Dorrigo Plateau[1]
The plateau drops into steep valleys in theDorrigo National Park.
Highest point
Peak	Barren Mountain
Elevation	1,437 m (4,715 ft)
Coordinates	30°23′46″S152°29′49″E / 30.396°S 152.497°E /-30.396; 152.497
Geography
Dorrigo Plateau[1]
Country	Australia
Province	New South Wales
Regions	Northern Tablelands andNew England
Borders on	Great Dividing Range

TheDorrigo Plateau is aplateau in theNorthern Tablelands andNew England regions ofNew South Wales,Australia. The plateau forms part of theGreat Dividing Range and is sometimes referred to as theDorrigo and Guy Fawkes Plateau.^{[citation needed]}

The highest peak on the plateau isBarren Mountain,^[2] at an elevation of 1,437 metres (4,715 ft)AHD.

The plateau is defined by that area bounded in the south by the Dorrigo Escarpment, in the west by the New England Tableland, in the north by Hyland State Forest,Blicks River, Glen Fernaigh Creek andNymboida River, and in the east byBielsdown River up to the junction with Mathews Creek, then up to the head of Mathews Creek, then by the watershed extending generally south southeast to Dome Mountain.^[1]

Located on the eastern edge of the plateau is the town ofDorrigo, 580 kilometres (360 mi) north of theSydney and 60 kilometres (37 mi) from thecoastal city ofCoffs Harbour.

Richard Craig was the first European to arrive at the plateau, following the traditional indigenous route toArmidale from theGrafton area. Using his skills as a horseman, Craig travelled along the western side of the Nymboida River. Craig's track became a road, now roughly following the same path as the present Grafton to Armidale Road and travelling through the present day villages ofNymboida, Billy's Creek, Dundurrabin, Tyringham andEbor, the latter with an elevation of 1,300 metres (4,300 ft)AHD.^[3] Timbergetters followed Craig through the sub tropical rainforest and many sawmills grew due to demand for timber, initially the highly prizedAustralian Red Cedar (Toona australis).

Today, the main access road traversing the plateau from east to west is theWaterfall Way.

The Dorrigo Plateau and surroundingGuy Fawkes River National Park area was created by successivebasalticlava flows from the Ebor Volcano covering the original granite base. Weathering from high rainfall caused an escarpment to form as the more ancient rocks underneath remained intact.^[4]

• Bellinger River National Park
• Bielsdown River
• Bindarri National Park
• Dorrigo National Park
• Junuy Juluum National Park
• New England National Park

• Northern Rivers Geology Blog - Dorrigo Plateau

• Northern Tablelands
• New England (New South Wales)
• Plateaus of Australia

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• Geographic Names Register of NSW not in Wikidata
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