Taree sits on a floodplain beside the Manning River, 16 km from the Tasman Sea and 317 km north of Sydney. If you are weighing up living in Taree, this page sets out the town's setting, history, people, climate and everyday services.
It is a Mid North Coast town of 16,715 people that commands a significant agricultural district. We have kept to the facts of place and community here, and left out anything about the property market.
Where Taree sits
Taree is within the Mid-Coast Council area, the state electorate of Myall Lakes and the federal electorate of Lyne. The town and nearby Cundletown were settled in 1831 by William Wynter.
The Manning River shapes the place. The town is built on its floodplain, which gives it the riverside character visitors notice, and which also explains the flood history covered below.
The name comes from "tareebit", a Biripi word meaning tree by the river, or more specifically the sandpaper fig (Ficus coronata).
How Taree grew
Biripi country and early survey
The Biripi are the Indigenous people of the area, and the Aboriginal population along the Manning River was relatively dense before European colonisation. In 1826 Assistant Surveyor Henry Dangar was instructed by John Oxley to survey the land between Port Stephens and the Hastings River. Later that year Robert Dawson named the Manning River after William Manning, Deputy Governor of the Australian Agricultural Company. In 1829 Governor Darling declared the Manning River the northern limit of the settlement.
From private town to municipality
Henry Flett, son-in-law of William Wynter, laid Taree out as a private town in 1854. A hundred acres were set aside and 40 lots were first sold. Taree became a municipality on 26 March 1885, and residents elected the first council.
For a time Wingham was the busier river settlement, because boats could not travel further upstream. Timber, especially cedar, moved through Wingham and Coopernook by boat. The North Coast railway reached Taree in 1913 and initially ended there. Sending goods by rail was safer than risking the bar at Harrington, where many ships had been lost. Then the Martin Bridge replaced the river ferry in 1940, river traffic dropped sharply, and Taree settled as the centre of business.
The oldest surviving building is the old St Paul's Presbyterian Church, built in 1869 in the Victorian Gothic Revival style, in Albert Street. Taree railway station is also heritage listed.
Taree weather and flood history
Taree has a humid subtropical climate, with warm to hot, humid summers and mild to cool, short winters. Annual rainfall is about 1,149.7 mm, with moderate falls even in the drier months. The area sees around 102.5 clear days and 120.9 cloudy days a year.
| Record | Figure | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Highest temperature | 45.7 °C | 12 February 2017 |
| Lowest temperature | -4.0 °C | 14 June 2004, 14 July 2002 and 29 August 2003 |
| Wettest day | 305 mm in 24 hours to 9 am | 7 July 2022 |
Floods are part of life on this floodplain, and we would not skip that if you are considering a move. In March 2021 record rain flooded the town; the river peaked at 5.7 m, inundating properties in Taree South and Glenthorne, just short of the 1929 high of 6 m. On 21 May 2025 the Manning River at Taree surpassed its 1929 record in a major flood. Debris from the 2021 event struck the Martin Bridge.
Who lives in Taree
The 2021 census counted 16,715 people. The median age is 45, against a national median of 38. People over 65 make up 28.3% of residents (national average 17.2%), and 4.6% are over 85 (national 2.1%).
About 12.7% of residents identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, and the median age in that group is 20. Some 82.1% of people were born in Australia, compared with 66.9% nationally. England (2%), India (0.8%), the Philippines (0.8%), New Zealand (0.7%) and the Netherlands (0.3%) are the next most common birthplaces. Around 86.8% speak only English at home, and Malayalam, Mandarin, Filipino, Punjabi and Nepali are the most common other languages.
On religion, 36.1% answered No Religion, followed by Anglican (20.5%), Catholic (15.2%) and Uniting Church (4.1%).
Work and household income
Among residents, 46.9% work full-time and 37.4% part-time. The unemployment rate is 9.3%, against 5.1% nationally. The biggest employers by industry are hospitals (6.8%), aged care residential services (6.1%), other social assistance services (5%), supermarkets and grocery stores (4.4%) and takeaway food services (3.6%).
Median weekly household income is $968, compared with a national figure of $1,746, and 30.3% of households earn under $650 a week (national 16.5%). It is a modest-income town, and that is worth knowing before you arrive.
Schools, training and media
Public schools around Taree include 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 options in and around town include Manning District Adventist School at Tinonee, Manning Valley Anglican College at Cundletown, Midcoast Christian College at Kolodong, St Joseph's Primary School and St Clare's High School. For further study there are the North Coast Institute of TAFE, Taree Community College and the Australian Technical College, Manning Valley Campus.
The Manning River Times is the local newspaper. Four local radio stations operate: commercial 2RE and Max FM, and community 2BOB and 2TLP. ABC Mid North Coast comes in on 95.5FM and 756AM. Seven airs a local North Coast bulletin at 6 pm on weeknights, and NBN News runs at 5:30 pm. Rugby league is the most popular sport.
Getting to and from Taree
Taree is on the Pacific Highway, 317 km north of Sydney. Taree railway station on the North Coast line is served by NSW TrainLink services from Sydney to Grafton, Casino and Roma Street. Taree Airport was served by FlyPelican flights to Sydney until July 2022, so do not plan around a flight. See our page on Taree transfers for ways to get around.
If you are visiting before deciding, our Taree accommodation page and the wider Taree travel guide are good places to start. For state-wide planning, see Visit NSW, the official state tourism site, and for further background on the town, Wikipedia: Taree.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Taree from Sydney?
Taree is 317 km north of Sydney on the Pacific Highway. NSW TrainLink trains on the North Coast line also serve the town.
Does Taree flood?
Yes. The town is on the Manning River floodplain. The river reached 5.7 m in March 2021, and in May 2025 it surpassed its 1929 record.
How big is Taree?
The 2021 census recorded 16,715 people, with a median age of 45.