Location

The Tamworth Regional Council area is located in the New England Region of New South Wales, about 410 kilometres north-west of Sydney and 580 kilometres south of Brisbane. The Tamworth Regional Council area is bounded by Gwydir Shire in the north, Uralla Shire and the Walcha Council area in the east, Upper Hunter Shire in the south, and Liverpool Plains, Gunnedah and Narrabri Shires in the west.

Included Areas

The Tamworth Regional Council area encompasses the suburbs, towns, villages and rural localities of Appleby, Attunga, Banoon, Barraba (part), Barry, Bective, Bendemeer, Bithramere, Borah Creek, Bowling Alley Point, Bundarra (part), Calala, Crawney (part), Daruka, Duncans Creek, Dungowan, Duri, East Tamworth, Garoo, Garthowen, Gidley, Goonoo Goonoo, Gowrie, Gulf Creek (part), Halls Creek, Hallsville, Hanging Rock, Hillvue, Ironbark, Kentucky (part), Kingswood, Klori, Kootingal, Limbri, Lindesay, Longarm, Loomberah, Manilla, Mayvale, Moonbi, Moore Creek, Mulla Creek, Namoi River, Nemingha, New Mexico, Niangala (part), North Tamworth, Nundle, Ogunbil, Oxley Vale, Piallamore, Red Hill, Retreat, Rushes Creek, Somerton, South Tamworth, Taminda, Tamworth, Thirloene, Timbumburi, Tintinhull, Upper Horton (part), Upper Manilla, Wallamore, Warrabah, Warral, Watsons Creek, Weabonga, West Tamworth, Westdale, Wimborne, Winton, Wongo Creek, Woodsreef, Woolbrook (part) and Woolomin.

Land Use

The Tamworth Regional Council area includes the urban centre of Tamworth and the surrounding predominantly rural area. The Council area encompasses a total land area of over 9,600 square kilometres. Most of the rural area is used for sheep and cattle grazing, lucerne and wheat growing, and poultry farming. The majority of the population live in the urban centre of Tamworth. About one quarter of the population lives in the small townships of Barraba, Kootingal, Manilla and Nundle, the villages of Attunga, Bendemeer, Dungowan, Duri, Moonbi, Somerton, Woolbrook and Woolomin, and various rural localities. Tamworth has developed as a regional centre for north-western New South Wales and is well known for its annual Country Music Festival.

Name Origin

Tamworth is named after a town in Staffordshire, England.

Indigenous Meaning

The original inhabitants of the Tamworth area were the Kamilaroi Aboriginal people.

Settlement

European settlement dates from 1830 when squatters began to settle along the Peel River. In 1834 the Australian Agricultural Company was granted over 300,000 acres on the western side of the Peel River in Tamworth. Land was used mainly for sheep and cattle grazing and wheat farming. Growth was minimal until the 1850s and 1860s, spurred by the discovery of gold at Hanging Rock and Nundle, and the opening up of land. Significant development occurred in the urban area during the 1960s and 1970s. The population remained relatively stable during the 1990s, at nearly 52,000. Between 2001 and 2011 the population increased slightly to about 56,000.

Major Features

Major features of the Council area include Warrabah National Park, Ben Halls Gap National Park, part of Mount Kaputar National Park, the Tamworth CBD, The Big Golden Guitar, Tamworth Powerstation Museum, Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Conference Centre, Tamworth Regional Conservatorium of Music, Tamworth Sports Dome, Tamworth Regional Sporting Complex, Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre, Tamworth Regional Botanical Gardens, Tamworth Hospital, TAFE NSW New England Institute (Tamworth Campus), ADF Basic Flying Training School, Oxley Lookout, Kamilaroi Walking Track, Split Rock Dam, Chaffey Dam, Sheba Dams, Mount Borah, Hanging Rock, the MacDonald River, the Peel River and various state forests.

Transport

The Tamworth Regional Council area is served by the New England Highway, the Oxley Highway, Tamworth Regional Airport and the north western railway line.