Woodburn is a small highway town on the banks of the
Richmond River
The Richmond River is a river situated in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia.
Course and features
The river rises at the northern end of the Richmond Range, near its junction with the McPherson Range, on the Queensl ...
in
New South Wales
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, 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.
Until the town was bypassed in September 2020, the busy
Pacific Highway passed through the centre of town.
Woodburn is 712 km north of the state capital,
Sydney, and 34 km south of the regional city of
Lismore.
Prior to the arrival of European settlers in the 1840s, the Woodburn area—known as Maniworkan to the Indigenous inhabitants—was the home of the
Bundjalung people
The Bundjalung people, also spelt Bunjalung, Badjalang and Bandjalang, are Aboriginal Australians who are the original custodians of the northern coastal area of New South Wales, Australia, located approximately northeast of Sydney, an area th ...
. Woodburn was an important river port until the decline in river transportation along the Richmond led to a decline in the town's own fortunes. Prior to being bypassed, the income associated with the town's position on one of Australia's major highways was important to the local economy, as are the fields of sugar cane surrounding the town. The tourist resort of
Evans Head is 10 km south-east of Woodburn.
Woodburn is part of the
Richmond Valley Shire, the administrative headquarters of which is in nearby
Casino
A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live entertai ...
. Huge flooding
inundated the town for days in February 2022, destroying many homes, businesses and vehicles.
Schools
Woodburn Public SchoolSt Joseph's Primary School
References
External links
Richmond Valley Shire homepage
from the '' Sydney Morning Herald''
Towns in New South Wales
Northern Rivers
Richmond Valley Council
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