Taree | |
|---|---|
 Street view of Taree central business district with Taree Central mall visible in the background | |
  Taree | |
| Coordinates:31°54′0″S152°27′0″E / 31.90000°S 152.45000°E /-31.90000; 152.45000 | |
| Country | Australia |
| State | New South Wales |
| LGA | |
| Location |
|
| Established | 1831 |
| Government | |
| • State electorate | |
| • Federal division | |
| Elevation | 5 m (16 ft) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 16,715 (2021)[2] |
| Postcode | 2430 |
| Mean max temp | 24.3 °C (75.7 °F) |
| Mean min temp | 12.0 °C (53.6 °F) |
| Annual rainfall | 1,174.9 mm (46.26 in) |
Taree (/tɑːriː/) is a town on theMid North Coast,New South Wales, Australia. It and nearbyCundletown were settled in 1831 byWilliam Wynter.[3] Since then it has grown to a population of 26,381,[2] and commands a significantagricultural district. Situated on afloodplain by theManning River, it is 16 km from theTasman Sea coast, and 317 km north ofSydney.[3]
Taree is within thelocal government area ofMid-Coast Council, the state electorate ofMyall Lakes and the federal electorate ofLyne.
The name Taree is derived from "tareebit", aBiripi word meaningtree by the river, or more specifically, the Sandpaper Fig (Ficus coronata).[3]
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.[4]
In 1826, Assistant Surveyor Henry Dangar was instructed byJohn Oxley as Surveyor General (and a shareholder in theAustralian Agricultural Company) to survey the land betweenPort Stephens and theHastings 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 byRobert Dawson for the Deputy Governor of the Australian Agricultural Company,William Manning.[5]
In 1829,Governor Darling proclaimed the division of the settlement of the colony of New South Wales intoNineteen Counties. The northern limit of the settlement was declared to be the Manning River.
Taree was laid out as a private town in 1854 byHenry 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.[6]
In the early 1800s the road fromNewcastle toPort Macquarie came viaGloucester and forded the river nearWingham. 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 theNorth Coast railway line came through in 1913,[3] it initially terminated atTaree.
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.[3] 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'sPresbyterian Church, built-in 1869 in theVictorian Gothic Revival style, next door to the current building, in Albert Street.[3]
A record breaking rain event in March 2021 led to flooding in the town, sweeping debris such as a water tank andshipping container into the Manning River which struck theMartin Bridge.[7] The river peaked at 5.7 m (19 ft), inundating properties in Taree South and Glenthorne and falling just short of the historical high of 6 m (20 ft) in 1929.[8]
In the 24 hours to 9 am on 7 July 2022, a record 305 mm (12.0 in) of rain was recorded in town. Since records began in 1881, this was the wettest day in the history of Taree.[9]
On 21 May 2025, the Manning River at Taree surpassed its 1929 record duringa major flood.[10]
Taree has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
Taree experiences ahumid subtropical climate (Köppen:Cfa,Trewartha:Cfal/Cfbl); with warm to hot, humid summers and mild to cool, short winters;[12] and with a moderately high precipitation amount of 1,149.7 mm (45.26 in), with moderate precipitation even during its drier months.[13] 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.[14]
| Climate data forTaree 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 afternoonrelative humidity (%) | 60 | 63 | 62 | 62 | 58 | 59 | 56 | 50 | 53 | 55 | 62 | 60 | 58 |
| Averagedew 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)[15] | |||||||||||||
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1911 | 1,539 | — |
| 1921 | 1,765 | +14.7% |
| 1933 | 4,581 | +159.5% |
| 1947 | 5,423 | +18.4% |
| 1954 | 7,408 | +36.6% |
| 1961 | 10,050 | +35.7% |
| 1966 | 10,560 | +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 | 15,848 | −4.1% |
| 2016 | 16,197 | +2.2% |
| 2021 | 16,715 | +3.2% |
| Source:Australian Bureau of Statistics data.[16][17][note 1] | ||
In the2021 census, there were 16,715 people in Taree.[2]
Age
The median age in Taree is 45, compared to the national median of 38. Taree has a higher proportion of older people, with 28.3% of people over 65 compared to a national average of 17.2%, and 4.6% of residents aged over 85, more than the national average of 2.1%.[2]
Indigenous status
12.7% of the population identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, with the median age amongst this group being 20.[2]
Country of birth
82.1% of people were born in Australia, compared to the national average of 66.9%. The next most common countries of birth were England (2%), India (0.8%), the Philippines (0.8%), New Zealand (0.7%) and the Netherlands (0.3%).[2]
Language used at home
86.8% of people spoke only English at home. Languages other than English included Malayalam (0.6%), Mandarin (0.3%), Filipino (0.3%), Punjabi (0.2%) and Nepali (0.2%)
Religious affiliation
The most common response for religious affiliation was No Religion (36.1%), followed by Anglican (20.5%), Catholic (15.2%) and Uniting Church (4.1%).[2]
Employment status
Among the residents of Taree, 46.9% worked full-time, 37.4% worked part-time. The unemployment rate is 9.3%, more than the national rate of 5.1%.[2]
Industry of employment
The most common industries of employment were hospitals (6.8%), aged care residential services (6.1%), other social assistance services (5%), supermarket and grocery stores (4.4%), and takeaway food services (3.6%).[2]
Household income
The median weekly household income is $968. This compares with a national average of $1,746. 30.3% of households had a gross weekly income of less than $650, which is higher than the national average of 16.5%.[2]
Taree is located on thePacific Highway.Taree railway station on theNorth Coast line is served byNSW TrainLink services fromSydney toGrafton,Casino andRoma Street.[18]
Taree Airport was served byFlyPelican services toSydney 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.
TheManning 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 stations2RE and Max FM and community stations2BOB and2TLP.
TheABC broadcastsTriple J (96.3FM),ABC Classic FM (98.7FM),Radio National (97.1FM) andABC Mid North Coast (95.5FM and 756AM)[21] into Taree.
Rhema FM Manning Great Lakes broadcasts from studios in nearbyWingham andRacing Radio is also broadcast to Taree.
The most popular sport in Taree is rugby league. The city has one team competing in theGroup 3 Rugby League Premiership, the Taree City Bulls. The Old Bar Pirates and Wingham Tigers are based just outside the city inWingham andOld Bar. The town has produced manyNRL-calibre stars, most notablyLatrell Mitchell andDanny 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".[3]Big Things are a common form of tourist attraction in Australia. Like theBig Merino andBig Banana, the 'Oyster' is an artifact based on local produce; theManning 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 inPerth,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 historicWingham,Tinonee, and the beachside town ofOld Bar.
Events in theNSW 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]
TheManning 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.
TheEaster Powerboat Classic is held on theManning River near Queen Elizabeth Park during the Easter Long Weekend.
TheTaree Gold Cup is a prestigious horse racing event held at the Bushland Drive Racecourse.
TheTaree Annual Show is held the second weekend in October. It consists of a sideshow, precision driving team, rodeo events, and cattle and livestock judging.
Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) underCC BY 4.0licence.
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