Map of New South Wales
New South Wales is a first-level division of Australia. Its largest mapped city is Sydney, with about 4.63 million people in the metropolitan area. The interactive map below is centred on New South Wales, and the tables list its 55 mapped cities along with the mountains, lakes, ports, World Heritage Sites nearest to them.
- Cities Mapped
- 55
- Largest City
- Sydney
- Country
- Australia
- Highest Point Mapped
- 2,228 m
Interactive Map of New South Wales
About New South Wales
New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a state on the east coast of Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria to the south, and South Australia to the west. Its coast borders the Coral and Tasman Seas to the east. The Australian Capital Territory and Jervis Bay Territory are enclaves within the state. New South Wales' state capital is Sydney, which is also Australia's most populous city. As of September 2025, the population of New South Wales was over 8.6 million, making it Australia's most populous state. Almost two-thirds of the state's population live in the Greater Sydney area.
The Colony of New South Wales was founded as a British penal colony in 1788. It originally comprised more than half of the Australian mainland with its western boundary set at 129th meridian east in 1825. The colony then also included the island territories of Van Diemen's Land, Lord Howe Island, and Norfolk Island. During the 19th century, most of the colony's area was detached to form separate British colonies that eventually became the various states and territories of Australia. The Swan River Colony (later called the Colony of Western Australia) was never administered as part of New South Wales.
Lord Howe Island remains part of New South Wales, while Norfolk Island became a federal territory, as have the areas now known as the Australian Capital Territory and the Jervis Bay Territory.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: New South Wales (CC BY-SA 4.0).
New South Wales in Depth
History
The original inhabitants of New South Wales were the Aboriginal people who arrived in Australia about 40,000 to 60,000 years ago. Before European settlement, an estimated 250,000 Aboriginal people inhabited the region.
In 1770, James Cook charted the unmapped eastern coast of the continent of New Holland, now Australia, and claimed the entire coastline that he had just explored as British territory. Contrary to his instructions, Cook did not gain the consent of the Aboriginal inhabitants. Cook originally named the land New Wales, but on his return voyage to Britain, he settled on the name New South Wales.
In January 1788, Arthur Phillip arrived in Botany Bay with the First Fleet of 11 vessels, which carried over a thousand settlers, including 736 convicts.
Geography
New South Wales is bordered on the north by Queensland, on the west by South Australia, on the south by Victoria and the east by the Coral and Tasman Seas. The Australian Capital Territory and the Jervis Bay Territory form a separately administered entity that is bordered entirely by New South Wales. The state can be divided geographically into four areas. New South Wales's three largest cities, Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong, lie near the centre of a narrow coastal strip extending from cool temperate areas on the far south coast to subtropical areas near the Queensland border. Gulaga National Park in the South Coast features the southernmost subtropical rainforest in the state.
Economy
NSW is the largest state economy in Australia, with service industries contributing almost 80% of the state's economic activity and 90% of its employment. Business services, which include financial services, professional, scientific and technical services, property services, information media, and telecommunications, account for nearly a third of the state economy. Major merchandise exports include coal, copper, beef and aluminium. In recent years, there has been strong growth in exports of education, tourism, and financial and business services.
Construction accounted for 8% of the NSW economy in 2020–21, while manufacturing contributed 6%, mining 2%, and agriculture, forestry and fishing just under 2%.
Coal and related products are the state's biggest merchandise export.
Demographics
As of September 2025, the estimated population of New South Wales was 8,600,500 people, representing approximately 30% of the nationwide population. Sydney was home to almost two-thirds of the NSW population.
At the 2021 census, 2,794,666 people were living in New South Wales who were born overseas, accounting for 34.6% of the population. Only 43.7% of the population had both parents born in Australia.
3.4% of the population, or 278,043 people, identified as Indigenous Australians (Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders) in 2021.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: New South Wales (CC BY-SA 4.0).
New South Wales: Key Facts
| Population | 8,545,100 (2024) |
|---|---|
| Area | 801,150 km² |
| Capital | Sydney |
| Head of government | Chris Minns |
| Highest point | Mount Kosciuszko |
| Established | 1788 |
Facts from Wikidata Q3224 (CC0).
History of New South Wales: Empires and States
The atlas records 3 polities whose mapped territory included part of New South Wales, from British Colonial Empire in 1796 CE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
| Polity | Period here |
|---|---|
| British Colonial Empire | 1796–1904 CE |
| The British Empire | 1796–1904 CE |
| Commonwealth of Australia | 1905–2024 CE |
Historical Maps of New South Wales
New South Wales on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Visiting New South Wales
New South Wales (NSW) is Australia's first and most populous state. Its capital, Sydney is the country's oldest, largest and most cosmopolitan city, centred on its spectacular harbour. The state's coastal areas offer endless sandy beaches next to sleepy coastal communities. The Great Dividing Range stretches the length of the state from north to south, including the world heritage listed Blue Mountains, much of its World Heritage listed Gondwana Rainforests, and the Southern Hemisphere's largest ski resorts in the Snowy Mountains. West of the range are the plains and the outback, gold mining, history and rural communities all the way to the red dust. Along the way you'll find Australia's premier wine regions of Mudgee and the Hunter Valley, the rainforests of the North Coast and New England, and hidden natural wonders to discover.
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: New South Wales (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Largest Cities in New South Wales
55 cities mapped. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sydney | 4.63 million | New South Wales | Admin-1 capital |
| 2 | Newcastle | 1.13 million | New South Wales | Populated place |
| 3 | Wollongong | 260,914 | New South Wales | Populated place |
| 4 | Albury | 104,258 | New South Wales | Populated place |
| 5 | Nowra | 94,781 | New South Wales | Populated place |
| 6 | Coffs Harbour | 62,978 | New South Wales | Populated place |
| 7 | Wagga Wagga | 55,381 | New South Wales | Populated place |
| 8 | Port Macquarie | 48,547 | New South Wales | Populated place |
| 9 | Taree | 44,182 | New South Wales | Populated place |
| 10 | Orange | 39,329 | New South Wales | Populated place |
| 11 | Tamworth | 38,551 | New South Wales | Populated place |
| 12 | Tweed Heads | 33,065 | New South Wales | Populated place |
| 13 | Dubbo | 31,574 | New South Wales | Populated place |
| 14 | Lismore | 31,430 | New South Wales | Populated place |
| 15 | Armidale | 22,673 | New South Wales | Populated place |
| 16 | Katoomba | 22,076 | New South Wales | Populated place |
| 17 | Goulburn | 20,940 | New South Wales | Populated place |
| 18 | Echuca | 19,457 | New South Wales | Populated place |
| 19 | Maitland | 18,625 | New South Wales | Populated place |
| 20 | Forster-Tuncurry | 17,591 | New South Wales | Populated place |
| 21 | Broken Hill | 17,395 | New South Wales | Populated place |
| 22 | Griffith | 15,455 | New South Wales | Populated place |
| 23 | Ballina | 14,242 | New South Wales | Populated place |
| 24 | Richmond | 13,880 | New South Wales | Populated place |
| 25 | Singleton | 13,813 | New South Wales | Populated place |
The other 30 (population, region, role)
- Kempsey · 11,840 · New South Wales · Populated place
- Muswellbrook · 11,630 · New South Wales · Populated place
- Parkes · 11,137 · New South Wales · Populated place
- Lithgow · 11,128 · New South Wales · Populated place
- Batemans Bay · 10,557 · New South Wales · Populated place
- Kiama · 10,379 · New South Wales · Populated place
- Grafton · 9,955 · New South Wales · Populated place
- Ulladulla · 9,250 · New South Wales · Populated place
- Inverell · 8,561 · New South Wales · Populated place
- Moree · 8,203 · New South Wales · Populated place
- Deniliquin · 8,024 · New South Wales · Populated place
- Young · 7,501 · New South Wales · Populated place
- Leeton · 7,299 · New South Wales · Populated place
- Gunnedah · 7,148 · New South Wales · Populated place
- Narrabri · 7,082 · New South Wales · Populated place
- Cowra · 6,795 · New South Wales · Populated place
- Byron Bay · 6,764 · New South Wales · Populated place
- Tumut · 6,526 · New South Wales · Populated place
- Cooma · 6,520 · New South Wales · Populated place
- Merimbula · 6,367 · New South Wales · Populated place
- Bathurst · 6,111 · New South Wales · Populated place
- Mudgee · 5,391 · New South Wales · Populated place
- Forbes · 4,838 · New South Wales · Populated place
- Scone · 4,624 · New South Wales · Populated place
- Goondiwindi · 4,251 · New South Wales · Populated place
- Central Coast · 3,026 · New South Wales · Populated place
- Bourke · 2,475 · New South Wales · Populated place
- Yamba · 1,806 · New South Wales · Populated place
- Wilcannia · 442 · New South Wales · Populated place
- Ivanhoe · 265 · New South Wales · Populated place
Highest Mountains in New South Wales
5 mountains mapped. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Elevation | Feet | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mount Kosciuszko | 2,228 m | 7,310 ft | Oceania |
| 2 | Mount Bogong | 1,986 m | 6,516 ft | Oceania |
| 3 | Round Mtn | 1,608 m | 5,276 ft | Oceania |
| 4 | Barrington Tops | 1,555 m | 5,102 ft | Oceania |
| 5 | Mount Warning | 1,156 m | 3,793 ft | Oceania |
Largest Lakes in New South Wales
3 lakes mapped. Ranked by mapped surface area. A lake on a border is listed under each country it lies in, with the area of the whole lake. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Surface Area | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burrendong Reservoir | 224 km² | Reservoir |
| 2 | Lake Hume | 180 km² | Reservoir |
| 3 | Wyangala Reservoir | 46 km² | Reservoir |
Ports in New South Wales
6 ports mapped. Ranked by approach channel depth, the figure that limits which ships can call. Harbours link to their write-up on the page of the sea or coast they lie on. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Channel Depth | Class | Sea | Max Vessel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ballina | 53 m | Small | Australia & New Zealand | medium vessels |
| 2 | Eden | 38.4 m | Very Small | Australia & New Zealand | medium vessels |
| 3 | Botany Bay | 27.4 m | Small | Australia & New Zealand | large vessels |
| 4 | Newcastle | 27.4 m | Major | Australia & New Zealand | large vessels |
| 5 | Port Kembla | 23.8 m | Minor | Australia & New Zealand | large vessels |
| 6 | Jervis Bay | 5.5 m | Very Small | Australia & New Zealand | point_of_interest |
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in New South Wales
3 World Heritage Sites mapped. Listed by year of inscription, earliest first. Sites shared with another country appear under each. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Inscribed | Type | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gondwana Rainforests of Australia | 1986 | Natural | (viii) (ix) (x) |
| 2 | Greater Blue Mountains Area | 2000 | Natural | (ix) (x) |
| 3 | Australian Convict Sites | 2010 | Cultural | (iv) (vi) |
New South Wales: Quick Answers
- Where is New South Wales?
- New South Wales is a first-level division of Australia, in Oceania. Its mapped cities centre on 32.6287° S, 149.8088° E.
- What is the largest city in New South Wales?
- Sydney is the largest city mapped in New South Wales, with a metropolitan population of about 4.63 million.
- How many cities are in New South Wales?
- YearMaps maps 55 cities and towns in New South Wales, with a combined metropolitan population of about 7.01 million. This counts mapped settlements, not every municipality.
- What is the highest mountain in New South Wales?
- The highest summit mapped in New South Wales is Mount Kosciuszko at 2,228 m.
- What is the largest lake in New South Wales?
- The largest lake mapped in or beside New South Wales is Burrendong Reservoir, at about 224 km².