Port Macquarie is a coastal town in the local government area of

Port Macquarie-Hastings Port Macquarie-Hastings Council is a local government area in the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. The area is located adjacent to the Hastings River, the Pacific Highway, the Oxley Highway and the North Coast railway lin ...

. It is located on the

Mid North Coast The Mid North Coast is a country region in the north-east of the state of New South Wales, Australia. The region covers the mid northern coast of the state, beginning from Port Stephens north of Sydney, and extending as far north as Woolgoo ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, Australia, about north of

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

, and south of

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

. The town is located on the

Tasman Sea The Tasman Sea (Māori: ''Te Tai-o-Rēhua'', ) is a marginal sea of the South Pacific Ocean, situated between Australia and New Zealand. It measures about across and about from north to south. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abe ...

coast, at the mouth of the

Hastings River Hastings River (Birpai: ''Doongang''), an open and trained intermediate wave dominated barrier estuary, is located in the Northern Tablelands and Mid North Coast districts of New South Wales, Australia. Course and features Hastings River rise ...

, and at the eastern end of the

Oxley Highway Oxley Highway is a rural highway in New South Wales, Australia, linking Nevertire, Gilgandra, Coonabarabran, Tamworth, and Walcha to Port Macquarie, on the coast of the Tasman Sea. It was named to commemorate John Oxley, the first European t ...

(B56). The town with its suburbs had a population of 47,973 in June 2018. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018.

History

Port Macquarie sits within Birpai (Biripi, Birripai, Bripi, Biripai,

Birrbay The Birrbay people, also spelt Birpai, Biripi, Birippi and variant spellings, are an Aboriginal Australian people of New South Wales. They and share a dialect continuum with the Worimi people. Language The Gathang language (aka Gadjang or Wor ...

) country, and the Birpai people are recognised as the traditional custodians of the land on which Port Macquarie is located. Port Macquarie was long known to the Birpai people as Guruk. The Birpai Local Aboriginal Land Council provides positive support, information and responsible governance for the Aboriginal community, while also cultivating strong links with the broader community. The site of Port Macquarie was first visited by Europeans in 1818 when John Oxley reached the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

from the interior, after his journey to explore inland New South Wales. He named the location after the Governor of New South Wales,

Lachlan Macquarie Major-general (United Kingdom), Major General Lachlan Macquarie, Companion of the Order of the Bath, CB (; gd, Lachann MacGuaire; 31 January 1762 – 1 July 1824) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator from Scotland. Macquarie se ...

. Oxley noted that "the port abounds with fish, the sharks were larger and more numerous than I have ever before observed. The forest hills and rising grounds abounded with large kangaroos and the marshes afford shelter and support to innumerable wildfowl. Independent of the Hastings River, the area is generally well watered, there is a fine spring at the very entrance to the Port." In 1821, Port Macquarie was founded as a

penal settlement A penal colony or exile colony is a settlement used to exile prisoners and separate them from the general population by placing them in a remote location, often an island or distant colonial territory. Although the term can be used to refer to ...

, replacing

Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...

as the destination for convicts who had committed secondary crimes in New South Wales. Newcastle, which had fulfilled this role for the previous two decades, had lost the features required for a place for dumping irredeemable criminals, that being isolation, which was lost as the

Hunter Region The Hunter Region, also commonly known as the Hunter Valley, is a region of New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney. It contains the Hunter River and its tributaries with highland areas to the north and so ...

was opened up to farmers, and large amounts of hard labor, which had diminished as the cedar in the area ran out and the settlement grew in size. Port Macquarie, however, with its thick bush, tough terrain and local aboriginals that were keen to return escaping prisoners in return for tobacco and blankets, provided large amounts of both isolation and hard labour to keep the criminals in control. Under its first commandant,

Francis Allman Francis Allman was a commissioned officer of the British Army and was born in County Clare, Ireland on 1 November 1780. He enlisted as an ensign in the Queen's Royal RegimentFoot with his brother John in 1794.Francis Allman, Allman's of Australi ...

, who was fond of

flogging Flagellation (Latin , 'whip'), flogging or whipping is the act of beating the human body with special implements such as whips, rods, switches, the cat o' nine tails, the sjambok, the knout, etc. Typically, flogging has been imposed on ...

, the settlement became a hell, where the convicts had limited liberties, especially in regard to being in possession of letters and writing papers, which could get a convict up to 100 lashes. The penal settlement lasted from April 1820 to c. 15 August 1830. The settlement peaked with 1500 convicts by 1825 but by 1828 this had fallen to 530. The commanders of the settlement were: *

, March 1821–1824 *Captain Rolland succeeded Allman in April 1824 *Lieutenant Carmac, 1824 *Henry Gillman in January 1824– *

Archibald Clunes Innes Archibald Clunes Innes (1799–1857) was a soldier and pastoralist from Thrumster, Caithness, Scotland. When he arrived in Australia in 1822 he was a captain in the Third Regiment (Buffs), on the ship ''Eliza'', in charge of 170 convicts. Inne ...

1826–1827 Because of the lack of liberties of the settlement,

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Ralph Darling General Sir Ralph Darling, GCH (1772 – 2 April 1858) was a British Army officer who served as Governor of New South Wales from 1825 to 1831. He is popularly described as a tyrant, accused of torturing prisoners and banning theatrical entertai ...

quickly sent there many 'specials' or literate convicts with a decent education who had voiced negative views about him. Later on in the settlement's history, in the 1830s, disabled convicts started to arrive. One-armed men would be grouped together and required to break stones, men with wooden legs would become delivery men, and the blind would often be given tasks during the night which they performed more skilfully than those with sight.

In 1823 the first sugar cane to be cultivated in Australia was planted there. The region was first opened to settlers in 1830 and later on in the decade the penal settlement was closed in favour of a new penal settlement at

Moreton Bay Moreton Bay is a bay located on the eastern coast of Australia from central Brisbane, Queensland. It is one of Queensland's most important coastal resources. The waters of Moreton Bay are a popular destination for recreational anglers and are ...

. Settlers quickly took advantage of the area's good pastoral land, timber resources and fisheries. St Thomas's Anglican Church is a

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

building designed by

Francis Greenway Francis Howard Greenway (20 November 1777 – September 1837) was an English-born architect who was transported to Australia as a convict for the crime of forgery. In New South Wales he worked for the Governor, Lachlan Macquarie, as Australia's ...

and built, under the supervision of military engineer Lieutenant T. Owen, by convicts from 1824 to 1828. This church is among the oldest in Australia and one of the few remaining convict-built churches. Inside there are red cedar

box pew A box pew is a type of church pew that is encased in panelling and was prevalent in England and other Protestant countries from the 16th to early 19th centuries. History in England Before the rise of Protestantism, seating was not customary in chu ...

s that were peculiar to that period in church architecture. The Walker pipe organ is the only one of its type in the southern hemisphere. The castellated tower permits excellent views of the coastline, town and river. This church is now classified by the

National Trust of Australia The National Trust of Australia, officially the Australian Council of National Trusts (ACNT), is the Australian national peak body for community-based, non-government non-profit organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's Ind ...

(NSW) and has been registered on the National Estate heritage list. In 1830 Major Archibald Clunes Innes built Lake Innes House which grew over the next decade into a luxurious establishment and attracted many notable visitors. It is now a ruin and is managed by the NSW Parks and Wildlife Service. In 1840 the "Wool Road" from the

Northern Tablelands The Northern Tablelands, also known as the New England Tableland, is a plateau and a region of the Great Dividing Range in northern New South Wales, Australia. It includes the New England Range, the narrow highlands area of the New England regio ...

was under construction to enable

wool Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool. As ...

and other produce to be shipped from the port. Port Macquarie was declared a municipality in 1887, but the town never progressed as a port owing to a notorious coastal bar across the mouth of the river. Over 20 shipwrecks occurred in the Tacking Point area before a lighthouse was designed by

James Barnet James Johnstone Barnet, (1827 in Almericlose, Arbroath, Scotland – 16 December 1904 in Forest Lodge, Sydney, New South Wales) was the Colonial Architect for Colonial New South Wales, serving from 1862 to 1890. Early life Born the son of a ...

and erected there in 1879 by Shepard and Mortley.

Tacking Point Lighthouse Tacking Point Lighthouse is Australia's thirteenth oldest lighthouse. It was built on a rocky headland about 8 kilometres south of Port Macquarie in 1879 by Shepherd and Joseph William Mortley, to a design by the New South Wales Colonial Arch ...

is classified by the National Trust of Australia (NSW). Writer

Louis Becke George Lewis Becke (or Louis Becke; 18 June 1855 – 18 February 1913) was an Australian Pacific trader, short story writer and novelist. Early life Becke was born at Port Macquarie, New South Wales, son of Frederick Becke, Clerk of Petty Ses ...

was born and grew up in the town in the 1860s and later recalled those days, saying Port Macquarie was an, In the 1970s, Grace Easterbrook, a retired secretary from Scotland, began a campaign against the high-rise developments which were multiplying up the coast. She led a group of citizen activists in lobbying against a large development on Windmill Hill and other efforts to conserve the coast. In 1974, residents of Port Macquarie requested that the

Builders Labourers Federation The Builders Labourers Federation (BLF) was an Australian trade union that existed from 1911 until 1972, and from 1976 until 1986, when it was permanently deregistered in various Australian states by the federal Hawke Labor government and some ...

place a

green ban A green ban is a form of strike action, usually taken by a trade union or other organised labour group, which is conducted for environmentalist or conservationist purposes. They were mainly done in Australia in the 1970s, led by the Builders Labo ...

against the construction of high rise buildings on beach head and water front. Easterbrook died in 1984, before the culmination of her conservation efforts, the beautiful coastal walks, were completed. Severe flooding occurred in March 2021 when the

flooded during a severe weather event affecting much of New South Wales.

Heritage listings

Port Macquarie has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: *

Port Macquarie First Burying Ground Port Macquarie First Burying Ground is a heritage-listed former cemetery and now public park at Clarence Street, Port Macquarie, Port Macquarie-Hastings Council, New South Wales, Australia. The site was chosen by Captain Allman, and it was in ...

Port Macquarie Government House Site Port Macquarie Government House Site is a heritage-listed archaeological site at 2 Clarence Street, Port Macquarie, Port Macquarie-Hastings Council, New South Wales, Australia. It was built from 1824 to 1826 by convict labour. The property is o ...

Hastings Historical Society Museum Hastings Historical Society Museum is a heritage-listed former retail store and now museum at 22 Clarence Street, Port Macquarie, Port Macquarie-Hastings Council, New South Wales, Australia. It was built from 1835 to 1840 by William Stokes. It ...

* Overseers' Cottages Remains *

Old Port Macquarie Courthouse Old Port Macquarie Courthouse is a heritage-listed former courthouse and now justice museum at Clarence Street (cnr), Port Macquarie, Port Macquarie-Hastings Council, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by James Barnet and built in 1869 ...

Port Macquarie Second Burying Ground Port Macquarie Second Burying Ground is a heritage-listed former cemetery at Gordon Street, Port Macquarie, Port Macquarie-Hastings Council, New South Wales, Australia. It was in use from 1824 to 1886. The property is owned by Port Macquarie-Ha ...

* St Thomas Anglican' Church *

Lake Innes House Ruins Lake Innes House Ruins is a heritage-listed former rural holding and residence and now interpretative site and ruin at The Ruins Way, Port Macquarie, Port Macquarie-Hastings City Council, New South Wales, Australia. It was built from 1831 to 18 ...

Population

In 1847, the population was 819, of whom 599 were males and 220 were female. The gender disparity was probably due to the penal station there at the time. The estimated urban population of Port Macquarie was 47,973 as at June 2018, having grown 1.8% on prior year and from 41,496 over the prior decade. Port Macquarie is expected to be the fastest growing place in New South Wales. The town is expected to grow from an estimated 43,655 people in 2009 to 58,888 in 2027. According to the 2016 census of Population, there were 45,379 people in Port Macquarie. * Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 3.9% of the population. * 80.2% of people were born in Australia. The most common countries of birth were England 4.6%, New Zealand 1.5%, Scotland 0.6%, Germany 0.5% and South Africa 0.4%. * 90.2% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Mandarin 0.2%, Spanish 0.2%, French 0.2% and German 0.2%. * The most common responses for religion were No Religion 26.0%, Catholic 24.5% and Anglican 23.0%. CC-BY icon

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General

Port Macquarie is a coastal destination, known for its extensive beaches and waterways. The town is also known for its

koala The koala or, inaccurately, koala bear (''Phascolarctos cinereus''), is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia. It is the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae and its closest living relatives are the womb ...

population, being the home to the Billabong Zoo (a wildlife park and koala breeding center) and the Koala Preservation Society's Koala Hospital, caring for koalas injured through bushfire, dog attacks and collisions with vehicles. In 2016 the

war memorial A war memorial is a building, monument, statue, or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or (predominating in modern times) to commemorate those who died or were injured in a war. Symbolism Historical usage It has ...

was relocated from Town Green to its original location at the intersection of Clarence and Horton Streets. The residential suburbs stretch to Lighthouse Beach in the south, Thrumster to the west and to North Shore, on the northern bank of the river. In July 2010, Sovereign Hills began development in the west. Port Macquarie was found to be the least affordable smaller market in Australia by Demographia's 2013 International Housing Affordability Survey.

Sister and friendship cities

Handa, Aichi is a city located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 118,259 in 51,846 households, and a population density of 2,494 persons per km2. The total area of the city was . Geography Handa is located in northeaster ...

, Japan

Suburbs and localities

Central business district

Port Macquarie's central business district contains two shopping centres, many specialty stores, a marina, and the starting point for the 9 km coastal walk, a scenic walking trail that travels from Westport Park, through the Port Macquarie CBD to Tacking Point Lighthouse. The Glasshouse, a centrally located arts, conference and entertainment centre, includes a visitor-information facility. Bus services link the town with Laurieton, Wauchope, Kempsey,

Lake Cathie Lake Cathie is a town in New South Wales, Australia about 15 minutes drive south of Port Macquarie. At the , it had a population of 4,296. The Birpai (also known as Birrbay) people have lived in this area for more than 40,000 years. Commerc ...

and

Bonny Hills Bonny Hills is a town in New South Wales, Australia on the Tasman Sea coast about 18 km south of Port Macquarie. The Wauchope–Bonny Hills Surf Life Saving Club is the longest established organisation within the town and has been continu ...

. The main shopping centre Port Central, sits next to the Glasshouse, a hub of culture and entertainment, boasting a 594-seat theatre, performance and art studio, gallery, Visitor Information Centre, shop and theatre bar. One of Australia's largest internet finance comparison websites, Credit Card Compare, now called Finty, was founded in Port Macquarie by Andrew and David Boyd.

Transit Hill

Transit Hill to the south is crowned by telecommunication towers. The district is the site of two arterial roads which provide a direct link between Lighthouse Beach and Port Macquarie CBD. The main intersection of Pacific and Kennedy Drive is situated midway up Transit Hill. It is an area of high-priced real estate owing to ocean and city views. Transit Hill borders Lighthouse Beach, Dahlsford, Shelly Beach and Waniora.

Sovereign Hills

Sovereign Hills is a newer development in Port Macquarie, between the locality of Thrumster to the east, and the Pacific Highway to the west. Its development is currently managed by the Lewis Land Group. Most recent press releases have suggested that the area will have around 2500 homes when complete. St Joseph's Regional College moved from its previous location on Warlters Street to Sovereign Hills in 2009. A town centre is planned for opening in 2019, and has been advertised to initially include a supermarket, pharmacy and a café. The local organisation Hastings Co-Op has announced that they will operate the supermarket to be built in this new town centre.

Beaches and attractions

Beaches (in order from north to south) are: North Shore, Town Beach, Oxley Beach, Rocky Beach, Flynns Beach, Nobbys Beach, Shelly Beach, Miners Beach (unofficial clothing-optional) and Lighthouse Beach. Only Town, Flynns and Lighthouse Beaches are staffed by

Surf Life Saving Club Surf Life Saving Clubs (or SLSCs) are volunteer institutions at Australia's beaches.{{cite news, last1=Moody, first1=Sherele, title=Surf Life Saving Australia: Safety at the beach isn't cheap, url=https://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/Being-sa ...

s. Lighthouse Beach is patrolled at only the northern end. Dogs can be walked off-leash at Lighthouse Beach, south of Watonga Rocks, excluding sections at the northern end and Nobbys Beach.

Sea Acres National Park The Sea Acres National Park is a national park that is located in the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, in eastern Australia. The park is situated near the town of Port Macquarie. The park is a popular tourist area with a long boardw ...

is adjacent to Shelly Beach and contains a Visitor Centre with access controlled rainforest boardwalk.

Climate

Port Macquarie has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

('' Cfa'') with warm, humid summers and mild winters, with frequent rainfall spread throughout the year. In winter and spring, the town can occasionally be affected by

foehn winds A Foehn or Föhn (, , ), is a type of dry, relatively warm, downslope wind that occurs in the lee (downwind side) of a mountain range. It is a rain shadow wind that results from the subsequent adiabatic warming of air that has dropped most of ...

due to its leeward position of the

Great Dividing Range The Great Dividing Range, also known as the East Australian Cordillera or the Eastern Highlands, is a cordillera system in eastern Australia consisting of an expansive collection of mountain ranges, plateaus and rolling hills, that runs rough ...

. The town receives 118.9 clear days annually. In addition, it is the northernmost city on the coast to receive southerly busters, although they are not as intense as those in the southern coast. Previous site, Port Macquarie (Hill Street). This site is now closed and data is now taken from the airport AWS which is located 4.4 km away.

Educational facilities

Preschools/Child Care *Bangalay Child Care Centre Port Macquarie *Blooming Kids Early Learning and Long Day Care Centre *Columba Cottage Early Learning Centre *Fernhill Road Preschool and Long Day Care Centre *Goodstart Early Learning Port Macquarie *Hastings Preschool and Long Day Care Centre *Joey's House Early Education Centre *Lighthouse Child Care Centre *Moruya Drive Child Care Centre *Port Macquarie Community Preschool *Port Macquarie Early Learning Centre *Portside Preschool and Long Day Care Centre *St Agnes Early Education Centre *St.Joseph's Family Services *St.Joseph's Preschool and Long Day Care Centre

Primary schools

Public schools

* Port Macquarie Public School
Hastings Public School
* Tacking Point Public School * Westport Public School

Catholic schools

* St. Joseph's Primary School * St. Peter's Primary School * St. Agnes' Primary School

Other private schools

* Port Macquarie Adventist School * Heritage Christian School (Kindergarten to Year 12) * St Columba Anglican School (Kindergarten to Year 12)

High schools

Public schools

* Hasting Secondary College ** Port Macquarie Campus (formerly Port Macquarie High School) ** Westport Campus (formerly Westport High School)

Catholic schools

* St. Joseph's Regional College * MacKillop College (formerly St. Paul's High School & MacKillop Senior College) * Newman Senior Technical College (Year 11 & 12)

Private schools

* Heritage Christian School (Kindergarten to Year 12) * St Columba Anglican School (Kindergarten to Year 12)

Tertiary educational facilities

Charles Sturt University Port Macquarie campus

Three universities and TAFE offer a range of courses in Port Macquarie, as well as other vocational institutions
Charles Sturt University
opened a new campus in 2016, and offers courses in Creative Industries, Psychology, Medical Imaging and Medical Radiation Science, Environmental Sciences, Paramedicine, Social Work, Business Studies and Accounting, Criminal Justice Studies, Exercise Sports Science and Physiotherapy, among others. Nursing will be offered from 2020. There is a

TAFE Technical and further education or simply TAFE (), is the common name in English-speaking countries in Oceania for vocational education, as a subset of tertiary education. TAFE institutions provide a wide range of predominantly vocational cours ...

campus for further qualifications and pathway options into higher education. Courses are also offered by the University of Newcastle through the TAFE campus. The University of New South Wales has run a clinical school from Port Macquarie since 2007, and now runs the complete six-year medical degree from this Campus. The growth in tertiary educational options in the region has been in response to significant research designed to retain young people in the area and contribute to the growth of the educational standards for the Hastings region.

Transport links

Port Macquarie Airport Port Macquarie Airport is an airport in Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia. The airport is westAeronautical Chart of the city centre and is owned and managed by the Port Macquarie-Hastings Council on behalf of its owners - the constit ...

( west of town) has regular flights to Sydney with

QantasLink QantasLink is a regional brand of Australian airline Qantas and is an affiliate member of the Oneworld airline alliance. It is a major competitor to Regional Express Airlines and Virgin Australia Regional Airlines. As of September 2010 Qantas ...

(5 times daily) and

Virgin Australia Virgin Australia, the trading name of Virgin Australia Airlines Pty Ltd, is an Australian-based airline. It is the largest airline by fleet size to use the Virgin Group, Virgin brand. It commenced services on 31 August 2000 as ''Virgin Blue ...

(twice daily), and to

Lord Howe Island Lord Howe Island (; formerly Lord Howe's Island) is an irregularly crescent-shaped volcanic remnant in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, part of the Australian state of New South Wales. It lies directly east of mainland P ...

with QantasLink and

with Virgin Australia. There is no railway station in Port Macquarie. However, the Port Macquarie CBD and northern suburbs are served by the nearby

Wauchope railway station Wauchope railway station is located on the North Coast line, in New South Wales, Australia. It serves the town of Wauchope, opening on 12 April 1915 when the line was extended from Taree. It was the terminus of the line until it was extended ...

(17 km west of town), and the southern suburbs including satellite towns of

and Laurieton are served by

Kendall railway station Kendall railway station is located on the North Coast line in New South Wales, Australia. It serves the town of Kendall, opening on 12 April 1915 when the line was extended from Taree to Wauchope. In 1917, a locomotive depot was established ...

( southwest). Both stations are on the North Coast Line operated by

NSW TrainLink NSW TrainLink is a train and coach operator in Australia, providing services throughout New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, along with limited interstate services into Victoria, Queensland and South Australia. Its primary interc ...

with 3 services daily in each direction towards either Newcastle and Sydney or northwards to Grafton, with travel time to Sydney of approximately 6 hours. There is a railway-operated connecting bus service available from Wauchope railway station to the Port Macquarie CBD. Road access is via the

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

and

Oxley Oxley may refer to: Places Australia Australian Capital Territory * Oxley, Australian Capital Territory is a suburb of Canberra, Australia Queensland *Oxley, Queensland is a suburb of Brisbane, Australia ** Oxley railway station, Brisba ...

Highways. The Pacific Highway lies between Port Macquarie and Wauchope, and is the main road for tourists travelling from coastal areas. Four significant nearby road projects have been completed in recent years to help with road traffic issues in the area: * Pacific Highway – Karuah to

Bulahdelah Bulahdelah is a town and locality in the Hunter/Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, Australia in the Mid-Coast Council local government area. At the 2016 census, the locality had a population of 1,424. The main population centre, where ...

section 2 and 3 (Karuah to Bulahdelah section 1 – Completed December 2006). * Pacific Highway – Bulahdelah Bypass The Bulahdelah bypass/upgrade fills the only missing Pacific Highway link between Hexham and Port Macquarie after the opening of the Karuah to Bulahdelah section(s) 2 and 3 and the Coopernook to Herons Creek upgrade. * Pacific Highway – Coopernook to Herons Creek. * The Oxley Highway upgrade, from a 2 lane undivided road to a 4-lane divided carriageway, from Wrights Road to the Pacific Highway. These four projects are all from the AusLink funding on a joint basis from the Commonwealth and the state of NSW making equal financial contributions.

Annual events

Notable events held in the Port Macquarie area include: * ArtWalk (variable dates mid year) * Mountain Bike Festival of Australia – Port Macquarie (first weekend of June) * Festival of the Sun (December) * NSW Touch State Cup (first weekend in December) * NSW Touch Junior State Cup (February) * Port Macquarie Kart Racing Club's Pacific Coast Titles * Hello Koalas Festival, established 2017, is the world's first festival celebrating the

and is held annually in September. Port Macquarie has the largest koala population on the east coast of Australia.

Notable people

Ryley Batt Ryley Batt, (born 22 May 1989) is an Australian wheelchair rugby player. He has won two gold and one silver medal at five Paralympic Games. Biography Ryley Douglas Batt was born on 22 May 1989 without legs and had surgery to separate his ...

, OAM (born 1989), wheelchair rugby player * George Louis Becke (1855–1913) author *

Phil Carey Philip Carey (born Eugene Joseph Carey, July 15, 1925February 6, 2009) was an American actor. Early life and education On July 15, 1925, Carey was born in Hackensack, New Jersey.Nick Cummins Nicholas Mark Cummins (born 5 October 1987), known by his nickname The Honey Badger, is an Australian former professional rugby union player and television personality. He played for the Western Force in Super Rugby and for Coca-Cola Red Spa ...

(born 1987), rugby union player *

Nabil Elderkin Nabil Elderkin is an American-born Australian film and music video director and photographer, who is of Iranian and American descent. He is mononymously credited as Nabil in his videos. Elderkin has directed videos for musical artists such as: ...

(born 1982) attended Port Macquarie High School. Film and music video director and photographer having worked with

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...

Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper and songwriter. Known for his Progressive rap, progressive musical styles and Social consciousness, socially conscious songwriting, he is often considered one of the most infl ...

Frank Ocean Christopher Francis "Frank" Ocean (born Christopher Edwin Breaux; October 28, 1987), is an American singer, songwriter, and rapper. His works are noted by music critics for featuring avant-garde styles and introspective, elliptical lyrics. Ocean ...

John Legend John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and record producer. He began his musical career by working behind the scenes, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's " Ever ...

Jay Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...

and

Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accent ...

. First photographer to shoot Kanye West and works with him and Kim Kardashian to this day. *

Michael Eppelstun Michael "Eppo" Eppelstun is an Australian professional bodyboarder who won the bodyboarding world championship in 1993. In winning the competition, he became the first Australian and the first non-Hawaiian to win the World title. Eppo helped dev ...

, first Australian to be world

bodyboarding Bodyboarding is a water sport in which the surfer rides a bodyboard on the crest, face, and curl of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore. Bodyboarding is also referred to as ''Boogieboarding'' due to the invention of the "Boogie ...

champion (1993) * Damian King, world bodyboarding champion (2003, 2004) *

James Magnussen James Magnussen (born 11 April 1991) is a retired Australian swimmer and Olympic medallist. He was the 2011 and 2013 100-metre freestyle world champion, and holds the record for the fifth fastest swim in history in the 100-metre freestyle, wi ...

(born 1991), Olympic swimming medallistJames Magnussen
,

Australian Olympic Committee Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Aus ...

Lachlan Morton Lachlan David Morton (born 2 January 1992) is an Australian professional road racing cyclist and mountain biker, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . Career Born and raised in Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia, Morton spent the 201 ...

(born 1992), road cyclist for EF Education First Pro Cycling * Aleyce Simmonds (born 1986), country music singer-songwriter *

Nancy Wake Nancy Grace Augusta Wake, (30 August 1912 – 7 August 2011), also known as Madame Fiocca and Nancy Fiocca, was a nurse and journalist who joined the French Resistance and later the Special Operations Executive (SOE) during World War II, and b ...

(1912–2011) lived here from c. 1985 until c. 2001 *

Garth Walden Garth Walden is best known as a race driver in his native Australia. He is the son of well-known Sydney race specialist Brian Walden. He has raced in various classes, probably known for his V8 Supercar Season in 2004, driving a privately entered ...

(born 1981), racing driver

References

External links

*
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council

Port Macquarie tourist information
{{authority control Towns in New South Wales Mid North Coast Coastal towns in New South Wales Port Macquarie-Hastings Council Green bans