally nicknamed Port, is a coastal city on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, north of Sydney, and south of Brisbane, on the Tasman Sea coast at the mouth of the ...

in 1818. In 1827 Allan Cunningham travelled north along the western edge of the Range until he reached the

Darling Downs The Darling Downs is a farming region on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range in southern Queensland, Australia. The Downs are to the west of South East Queensland and are one of the major regions of Queensland. The name was generally ...

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

. In 1831 Thomas Mitchell reached Wallamoul Station near Tamworth and explored to the

Namoi River The Namoi River, a major perennial river that is part of the Barwon catchment of the Murray–Darling basin, is located in the Northern Tablelands and North West Slopes districts of New South Wales, Australia. The Namoi River rises on the west ...

then followed it to

Narrabri Narrabri ( ) is a locality and seat of Narrabri Shire Local government in Australia, local government area in the North West Slopes, New South Wales, Australia on the Namoi River, northwest of Sydney. It sits on the junction of the Kamilaroi Hi ...

. Moving on, Mitchell found a deep, broad river which was the Gwydir. In 1832, Mitchell cut across the plains to the Gwydir River near Moree. The team then spent several weeks charting the tributaries between the Gwydir and the Barwon Rivers. Hamilton Collins Sempill was the first settler in the New England area when he took up the 'Wolka' run in 1832, establishing slab huts where 'Langford' now stands close to Walcha. During the 1830s further squatters moved their sheep flocks onto the Northern Tablelands as they had been displaced by the

Australian Agricultural Company The Australian Agricultural Company (AACo; ) is a public-listed Australian company that, as of 2018, owns and operates feedlots and farms covering around of land in Queensland and the Northern Territory, roughly one percent of Australia's land ...

, which dominated resources in the Hunter Valley. When the area was opened up for settlement in the 1830s, this led to the gazetting of nine pastoral districts. These districts had a small police force and a Commissioner of Crown Lands. Australian red cedar (''

Toona ciliata ''Toona ciliata'' is a forest tree in the mahogany family which grows throughout South Asia from Afghanistan to Papua New Guinea and Australia. Names It is commonly known as the red cedar (a name shared by other trees), tone, toon or toona (als ...

'') cutters moved into the headwaters of the

Macleay River The Macleay River is a river that spans the Northern Tablelands and Mid North Coast districts of New South Wales, Australia. Course and features Formed by the confluence of the Gara River, Salisbury Waters and Bakers Creek, the Macleay River ...

in the early 1830s to harvest the valuable trees. The ranges between Kempsey and Glen Innes yielded about in 1950. BingaraCourtHouse

Work commenced in 1838 with the use of convicts to build a road, then known as ''Major's Line'', across the Great Dividing Range to link the wool-growing settlement of Walcha with Port Macquarie. This road was later named the

Oxley Highway Oxley Highway is a rural highway in New South Wales, Australia, linking Nevertire, Gilgandra, Coonabarabran, Tamworth, and Walcha to Port Macquarie, on the coast of the Tasman Sea. It was named to commemorate John Oxley, the first European t ...

. On 22 May 1839 the New England District was gazetted thus: ''New England District: Bounded on the east by a line north by compass from the top of Werrikimber Mountain which is at the head of the Hastings River; on the south by a line west by compass from the top of Werrikimber Mountain to the Great Dividing Range; on the west by the western extreme of the Great Dividing Range so as to include the Tableland and on the north the boundary is indefinite''. In 1840 there were 66 separate pastoral licences, in 1842 it rose to 98, 1845 – 116; and by 1848 there were 132. Only 10 new runs were registered between 1848 and 1855. In 1843 the

district was separated from the New England. This region ceased to be a statistical division after 1874, but the counties of Arrawatta,

Clarke Clarke is a surname which means "clerk". The surname is of English and Irish origin and comes from the Latin . Variants include Clerk and Clark. Clarke is also uncommonly chosen as a given name. Irish surname origin Clarke is a common surname ...

, Clive,

Gough Gough ( ) is a surname. The surname may derive from the Welsh language, Welsh (English: "red"),Farrar-Hockley 1974, pp. 2–3 possibly given as a nickname to someone with red hair or a red complexion. Another possible derivation is that it was a ...

, Hardinge,

Hawes Hawes is a market town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England, at the head of Wensleydale in the Yorkshire Dales, and historically in the North Riding of Yorkshire. The River Ure north of the town is a tourist attraction in the Yorks ...

, Sandon and Vernon approximated the region's limits. In 1847 these counties, with the exception of Hawes and Vernon formed part of the "Unsettled District" of the colony. By 1850 all major communication routes had been forged, with little government assistance. During the 1860s the famous bushranger,

Captain Thunderbolt Frederick Wordsworth Ward (c. 1835 – 25 May 1870), better known by the Style (manner of address)#Self-styled, self-styled pseudonym of Captain Thunderbolt, was an Australian bushranger renowned for escaping from Cockatoo Island, New South Wal ...

, robbed properties, mail coaches and hotels throughout the region. Thunderbolt was shot dead in May 1870 by Constable Walker at Kentucky Creek, near Uralla. The population of the New England Region, including the slopes in 1957 was 143,788 and in 1971 there were 164,128 people, according to the census data. In the 2006 census the New England region had a population of 180,000 which included the local government areas of Armidale Dumaresq, Inverell, Walcha, Glen Innes Severn, Gunnedah, Guyra, Gwydir, Liverpool Plains, Moree Plains, Narrabri, Tamworth Regional and Uralla.

Mining

Gold was discovered in 1851 at Rocky River, approximately two kilometres west of Uralla and started a rush to the area. Then gold was found at Hanging Rock and nearby Swamp Creek in 1852. In the early 1850s some alluvial gold was found at Mulla Creek and Rywung (now Weabonga) on Swamp Oak Creek. In 1852 the first licenses to prospect were taken out. In the late 19th century several gold and

antimony Antimony is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Sb () and atomic number 51. A lustrous grey metal or metalloid, it is found in nature mainly as the sulfide mineral stibnite (). Antimony compounds have been known since ancient t ...

mines were established at places such as Halls Peak and Hillgrove, as well as two ambitious hydro-electric schemes to power them, the remains of which can be seen today along the

Styx River In Greek mythology, Styx (; ; lit. "Shuddering"), also called the River Styx, is a goddess and one of the rivers of the Greek Underworld. Her parents were the Titans Oceanus and Tethys, and she was the wife of the Titan Pallas and the mothe ...

and at Gara Gorge. The first gold mining was recorded at Tia in 1866 and in 1873 a reef was discovered at McLeod's Creek, near Walcha. The discovery of the Torrington

Tin Tin is a chemical element; it has symbol Sn () and atomic number 50. A silvery-colored metal, tin is soft enough to be cut with little force, and a bar of tin can be bent by hand with little effort. When bent, a bar of tin makes a sound, the ...

Lode was made in 1881 but the small prospectors soon lost control to overseas mining companies. Tin and

arsenic Arsenic is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol As and atomic number 33. It is a metalloid and one of the pnictogens, and therefore shares many properties with its group 15 neighbors phosphorus and antimony. Arsenic is not ...

were mined from the 1880s at the Ottery Mine, near Emmaville. Copper was discovered at Gulf Creek, near Barraba, in 1889 and the first mine was established there in 1892. At its peak, in 1901, the copper mine was one of the largest in the state. Asbestos was first mined at Woodsreef, also near Barraba, from 1919 to the 1980s. Mining had a major influence on the rise and fall of other towns and villages such as, Bingara, Bear Hill, Elsmore, Emmaville, Metz, Nundle, Stannifer, Tingha and Torrington.

Railway service

Construction of the Northern Tablelands railway service commenced in the 1870s and the

Main North railway line The Main North Line (also known as the Great Northern Railway) is a major railway in New South Wales, Australia, running from Strathfield in Sydney to Armidale. The 1980s saw the line closed progressively north of Armidale; passenger services ...

reached

Werris Creek Werris Creek is a small town in New South Wales, Australia, near Tamworth, in Liverpool Plains Shire. It is north of Quirindi and is at the junction of the Main North railway line to Armidale and Moree. At the 2011 census, Werris Creek had a ...

and west Tamworth in 1878,

Armidale Armidale is a city in the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. Armidale had a population of 23,967 as of the 2021 census. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018. It is the administrative centre for the Northern Tablelands reg ...

in 1883 and

Wallangarra Wallangarra is a rural town and Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the Southern Downs Region, Queensland, Australia on the border with New South Wales. It is the third-most southerly town in Queensland, south west of Brisbane. Wal ...

on the

border in 1888. The Main North railway line is now closed north of Armidale. The

Mungindi railway line The Mungindi railway line is a railway line in northern New South Wales, Australia. It branches from the Main North line at Werris Creek station and heads north-west through the towns of Gunnedah and Narrabri before reaching Moree which for ...

from Werris Creek to

Gunnedah Gunnedah () is a town in north-central New South Wales, Australia and is the seat of the Gunnedah Shire Local government in Australia, local government area. In the the town recorded a population of 8,338. Gunnedah is situated within the Liver ...

opened in 1879,

in 1884 and Moree in 1897, Mungindi in 1914. The line is currently truncated to

Weemelah Weemelah is a small village in Moree Plains Shire, New South Wales, Australia. It is 3 km north off the Carnarvon Highway and 27 km east of Mungindi. At the , Weemelah had a population of 139. The main industry is agriculture. The C ...

between Moree and Mungindi. The line between Werris Creek and Moree is also known as the North-West line.''A History of the Mungindi Branch Line'' Milne, R.

Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin ''Australian Railway History'' is a monthly magazine covering railway history in Australia, published by the New South Wales Division of the Australian Railway Historical Society on behalf of its state and territory Divisions. History and pro ...

, May 1995 pp115-136 A branch line was opened from Moree to

Inverell Inverell is a large town in northern New South Wales, Australia, situated on the Macintyre River, close to the Queensland border. It is also the centre of Inverell Shire. Inverell is located on the Gwydir Highway on the western slopes of the ...

in 1901. This line was closed in 1994. A branch line was opened between Camurra (11 km north of Moree) to

North Star Polaris is a star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Minor. It is designated α Ursae Minoris ( Latinized to ''Alpha Ursae Minoris'') and is commonly called the North Star or Pole Star. With an apparent magnitude t ...

and

Boggabilla Boggabilla is a small town in the far north of inland New South Wales, Australia in Moree Plains Shire. At the , the town had a population of 529, of which 43.5% identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. The name Boggabilla ...

in 1932 but it is now closed beyond North Star. Another branch was opened from Narrabri to

Burren Junction Burren Junction is a New South Wales village 51 km west of Wee Waa, on the Kamilaroi Highway to Walgett. The name is from the local Aboriginal word for boomerang or 'big creek'. Burren Junction grew from a railway encampment which came fro ...

in 1903.

Natural disasters

The major weather events in the region were: * June 1950 – 1 person drowned in the flooded Barwon River, and 250,000 sheep were lost in the Moree area. * October 1950 – 2 drowned in the Namoi area. * February 1955 – nearly every home in Narrabri was flooded. * February 1956 – 1 drowned in the flooded Peel River * January 1962 – Walcha's worst flood when 40 business houses and 39 residences were inundated. * February 1971 – 5 killed, $25 million damage to stock and crops in the flooded Namoi area. * January 1974 – Namoi flood area: $4 million property damage, $45 m roads and bridges. 500,000 sheep lost, worth $23m. $15m crop losses. $3 million beef cattle loss. * September 1996 – A severe storm, with strong winds, heavy rain and hail, hit Armidale and caused widespread damage. * November 2000 – The worst floods in half a century devastated Gunnedah, Narrabri and Wee Waa. * November 2008 – Devastating damage occurred in the Tamworth, Somerton, Gunnedah and Weabonga areas after flash flooding.

New England and its boundaries

New England has no clearly defined boundaries, and the term has several possible definitions. These boundaries also vary according to the units responsible for services, including county councils, local government areas, electorates and the Livestock Health and Pest Authority (formerly the Pastures Protection Boards) etc. The New England region does not have a

Bureau of Meteorology The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM or BoM) is an executive agency of the Government of Australia, Australian Government that is responsible for providing Weather forecasting, weather forecasts and Meteorology, meteorological services to Australia a ...

forecast as such, but the whole of the Northern Tablelands and part of the North West Slopes and Plains forecasts cover this region. New England's major settlements are

Tenterfield Tenterfield is a regional town in New South Wales, Australia, situated at the junction of the New England and Bruxner highways, along the Northern Tablelands, within the New England, New South Wales, New England region. At the , Tenterfield ha ...

, Glen Innes, Moree,

, Tamworth,

Quirindi Quirindi ( or ) is a small town on the North West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia, in Liverpool Plains Shire. At the , Quirindi had a population of 2,602. It is the nearest link to Gunnedah, New South Wales, Gunnedah to the northw ...

and

Wee Waa Wee Waa () is a town located on the north-western slopes of the New England region in New South Wales, Australia. The town is within the Narrabri Shire local government area and is on the Namoi River. Wee Waa is north-west of Narrabri and no ...

. Of these, Tamworth and Armidale are the major commercial areas, both with large shopping centres and tourist attractions. Of these, Inverell and Moree are considered semi-major towns. The narrowest and most common definition of New England consists of the Northern Tablelands highland area which forms part of the

Great Dividing Range The Great Dividing Range, also known as the East Australian Cordillera or the Eastern Highlands, is a cordillera system in eastern Australia consisting of an expansive collection of mountain ranges, plateaus and rolling hills. It runs roughl ...

, from the

Moonbi Range The Moonbi Range, a mountain range that is part of the Great Dividing Range, is located in the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. The range is located roughly north east of the city of Tamworth situated at the bottom of the ...

in the south to the border of Queensland in the north. This tableland region is about long by approximately wide. It includes substantial areas more than above sea-level, with a distinctive cold climate and distinctive vegetation. This highland region is often referred to as the New England Tableland, New England Plateau, or Northern Tablelands. There are widespread peaks over and the highest point at Round Mountain is

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...

. Other key peaks include Point Lookout at , Ben Lomond at ,

Mount Grundy Grundy Mountain or Mount Grundy, a mountain of the Great Dividing Range, is located on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. With an elevation of Australian Height Datum, above sea level, Grundy Mountain is situated between an ...

at , Mount Hyland at , and Mount Duval at . This definition of "New England" includes the towns and districts of

, Glen Innes,

and Walcha. Shaw, John H., "Collins Australian Encyclopedia", William Collins Pty Ltd., Sydney, 1984, . Delbridge, Arthur, The Macquarie Dictionary, 2nd ed., Macquarie Library, North Ryde, 1991 A broader definition of the New England Region covering , includes areas beyond the highlands which can also be considered to be the North West Slopes region and the

Liverpool Plains The Liverpool Plains are an extensive agricultural area covering about of the north-western slopes of New South Wales in Australia. These plains are a region of prime agricultural land bounded to the east by the Great Dividing Range, to the s ...

. This definition is frequently known as New England North West or less commonly the Northern Region or Northern Inland Region and includes the western valleys of the

Gwydir River Gwydir River (locally Australian English phonology, wɑe̯də, a major inland perennial stream, perennial river of the Barwon River (New South Wales), Barwon catchment within the Murray–Darling basin, is located in the Northern Tableland ...

and Namoi River and their tributaries, and the foothills and spur ranges which generally form the western side of the central Northern Tablelands. Towns and districts such as Moree,

, the city of Tamworth and

, are included in the New England region according to this basis. Smaller towns include, Manilla,

Barraba Barraba is a town in the New England region of northern New South Wales, Australia. It was formerly the centre of Barraba Shire local government area, but most of this, including Barraba, was absorbed into Tamworth Regional Council in 2004. On ...

Bingara Bingara (Aboriginal for 'creek') is a small town on the Gwydir River in Murchison County in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. Bingara is currently the administrative centre for the Gwydir Shire that was created in 2003. T ...

Boggabri Boggabri ( ) is a small town in north-eastern New South Wales, Australia. It is part of Narrabri Shire and lies between Gunnedah and Narrabri on the Kamilaroi Highway. At the , the town had a population of 885 people. History The original to ...

Mungindi Mungindi is a town and locality on the border of New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland, Australia. The town is within Moree Plains Shire in New South Wales. Within Queensland, the locality is split between the Shire of Balonne (the western part) ...

and

The two traditional centres of New England are Tamworth and

. Armidale is home to the

University of New England University of New England may refer to: * University of New England (Australia), in New South Wales, with about 26,000 students * University of New England (United States), in Biddeford, Maine, with about 6,000 students See also * New England Coll ...

, one of Australia's oldest universities. It also has large shopping centres and is the second largest city in the region. Tamworth is the bigger of the two, and is now best known as the centre of

Australian country music Australian country music is a part of the music of Australia. There is a broad range of styles, from bluegrass, to yodeling to folk to the more popular. The genre has been influenced by Celtic and English folk music, the Australian bush balla ...

and the home of the

Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre The Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre (AELEC) is a multi building and arena complex that was designed for equine usage. It has two indoor arenas, stabling, plus an education and training building, which is located on the New England ...

(AELEC) and

Tamworth Regional Entertainment Centre Tamworth Regional Entertainment Conference Centre (TRECC) is an Australia, Australian arena, located approximately 6 km south of the Tamworth, New South Wales, Tamworth Central Business District, in the suburb of Hillvue, New South Wales, H ...

(TREC). Other major towns and districts of New England include

, Moree, Glen Innes,

and Walcha. At its broadest definition, during the

New England New State Movement The New England New State Movement was an Australian political movement in the twentieth century. Founded as the Northern Separation Movement, the aim of the movement was to seek the secession of the New England region and surrounding areas fro ...

the New England Region included the northern coastal lowlands of New South Wales, known as the

Mid North Coast The Mid North Coast is a country region in the north-east of the state of New South Wales, Australia. The region, situated 416km north of Sydney, covers the mid northern coast of the state, beginning from Port Stephens at Hawks Nest to as far ...

and

Northern Rivers Northern Rivers is the most northeasterly Regions of New South Wales, region of the Australian state of New South Wales, located between north of the state capital, Sydney, and encompasses the catchments and fertile valleys of the Clarence Ri ...

region, and including cities such as Lismore and Grafton. Several proposals were made for a new Australian state of New England and this included the North Coast region in the boundaries. Apart from this usage, the Mid North Coast and Northern Rivers region are not considered to be part of New England. Police stations in New England Local Area Command (LAC) are Armidale, Ashford, Bundarra, Deepwater, Delungra, Emmaville, Glen Innes, Guyra, Inverell, Tenterfield, Tingha, Uralla and Yetman. Bendemeer, Nowendoc, Walcha and Walcha Road are in the Oxley LAC.

Geography and ecology

The topography of the region is dominated by the Northern Tablelands plateau. The eastern side of the plateau is drained by the various headwaters and tributaries of the Clarence River,

Hastings River Hastings River (Birpai language, Birpai: ''Doongang''), an open and Breakwater (structure), trained intermediate wind wave, wave dominated estuary#Lagoon-type or bar-built, barrier estuary, is located in the Northern Tablelands and Mid North Coas ...

and the

. The eastern rivers are short and swift, and in many places form deep gorges and waterfalls. Notable waterfalls include the

at Walcha plus the

Ebor Falls Ebor Falls is a Waterfall#Types, tiered waterfall on the Guy Fawkes River, located near Ebor, New South Wales, Ebor and about north-east of Wollomombi, New South Wales, Wollomombi on Waterfall Way in the New England (Australia), New England regi ...

and

Wollomombi Falls The Wollomombi Falls is a plunge waterfall on the Wollomombi River in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. Location and features In the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park approximately due east of Armidale and off the Waterf ...

which are on

Waterfall Way Waterfall Way is a country road in the Northern Tablelands region of New South Wales, Australia, linking Raleigh on the state's North Coast to Armidale. The route passes through some of New South Wales' most scenic countryside and has become we ...

east of Armidale. These gorges fragment the eastern side of the plateau, which in some areas such as

New England National Park The New England National Park is a protected national park located on the Northern Tablelands in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. The park was created in May 1935 and is situated approximately north of Sydney, and south ...

and Point Lookout are quite close to the coast. There are many National Parks along the rugged eastern fringes of the highlands including

Cathedral Rock National Park Cathedral Rock is a national park west of Waterfall Way in New South Wales, Australia, east of Armidale and about north of Sydney. This park is lying between the Guy Fawkes River and Macleay Range, and is about six kilometres west of Ebor ...

, which has the region's highest peak, and

Nymboida National Park Nymboida is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, 485 km north of Sydney. Some of the possibilities are bird watching, camping, hiking, canoeing and swimming in the clear cold water of the Nymboida and Mann rivers. The average el ...

.NPWS, "Discover the National Parks of the New England", McMahon Graphics, Glen Innes, NSW The western side of the plateau is somewhat less rugged, and is drained towards the west by the tributaries of the Severn River, the Gwydir River and the

. These rivers form part of the Murray-Darling Basin. There are large dams at

Copeton Dam Copeton Dam is a major clay core and rock fill embankment dam with nine radial gates and a gated concrete chute spillway across the Gwydir River upstream of Bingara in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. The dam's purpose inc ...

on the Gwydir and at

Keepit Dam Keepit Dam is a major gated mass concrete gravity dam with an earth fill abutment and a central gated concrete overflow crest and six radial gate spillways across the Namoi River upstream of its junction with the Peel River in the North West S ...

Chaffey Dam Chaffey Dam is a minor ungated rock fill with clay core embankment dam with an uncontrolled ''morning glory'' spillway across the Peel River, located upstream of the city of Tamworth, in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. Th ...

and

Split Rock Dam Split Rock Dam is a minor ungated Embankment dam, concrete faced rock fill embankment dam with Spillway#chute, concrete chute spillway across the Manilla River upstream of Manilla, New South Wales, Manilla in the North West Slopes, north-western ...

in the Namoi catchment, plus

Pindari Dam Pindari Dam is a minor concrete faced rockfill embankment dam with an ungated uncontrolled rock cut with concrete sill spillway across the Severn River located upstream of the town of Ashford, in the North West Slopes region of New South Wales ...

on the Severn River. The

Nandewar Range The Nandewar Range, a mountain range that is part of the Great Dividing Range, is located in the North West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia. The range is situated approximately east of the township of Narrabri. John Oxley was the ...

is a major western spur of the highlands, culminating in

Mount Kaputar Mount Kaputar, a mountain with an elevation of above sea level, is located near Narrabri in northern New South Wales. It is part of the Nandewar Range and has been preserved within the Mount Kaputar National Park. The mountain is a prominent ...

near

. The hilltops of the Great Dividing Range are basalt from north of Uralla to Glen Innes, and the eastern slopes are the lighter "trap" soils. On the western slopes near Bendemeer, Bundarra, Kentucky and Tenterfield the country is granite, with extensive sandy loams. The

New England Peppermint Grassy Woodland The New England Peppermint Grassy Woodland is a grassy-woodland community primarily situated in the New England and Northern Tablelands regions in northern New South Wales, Australia. Named after the Eucalyptus nova-anglica, it is listed as a ...

lies within the region.New England Peppermint (Eucalyptus nova-anglica) Grassy Woodland
Trees on the Tablelands. NSW Government. Retrieved 8 September 2022. The New England lies in the temperate zone, and the climate is generally free from extremes of heat and cold. The greatest heat is usually experienced in the north-west around Narrabri and Mungindi. Winter frosts are common on the Northern Tablelands and winter snow is not unusual in this area. The Northern Tablelands receives most of its rain between late summer and early autumn with an annual average rainfall of about 800 mm, with the eastern escarpment having falls of around 2,000 mm average.

Flora

Wattles (''

Acacia ''Acacia'', commonly known as wattles or acacias, is a genus of about of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa, South America, and Austral ...

s''), native apples (''

Angophora floribunda ''Angophora floribunda'', commonly known as the rough-barked apple, is a common woodland and forest tree of the family Myrtaceae native to Eastern Australia. Reaching 30 m (100 ft) high, it is a large tree with fibrous bark and cream-wh ...

''), black sallee (Eucalyptus stellulata), Blakely's red gum (Eucalyptus blakelyi), Hillgrove box (''Eucalyptus retinens''), New England blackbutt (''

Eucalyptus ''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of more than 700 species of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae. Most species of ''Eucalyptus'' are trees, often Mallee (habit), mallees, and a few are shrubs. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalyp ...

andrewsii''), broadleaved New England stringybark ('' Eucalyptus caliginosa''), manna gum (''

Eucalyptus viminalis ''Eucalyptus viminalis'', commonly known as the manna gum, white gum or ribbon gum, is a species of small to very tall tree that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has smooth bark, sometimes with rough bark near the base, lance-shaped to c ...

''), New England peppermint ('' Eucalyptus nova-anglica''), ribbon gum (''Eucalyptus nobilis''), silvertop stringybark (''Eucalyptus laevopinea'') wild cherry and yellow box (''

Eucalyptus melliodora ''Eucalyptus melliodora'', commonly known as yellow box, honey box or yellow ironbark, is a species of medium-sized to occasionally tall tree that is endemic to south-eastern, continental Australia. It has rough, flaky or fibrous bark on part o ...

'') and stringybark ('' Eucalyptus caliginosa'') trees are common across the Northern Tablelands. The river oak (''

Casuarina cunninghamiana ''Casuarina cunninghamiana'', commonly known as river oak, river sheoak or creek oak, is a species of flowering plant in the family Casuarinaceae and is native to Australia and New Guinea. It is a tree with fissured and scaly bark, sometimes dr ...

'') grows along many creeks and river beds on the eastern and western slopes. Bolivia Hill and the adjacent nature reserve are the only recorded locations of the endangered Bolivia Hill boronia (''

Boronia ''Boronia'' is a genus of about 160 species of flowering plants in the citrus family Rutaceae. Most are endemic to Australia with a few species in New Caledonia, which were previously placed in the genus ''Boronella''. They occur in all Australi ...

boliviensis''), Bolivia

homoranthus ''Homoranthus'' is a genus of about thirty species of plants in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and all are endemic to Australia. Plants in this genus share similarities with those in both ''Darwinia'' and ''Verticordia''. They are shrubs with their ...

(''Homoranthus croftianthus''), Bolivia Stringybark (''Eucalyptus boliviana''), the shrub Bolivia Hill Pimelea (''

Pimelea ''Pimelea'', commonly known as rice flowers, is a genus of plants belonging to the family Thymelaeaceae. There are about 150 species, including 110 in Australia and 36 in New Zealand. Description Plants in the genus ''Pimelea'' are her ...

venosa'') and the vulnerable Bolivia wattle (''Acacia pycnostchya''). The rare Hillgrove spotted gum ('' Eucalyptus michaeliana'') can be found near Hillgrove and in parts of the

Oxley Wild Rivers National Park The Oxley Wild Rivers National Park is a protected national park that is located in the Northern Tablelands region of New South Wales, Australia in the Port Macquarie-Hastings City Council and Walcha Shire councils. The park is situated nort ...

. On the Western Slopes Caley's ironbark (''Eucalyptus caleyi''), McKie's stringybark (''Eucalyptus mckiena''), red stringybark (''Eucalyptus macrorhynca''), river red gums (''

Eucalyptus camaldulensis ''Eucalyptus camaldulensis'', commonly known as river red gum, is a flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae, and is Endemism, endemic to Australia. It is a tree with smooth white or cream-coloured bark, lance-shaped or curved adult leaves, flow ...

''), rough-barked apple (''

Angophora ''Angophora'' is a genus of nine species of trees and shrubs in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Endemic to eastern Australia, they differ from other eucalypts in having juvenile and adult leaves arranged in opposite pairs, sepals reduced to projec ...

''), silver-leaved ironbark (''Eucalyptus melanophloia nophloia''), tumbledown gum (''Eucalyptus dealbata''), white box (''Eucalyptus albens'') and white cypress pine (''

callitris columellaris ''Callitris columellaris'' is a species of coniferous tree in the family Cupressaceae (cypress family), native to most of Australia. Common names include white cypress, white cypress-pine, Murray River cypress-pine, Bribie Island pine and norther ...

'') are commonly found. Some of the invasive weeds and plants found in the New England region include: *

Blackberry BlackBerry is a discontinued brand of handheld devices and related mobile services, originally developed and maintained by the Canadian company Research In Motion (RIM, later known as BlackBerry Limited) until 2016. The first BlackBerry device ...

(''Rubus fruticosus''), competes with desirable pastures and harbours pest animals. *

Bracken Bracken (''Pteridium'') is a genus of large, coarse ferns in the family (biology), family Dennstaedtiaceae. Ferns (Pteridophyta) are vascular plants that undergo alternation of generations, having both large plants that produce spores and small ...

competes with desirable pastures and causes toxicity to stock. *

Lantana ''Lantana'' () is a genus of about 150 species of perennial plant, perennial flowering plants in the verbena family, Verbenaceae. They are native to tropics, tropical regions of the Americas and Africa but exist as an introduced species in num ...

(''Lantana camara''), invades the bushland * Mother of millions (

Kalanchoe delagoensis ''Kalanchoe delagoensis'', formerly known as ''Bryophyllum delagoense'' and commonly called mother of millions or chandelier plant, is a succulent plant native to Madagascar. Like other members of ''Bryophyllum'' (now included in ''Kalanchoe''), ...

) causes severe toxicity to stock * Nodding thistle (Carduus nutans) * Patterson's curse (''

Echium plantagineum ''Echium plantagineum'', commonly known as purple viper's-bugloss, Paterson's curse or Salvation Jane, is a species of the genus '' Echium'' native to western and southern Europe (from southern England south to Iberia and east to the Crimea), no ...

'') competes with desirable pastures and causes toxicity to stock. * Saffron thistle (

Carthamus lanatus ''Carthamus lanatus'' is a species of thistle known as woolly distaff thistle, downy safflower or saffron thistle. It is closely related to safflower (''Carthamus tinctorius''). This annual plant is a native of the Mediterranean Basin, but it is ...

) * Serrated tussock (''

Nassella trichotoma ''Nassella'', or needlegrass, is a New World genus of over 100 perennial bunchgrasses found from North America through South America. The Latin word ''nassa'' refers to "a basket with a narrow neck". It is usually considered segregate from the ge ...

''), competes with desirable pastures * St John's wort (''Hypericum perforatum'') competes with desirable pastures and causes toxicity to stock.

Fauna

Common animals that may be encountered across the New England region include: kangaroos,

echidna Echidnas (), sometimes known as spiny anteaters, are quill-covered monotremes (egg-laying mammals) belonging to the Family (biology), family Tachyglossidae , living in Australia and New Guinea. The four Extant taxon, extant species of echidnas ...

s, wallabies, possums and wombats. Common birds are: cockatoos,

currawong Currawongs are three species of medium-sized passerine birds belonging to the genus ''Strepera'' in the family Artamidae native to Australia. These are the grey currawong (''Strepera versicolor''), pied currawong (''S. graculina''), and black ...

s, magpies, crows, wild ducks, galahs, parrots,

kookaburra Kookaburras (pronounced ) are terrestrial animal, terrestrial tree kingfishers of the genus ''Dacelo'' native to Australia and New Guinea, which grow to between in length and weigh around . The name is a loanword from Wiradjuri language, Wira ...

s, ravens, rosellas and emus (on the western slopes). Snakes, lizards, jacky dragons (''Amphibolurus muricatus'') and goannas may also be encountered. Endangered species that may be seen include the

brush-tailed rock-wallaby The brush-tailed rock-wallaby or small-eared rock-wallaby (''Petrogale penicillata'') is a kind of wallaby, one of several rock-wallabies in the genus '' Petrogale''. It inhabits rock piles and cliff lines along the Great Dividing Range from ab ...

(''Petrogale penicillata'') which may be spotted in isolated sections of

. Bundarra is one of only three breeding areas in New South Wales for the endangered

regent honeyeater The regent honeyeater (''Anthochaera phrygia'') is a critically endangered bird endemic to southeastern Australia. It is commonly considered a flagship species within its range, with the efforts going into its conservation having positive effec ...

Werrikimbe National Park The Werrikimbe National Park is a protected national park located in the catchment zone of the Upper Hastings River in New South Wales, Australia. Gazetted in 1975, the park is situated approximately north of Sydney, north-west of , and ea ...

is the home of the rare (native) Hastings River mouse which was considered to be extinct until it was re-discovered in 1981. The Namoi River snapping turtle (''Elseya belli'') is a species of turtle found only in the upper reaches of the Namoi River, Gwydir River and Macdonald River. The area is also known to have supported vast populations of

Australian megafauna The term Australian megafauna refers to the megafauna in Australia (continent), Australia during the Pleistocene, Pleistocene Epoch. Most of these species became extinct during the latter half of the Pleistocene, as part of the broader global L ...

. Pest animals in the New England region include, foxes, rabbits, feral goats and feral pigs.

Economy

The New England region has a great diversity of mineral deposits ranging from large coal deposits in the Werris Creek to Boggabri area to metallics and gemstones on the tablelands. Antimony, coal, gold, sapphires and tin have been the most important economic commodities mined in the New England region. There are numerous other business activities across the region ranging from small enterprises to large multi-national corporations that are producing goods for domestic and international markets. Aviation training is provided by the Tamworth-based BAE Systems flight training college, the Australasian-Pacific Aeronautical College. Cattle and sheep are the predominant types of livestock produced in the New England and they have been produced since their importation during the earliest days of European settlement. The Northern Tablelands produce some of Australia's best fine

wool Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have some properties similar to animal w ...

and beef cattle. The western slopes are major areas for cotton and wheat. Other primary production activities include dairying, the production of grains, lamb, pork, fruit, potatoes, poultry, eggs, various mining activities, timber production, viticulture and aquaculture.

Transport and communications

The New England region is traversed by five major highways and a concentrated network of minor roads. On the tablelands the

New England Highway New England Highway is an long highway in Australia running from Yarraman, Queensland, Yarraman, north of Toowoomba, Queensland, at its northern end to Hexham, New South Wales, Hexham at Newcastle, New South Wales, Newcastle, New South Wales, ...

, which links Tamworth, Uralla, Armidale, Guyra, Glen Innes and

is a major route linking New South Wales and

. The

Newell Highway Newell Highway is a National Highway (Australia), national highway in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. It provides the major road link between southeastern Queensland and Victoria (state), Victoria via central NSW and as such carries large amo ...

is a major route linking Victoria and Queensland through Narrabri and Moree.

Thunderbolts Way Thunderbolts Way (and at its northern end as Bundarra Road) is a country road located in the Northern Tablelands region of New South Wales, Australia, linking Inverell via Bundarra, Uralla and Walcha to Gloucester The road is sealed and ...

from

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city, non-metropolitan district and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West England, South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean ...

provides the shortest route from Sydney to the New England and continues through Walcha, Uralla and Bundarra to Inverell. The Oxley Highway,

Gwydir Highway Gwydir Highway is a state highway in northern New South Wales, Australia. The highway was named after the Gwydir River, which in turn was named after a locale in Wales. Route Gwydir Highway traverses the New England region from the inland pla ...

, the scenic

and

Bruxner Highway Bruxner Highway, and its former western alignment as Bruxner Way, are a state highway and rural road respectively, located in New South Wales, Australia. The route forms an east–west link across the Northern Tablelands in northern New South ...

traverse the New England region from west to east. On Western Slopes the

Kamilaroi Highway Kamilaroi Highway is a state highway located in the north-western region of New South Wales, Australia, and links via and to . The highway is named after the Kamilaroi Indigenous Australian people who live in the area. Route The highway b ...

runs in a north-western direction for 620 km, from

Willow Tree Willows, also called sallows and osiers, of the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 350 species (plus numerous hybrids) of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions. Most species are known ...

passing through Quirindi, Gunnedah, Narrabri and Wee Waa until it reaches Bourke. Fossickers Way is a tourist route that runs from Nundle to Warialda in the north and then east to Inverell and Glen Innes passing through some rich gem areas. The major towns have air, coach and rail services that supplement the road network. The Main North railway line following the same route as the New England Highway to

Wallangarra, Queensland Wallangarra is a rural town and locality in the Southern Downs Region, Queensland, Australia on the border with New South Wales. It is the third-most southerly town in Queensland, south west of Brisbane. Wallangarra is on the Queensland side ...

was the first railway link between the states, however the coastal railway is now used and the New England line is disused north of Armidale. There is a daily passenger service from and to Sydney which extends to Moree in the north west and Armidale in the north. The train divides at Werris Creek.

Education

The New England region has a comprehensive range of educational facilities available, including 125 public schools. Armidale is the home of the

, Australia's oldest regional university and was the location of the former Armidale Teachers College. Other Armidale schools include,

New England Girls' School New England Girls' School (NEGS) is an independent Anglican school. Located in Armidale, Northern NSW, NEGS provides an educational experience for both boys and girls in Junior School and a tailored learning environment for young women in Senio ...

(NEGS),

The Armidale School The Armidale School (abbreviated as TAS) is an independent Anglican co-educational early learning, primary and secondary day and boarding school, located in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia. Administration of the schools is formalised as a ...

(TAS),

Armidale Secondary College Armidale Secondary College (abbreviated as ASC) is a government-funded co-educational dual modality partially academically selective and comprehensive secondary day school, located in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia. History The schoo ...

O'Connor Catholic College O'Connor Catholic College, formerly O'Connor Catholic High School, is an independent Catholic co-educational secondary day school, located in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia. It was created by an amalgamation of St Ursula's College and De ...

and Presbyterian Ladies' College. Calala, near Tamworth, is the home of

Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School The Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School is a government boys' academically selective and specialist secondary day and boarding school, located in Calala, a small suburb of Tamworth, in the New England region of New South Wales, Austra ...

, a public high school for boys.

Calrossy Anglican School The Calrossy Anglican School (Calrossy) is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school for boys and girls and incorporates a primary and preschool. Calrossy is located in East Tamworth, a suburb of Tamworth, a city in the New England reg ...

Oxley High School Oxley High School is a government-funded co-educational comprehensive secondary day school, located in North Tamworth, in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. Established in 1968, the school enrolled approximately 970 stude ...

, Peel High School,

Tamworth High School Tamworth High School is a government-funded co-educational comprehensive secondary day school, located in Willis Street, South Tamworth, a suburb of the Tamworth Regional Council local government area in the New England region of New South W ...

and

Tamworth Public School Tamworth Public School is situated in East Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia. Over 900 students attend the primary school and it is the oldest school in Tamworth, being established in 1855. The school's mottos are ''Aim High'' and ''Care, Co ...

are the other principal schools that are located in Tamworth. The New England Institute of TAFE has campuses in Tamworth, Armidale, Boggabilla, Glen Innes, Gunnedah, Inverell, Moree, Narrabri, Quirindi and Tenterfield.

Health services

On 25 August 2000, the New England North West Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service (WRHS) commenced operation after four years of fundraising and planning. The New England North West WRHS operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with an annual average of 130 missions.

National parks

There is a wide range of 27 main national parks and over 30 nature reserves in the New England area of the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service region, plus

Mount Kaputar National Park The Mount Kaputar National Park is a national park located in New South Wales, Australia, surrounding the proximities of Mount Kaputar, a volcano active between 17 and 21 million years ago. It is located east of Narrabri and northwest of ...

which is in the Central Region. National parks including

World Heritage World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

listed areas that form part of the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves (CERRA), gorge country and wild rivers on the rugged eastern fringe of the region include: *

which includes the highest peak in the region, Round Mountain *

Guy Fawkes River National Park Guy Fawkes River National Park, a national park comprising , is located on the eastern edge of the New England Tablelands and the western edge of the Dorrigo Plateau, in north eastern New South Wales, Australia. Access to the national park via ...

Washpool National Park The Washpool National Park is a protected national park located in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. The park is situated approximately north of Sydney, inland from , and is one of the largest uncut forests in New South Wal ...

New State Movement

New England has been the home of Australia's most persistent attempt to form a new state within the Australian commonwealth. In the 1930s and again in the 1960s, the

campaigned for New England to be separated from New South Wales. The movement was closely allied with the Country Party, which could have expected to form the government of such a new state. On 29 April 1967, a referendum in the region on the creation of a new state in northern NSW returned a 'no' vote of 54%,Farrell, John J., ‘Opting Out and Opting In: secession and the new state movements’, ''Armidale and District Historical Society Journal'', No. 40, April 1997, pp. 139–148. quoted i

although the forced inclusion of the City of Newcastle, which is not a part of New England, was the major contributing factor that led to the 'no' vote. Chapter VI of the

Constitution of Australia The Constitution of Australia (also known as the Commonwealth Constitution) is the fundamental law that governs the political structure of Australia. It is a written constitution, which establishes the country as a Federation of Australia, ...

allows new states to be formed, but only with the consent of the Parliament of the state in question.

References

External links

* *
New South Wales Forecast Areas Map
{{Authority control Regions of New South Wales