Mean max temp | Mean min temp | Annual rainfall |
24.3 °C 76 °F | 12.0 °C 54 °F | 1,174.9 mm 46.3 in |
Taree ( /tɑːriː/ ) is a city on the Mid North Coast, New South Wales, Australia. It and nearby Cundletown were settled in 1831 by William Wynter. [2] Since then it has grown to a population of 26,381, [1] and commands a significant agricultural district. Situated on a floodplain by the Manning River, it is 16 km from the Tasman Sea coast, and 317 km north of Sydney. [2]
Taree is within the local government area of Mid-Coast Council, the state electorate of Myall Lakes and the federal electorate of Lyne. Established in 1854 as a private town, it was proclaimed a municipality in 1885 and a city in 1981.
The name Taree is derived from "tareebit", a Biripi word meaning tree by the river, or more specifically, the Sandpaper Fig ( Ficus coronata ). [2]
The Biripi were the indigenous people of what is now known as Taree. The Aboriginal population of the Manning River was relatively dense before colonisation by Europeans. [3]
In 1826, Assistant Surveyor Henry Dangar was instructed by John Oxley as Surveyor General (and a shareholder in the Australian Agricultural Company) to survey the land between Port Stephens and the Hastings River. During this expedition, Dangar identified that Harrington Lake was a river with two entrances to the sea. Later in 1826, the river was named the Manning River by Robert Dawson for the Deputy Governor of the Australian Agricultural Company, William Manning. [4]
In 1829, Governor Darling proclaimed the division of the settlement of the colony of New South Wales into Nineteen Counties. The northern limit of the settlement was declared to be the Manning River.
Taree was laid out as a private town in 1854 by Henry Flett, the son-in-law of William Wynter who had originally settled the area in 1831. 100 acres (40 ha) had been set aside for the private township and 40 lots were initially sold. Taree was declared a municipality on 26 March 1885 and the first municipal council was elected by the residents. [5] In the early 1800s the road from Newcastle to Port Macquarie came via Gloucester and forded the river near Wingham. Boats could not go further upstream than this due to narrowing of the river and rapids. Hence a town formed at Wingham, about a day's ride from Gloucester. Timber getting, especially cedar, ensured goods were brought to Wingham and then shipped to Newcastle and beyond by boat. Coopernook similarly formed a local shipping hub. In 1844, the government of New South Wales had established Wingham as its administrative centre. When the North Coast railway line came through in 1913, [2] it initially terminated at Taree. Even before the rest of the line was completed it became apparent that it was safer to send goods by rail to Newcastle and Sydney rather than hazarding the bar at the outlet to the river at Harrington where many ships had been lost. Although connected to the railway, sea transport continued to dominate along the North Coast until the 1930s. This changed when the Martin Bridge replaced the ferry across the Manning River in 1940. [2] River traffic significantly reduced after this, ensuring Taree's place as the centre of business.
The oldest surviving building in Taree is the old St Paul's Presbyterian Church, built-in 1869 in the Victorian Gothic Revival style, next door to the current building, in Albert Street. [2]
A record breaking rain event in March 2021 lead to flooding in the town, sweeping debris such as a water tank and shipping container into the Manning River which struck the Martin Bridge. [6] The river peaked at 5.7 metres, inundating properties in Taree South and Glenthorne and falling just short of the historical high of 6 metres in 1929. [7]
In the 24 hours to 9 am on 7 July 2022, a record 305 mm of rain was recorded in town. Since records began in 1881, this was the wettest day in the history of Taree. [8]
Taree has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
Taree experiences a humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cfa, Trewartha: Cfal/Cfbl); with warm to hot, humid summers and mild to cool, short winters; [10] and with a moderately high precipitation amount of 1,149.7 millimetres (45.25 in), with moderate precipitation even during its drier months. [11] The highest temperature recorded at Taree was 45.7 °C (114.3 °F) on 12 February 2017; the lowest recorded was -4.0 °C (24.8 °F) on 14 June 2004, 14 July 2002, and 29 August 2003. The area features 102.5 clear days and 120.9 cloudy days annually. [12]
Climate data for Taree Airport AWS (1997–2022 averages and extremes) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 42.9 (109.2) | 45.7 (114.3) | 41.0 (105.8) | 33.4 (92.1) | 30.0 (86.0) | 27.0 (80.6) | 26.6 (79.9) | 32.0 (89.6) | 37.5 (99.5) | 40.0 (104.0) | 42.0 (107.6) | 43.0 (109.4) | 45.7 (114.3) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 29.0 (84.2) | 28.3 (82.9) | 26.8 (80.2) | 24.4 (75.9) | 21.5 (70.7) | 18.9 (66.0) | 18.7 (65.7) | 20.2 (68.4) | 23.1 (73.6) | 24.8 (76.6) | 26.1 (79.0) | 27.8 (82.0) | 24.1 (75.4) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 23.7 (74.7) | 23.3 (73.9) | 21.8 (71.2) | 19.0 (66.2) | 15.8 (60.4) | 13.5 (56.3) | 12.7 (54.9) | 13.5 (56.3) | 16.2 (61.2) | 18.4 (65.1) | 20.6 (69.1) | 22.3 (72.1) | 18.4 (65.1) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 18.4 (65.1) | 18.2 (64.8) | 16.8 (62.2) | 13.6 (56.5) | 10.1 (50.2) | 8.1 (46.6) | 6.6 (43.9) | 6.7 (44.1) | 9.3 (48.7) | 12.0 (53.6) | 15.1 (59.2) | 16.8 (62.2) | 12.6 (54.8) |
Record low °C (°F) | 9.0 (48.2) | 8.0 (46.4) | 9.0 (48.2) | 4.0 (39.2) | −0.6 (30.9) | −4.0 (24.8) | −4.0 (24.8) | −4.0 (24.8) | −2.0 (28.4) | 3.0 (37.4) | 5.0 (41.0) | 8.1 (46.6) | −4.0 (24.8) |
Average rainfall mm (inches) | 94.8 (3.73) | 156.1 (6.15) | 198.7 (7.82) | 98.3 (3.87) | 80.5 (3.17) | 100.3 (3.95) | 51.1 (2.01) | 46.1 (1.81) | 45.8 (1.80) | 78.1 (3.07) | 109.0 (4.29) | 90.9 (3.58) | 1,149.7 (45.25) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 9.4 | 10.3 | 10.7 | 9.7 | 7.6 | 8.7 | 6.2 | 5.4 | 5.9 | 7.6 | 10.0 | 9.1 | 100.6 |
Average afternoon relative humidity (%) | 60 | 63 | 62 | 62 | 58 | 59 | 56 | 50 | 53 | 55 | 62 | 60 | 58 |
Average dew point °C (°F) | 18.2 (64.8) | 18.7 (65.7) | 17.4 (63.3) | 14.7 (58.5) | 11.0 (51.8) | 9.0 (48.2) | 7.5 (45.5) | 7.2 (45.0) | 10.0 (50.0) | 12.0 (53.6) | 15.1 (59.2) | 16.6 (61.9) | 13.1 (55.6) |
Source: Bureau of Meteorology (temperature, precipitation, humidity) (1997–present normals and extremes) [13] |
Of the 17,820 residents of Taree, 3,319 work full-time and 2,169 work part-time. The unemployment rate is approximately double the national average. The most common industries of employment in retail, government and aged care. The median weekly household income is $719. This compares with a national average of $1,234. A plurality (35.4%) of children live in families with no one in employment. [14] 41.3% of households have a gross weekly income of less than $600; this is approximately half the national average.
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1921 | 1,765 | — |
1933 | 4,581 | +159.5% |
1947 | 5,423 | +18.4% |
1954 | 7,408 | +36.6% |
1961 | 10,050 | +35.7% |
1966 | 10,563 | +5.1% |
1971 | 11,493 | +8.8% |
1976 | 13,440 | +16.9% |
1981 | 14,697 | +9.4% |
1986 | 15,994 | +8.8% |
1991 | 16,303 | +1.9% |
1996 | 16,702 | +2.4% |
2001 | 16,621 | −0.5% |
2006 | 16,517 | −0.6% |
2011 | 17,820 | +7.9% |
2016 | 18,117 | +1.7% |
2021 | 18,110 | −0.0% |
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics data. [15] [16] |
In the 2021 census, there were 26,519 people in the Taree "Significant Urban Area" (which includes some close towns such as Wingham and Cundletown). The median age in Taree is 46, compared to the national median of 38. 11% of the population identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, with the median age amongst this group being 20. Taree has a significantly higher proportion of older people, with 26.8% of people over 65 compared to a national average of 17.2%, and 4.1% of residents aged 85+, almost double the national average of 2.1%.
84.6% of people were born in Australia, compared to the national average of 66.9%. The next most common countries of birth were England 2.1%, New Zealand 0.7% and Philippines 0.7%. 88.3% of people spoke only English at home.
The most common response for religion was No Religion (36.9%), followed by Anglican (21.7%) and Catholic (14.7%), while 8.6% declined to answer this optional question. [17]
Taree is located on the Pacific Highway. Taree railway station on the North Coast line is served by NSW TrainLink services from Sydney to Grafton, Casino and Roma Street. [18]
Taree Airport was served by FlyPelican services to Sydney until July 2022. [19]
There are several public schools in the Taree area including Taree Public School, Taree High School, Taree West Public School, Manning Gardens Public School, Chatham Public School, Chatham High School, and Cundletown Public School.
Private schools in and around Taree include Manning District Adventist School, Tinonee, Manning Valley Anglican College, Cundletown, Midcoast Christian College, Kolodong, St Joseph's Primary School, and St Clare's High School.
Several post-secondary education and training facilities have a presence in Taree: the North Coast Institute of TAFE, Taree Community College, the Australian Technical College – Manning Valley Campus.
The Manning River Times [20] is based in Taree.
All major digital-only television channels are available in Taree. The networks and the channels they broadcast are listed as follows:
Of the three main commercial networks:
There are four local radio stations, commercial stations 2RE and Max FM and community stations 2BOB and 2TLP.
The ABC broadcasts Triple J (96.3FM), ABC Classic FM (98.7FM), Radio National (97.1FM) and ABC Mid North Coast (95.5FM and 756AM) [21] into Taree.
Rhema FM Manning Great Lakes broadcasts from studios in nearby Wingham and Racing Radio is also broadcast to Taree.
The most popular sport in Taree is rugby league. The city has one team competing in the Group 3 Rugby League Premiership, the Taree City Bulls. The Old Bar Pirates and Wingham Tigers are based just outside the city in Wingham and Old Bar. The town has produced many NRL-calibre stars, most notably Latrell Mitchell and Danny Buderus.
Other sports played in the town include soccer, rugby union, tennis and cricket.
Senior Teams
Junior Only Teams
A local tourist attraction is a building called "The World's Largest Oyster", also called "The Big Oyster". [2] Big Things are a common form of tourist attraction in Australia. Like the Big Merino and Big Banana, the 'Oyster' is an artifact based on local produce; the Manning River produced 1,752,000 oysters during 2013. [22] The Big Oyster was an unsuccessful business venture, known to the locals as a 'Big Mistake', and is now home to a motor dealership.
The Manning Entertainment Centre was built in the 1980s as the cultural centre of the district. It seats 505 people [23] and has previously presented artists such as the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, [24] the Australian Ballet [25] and Dame Joan Sutherland. [26] Local performers, including the district eisteddfod and local amateur dramatic societies, use it to provide cultural opportunities for the local community.
Located next to the Entertainment Centre and the Visitor Information Centre at the northern entrance to Taree is the Manning Aquatic and Leisure Centre. This facility includes a 25-metre indoor heated pool with slippery dip and a 50-metre outdoor pool and soon after the time of opening had the second most expensive pool entrance fee in Australia, the most expensive being a pool in Perth, Western Australia. The Aquatic Centre was built in the late 1990s – early 2000s to replace the Taree Pool, which has been redeveloped into a public park with outdoor stage. [27]
The Manning Regional Art Gallery is located in a cottage-style building next to Taree Public School. The art gallery hosts a changing selection of works by local artists and visiting exhibitions.
Nearby towns include historic Wingham, Tinonee, and the beachside town of Old Bar.
Events in the NSW Rowing Association Annual Pointscore Rowing Regatta are held at Endeavour Place in Taree during the third week of January. This Regatta runs over three days (Friday to Sunday) and consists of over 200 races with more than 500 competitors travelling from many parts of New South Wales to compete. [28] [29]
The Manning River Summer Festival runs throughout the month of January, incorporating the town's New Year's celebrations, a "Family Fun Day" in Queen Elizabeth Park on Australia Day, and also vide variety of cultural events.
The Easter Powerboat Classic is held on the Manning River near Queen Elizabeth Park during the Easter Long Weekend.
The Taree Gold Cup is a prestigious horse racing event held at the Bushland Drive Racecourse.
The Taree Annual Show is held the second weekend in October. It consists of a sideshow, precision driving team, rodeo events, and cattle and livestock judging.
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Port Macquarie is a town on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, 390 km (242 mi) north of Sydney, and 570 km (354 mi) south of Brisbane, on the Tasman Sea coast at the mouth of the Hastings River, and the eastern end of the Oxley Highway (B56). It had a population of 47,974 in 2018, and an estimated population of 50,307 in 2023.
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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 north as Woolgoolga, near Coffs Harbour. The region has many beaches and subtropical national parks and forests as well as rural farmland and logging. Major coastal towns include Coffs Harbour, Forster and Port Macquarie. The Mid North Coast is a popular destination for camping or resorts and surfing, with coastal and hinterland tracks, with the unique heritage-listed mountain village of Bellbrook popular for day trips inland or 4wd campers and keen bass fishers.
Wingham is a town in the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, Australia in the Mid-Coast Council area 329 kilometres (204 mi) north of Sydney. According to the 2021 census, Wingham had a population of 5,395.
Tinonee is a small town on the banks of the Manning River, near Taree on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales in Mid-Coast Council, Australia. Tinonee was founded in 1854 and in the late 1980s became part of Greater Taree City. At the 2006 census, Tinonee had a population of 734 people.
Manning River, an open and trained mature wave dominated barrier estuary, is located in the Northern Tablelands and Mid North Coast districts of New South Wales, Australia. It is the only double delta river in the southern hemisphere in which there are two permanent entrances to the river, one at Old Bar and another at Harrington, and is famously one of only two rivers in the world to have permanent multiple entrances with the other being the Nile river in Egypt.
The Greater Taree City Council (GTCC) was a local government area on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, until 12 May 2016 when it was amalgamated to form part of the Mid-Coast Council. It was originally formed in 1981 from the Manning Shire, and the Taree and Wingham Municipal Councils. The council was centred on Taree, located adjacent to the Manning River, the Pacific Highway and the North Coast railway line.
Group 3 is a rugby league competition on the north coast of New South Wales, run under the auspices of the Country Rugby League. The Group 3 area runs from Kempsey in the north to Forster in the south.
Taree High School is a government-funded co-educational comprehensive secondary day school in Taree, a regional centre of the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, Australia.
Wingham Memorial Town Hall is a heritage-listed town hall at 52 Farquhar Street, Wingham, Mid-Coast Council, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by James T. Chambers and built from 1922 to 1924. It is also known as Wingham Town Hall and Wingham Council Chambers. The property is owned by Mid-Coast Council. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 8 April 2016.
Extreme rainfall on the east coast of Australia beginning on 18 March 2021 led to widespread flooding in New South Wales, affecting regions from the North Coast to the Sydney metropolitan area in the south. Suburbs of Sydney experienced the worst flooding in 60 years, and the events were described by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian as "one in 100-year" flooding. Far-southeast communities in Queensland were also affected by flooding and heavy rainfall, though to a lesser extent than those in New South Wales.