Tamworth is the largest city in the north-eastern region of New South Wales, with a population of 43,874 at the 2021 census. That makes it the third largest inland city in the state. This page covers what living in Tamworth looks like on the ground: the setting, the history, the climate and the distances.
It is a regional centre with a long list of firsts and a strong country identity. We have left out property matters here and focused on the place itself. If you are planning a visit rather than a move, our Tamworth travel guide is a better starting point.
Where Tamworth sits
The city lies on the western side of the Great Dividing Range, on the banks of the Peel River. It is about 420 km north of Sydney on the New England Highway, and 280 km inland from Port Macquarie on the Oxley Highway. It is also 318 km from the Queensland border, and sits almost midway between Brisbane and Sydney.
The elevation is around 400 m AHD. Tamworth occupies a narrow point on the Peel River floodplain, at the base of the Wentworth Mounds, a spur of the Moonbi Range. Here the Northwest Slopes rise to the Northern Tablelands. The mounds reach about 800 m and tower over the city.
The Peel runs from the south-east to the north-west through town. The main city centre is on the north-east bank, between the river and the mounds. The south-west bank is much flatter, and the suburbs sprawl to the south. Water for residents and industry comes from Chaffey Dam, 44 km south-east of the city.
Distances to bigger centres
| From Tamworth | Distance |
|---|---|
| Sydney (north, via New England Highway) | about 420 km |
| Port Macquarie (inland, via Oxley Highway) | 280 km |
| Queensland border | 318 km |
Brisbane and Sydney are the two big capitals either side, and Tamworth sits almost midway between them. If you would rather not drive the whole way, our page on Tamworth transfers is worth a look.
A short history of the town
The Kamilaroi people inhabited the area before European contact. Their language gave us the word "budgerigar". In 1818 the explorer John Oxley passed through the Peel Valley, named the river after British Prime Minister Robert Peel, and wrote that no place could "afford more advantages to the industrious settler than this extensive vale".
The first sheep and cattle stations followed in 1831, among them Joseph Brown's Wallamoul and William Dangar's Waldoo. That same year the Australian Agricultural Company took a lease of 127,000 hectares at Goonoo Goonoo, south of today's city. In the 1830s a company town began to develop on the south-west bank of the Peel, where West Tamworth is now.
A public town was gazetted in 1850 on the opposite side of the river. It took its name from Tamworth in Staffordshire, then represented in parliament by Robert Peel. The village counted 254 white residents in 1851 and 543 people in 1861. The railway arrived in 1878, though the Tamworth railway station is recorded as opening in 1882. The base hospital opened in 1883.
Other milestones
- 1852: John Barnes built the Royal Oak Hotel.
- 1866: the Tamworth Mechanics' Institute opened.
- 1935: Radio 2TM began broadcasting, the town's first radio station.
- 1946: Tamworth was proclaimed a town.
- 1947: East-West Airlines was established in Tamworth, flying to Sydney.
- 1999: the Tamworth Regional Entertainment Centre opened.
- 2004: the Tamworth Regional Council was formed from Tamworth town, Manilla Shire and parts of Parry, Nundle and Barraba Shires.
The Tamworth Gaol ceased to exist in March 1943. The site later served as a juvenile justice centre and then, from 1991, an adult male correctional centre.
The First Town of Lights
On 9 November 1888 Tamworth became the first place in Australia with electric street lighting powered by a municipally owned power station. Commercially owned streetlights had appeared at Waratah in Tasmania in 1886, so the distinction is a precise one. It still earns the city the title "First Town of Light".
In the 1990s the council ran a successful campaign of urban and streetscape renewal, including the greening of Peel Street.
Country music and horses
Tamworth calls itself the Country Music Capital of Australia. The first Australasian Country Music Festival was hosted by radio station 2TM in 1973. The Tamworth Country Music Festival now runs for 11 days at the end of January, and is the second-biggest country music festival in the world after Nashville. The 12 m Golden Guitar went up in 1988 as a symbol of those roots. See our Tamworth events page for more.
The city is also recognised as the National Equine Capital of Australia. The Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre opened in September 2008, and is the biggest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. Scully Park Regional Sporting Precinct hosted the City vs Country Origin rugby league match in 2016.
Climate and the wider council area
Tamworth has a subtropical climate with hot summers and relatively cool winters. Under the Köppen scheme it is classed as humid subtropical (Cfa). Temperatures exceed 35 °C on around 20 to 25 days a year. It falls within the North West Slopes division of the Bureau of Meteorology forecast region.
Urban Tamworth covers 240.7 km² as of 2016. The Tamworth Regional Council area takes in many suburbs, towns and villages beyond the city, including Kootingal, Moonbi, Manilla, Nundle, Bendemeer, Attunga and Calala. Inside the city, localities include East, North, South and West Tamworth, Hillvue, Oxley Vale and Taminda.
For short stays, options range from riverside camping to motels, country cottages and heritage pubs. Goonoo Goonoo Station, a heritage-listed cattle property outside town, offers seven private cottages and a restaurant using locally grown produce. Browse Tamworth accommodation to compare. Visit NSW is the official state tourism site at Visit NSW, and the full encyclopedia entry is at Wikipedia: Tamworth, New South Wales.
Frequently asked questions
How many people live in Tamworth?
The 2021 population was 43,874, making Tamworth the largest city in its region and the third largest inland city in New South Wales.
How far is Tamworth from Sydney?
About 420 km to the north on the New England Highway. Port Macquarie is 280 km away via the Oxley Highway.
What is the climate like?
Subtropical, with hot summers and relatively cool winters. Temperatures pass 35 °C on around 20 to 25 days a year.