Macksville is a small town on the Nambucca River in the Nambucca Valley,

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. It is halfway between

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 Mounta ...

and

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...

, along the Pacific Highway, approximately 40 minutes north of Kempsey, 40 minutes south of

Coffs Harbour Coffs Harbour is a city on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, north of Sydney, and south of Brisbane. It is one of the largest urban centres on the North Coast, with a population of 78,759 as per 2021 census. The Gumbaynggirr ...

, 1 hour 10 minutes north of

Port Macquarie Port Macquarie is a coastal town in the local government area of Port Macquarie-Hastings. It is located on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, about north of Sydney, and south of Brisbane. The town is located on the Tasman Se ...

, 5 hours south of

and 5 hours north of Sydney.

Demographics

At the , Macksville had a population of 2,785, despite the sign at the entrance to the town claiming a population of 7000. This included 236 (8.5%) Indigenous persons and 2,302 (83%) others born in Australia.

Facilities

It is home to the Macksville Bridge, Macksville RSL, and Star Hotel, located on River Street and overlooking the Nambucca River. The Nambucca Valley Council chambers are located in Macksville.

History

Macksville was named after Angus Mackay and Hugh McNally, who built the Star Hotel in 1885. The town became Macks Village before changing to Macksville. ''Nambucca'' Post Office opened on 1 August 1868 and was renamed ''Macksville'' in 1889. The first Nambucca River road bridge that carried the Pacific Highway, opened on 12 December 1931 replacing a ferry service. Australian Test cricketer Phillip Hughes, who was born and raised in Macksville, was struck on the neck by a cricket ball in a

Sheffield Shield The Sheffield Shield (currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Marsh Sheffield Shield) is the domestic first-class cricket competition of Australia. The tournament is contested between teams from the six states of Australia. Sheffield Sh ...

match in November 2014, and died several days later. The funeral, held at Macksville High School, brought global attention to the quiet country town. In December 2017, the Pacific Highway bridge bypassing the town, over the Nambucca River, was named in his honour.

Heritage listings

Macksville has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: * North Coast railway: Macksville railway station * River Street: Macksville Post Office

Media

Radio stations accessible in Macksville include Triple M (2CS-FM 106.3 and 2MC-FM 106.7),

hit Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization ...

(105.5 & 105.1) and

Triple J Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greater emphasis on broad ...

(91.5 & 96.3). There is also a Nambucca Valley community radio station (2NVR 105.9FM) which focuses on the Macksville, Bowraville, Nambucca Heads and surrounding communities. Local papers include the Midcoast Observer, Hibiscus Happynings and Guardian News. There are no local television stations but all major free-to-air networks broadcast to the town.

Sport and recreation

Macksville has a strong sporting history. Each November it holds NSW's oldest professional foot race, the 120m Macksville Gift. Macksville is known for its passion for rugby league and has been the home of Group 2 Rugby League club Macksville Sea Eagles since 1912. Between 2002 and 2007 Macksville won five Group 2 titles.

Notable people

Daniel Fitzhenry Daniel Fitzhenry (born 8 December 1979) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s. He played for the Wests Tigers in the NRL and Hull Kingston Rovers in the Super League. He primarily played on the . ...

, rugby league player for Wests Tigers * Matt Gillett, rugby league player for Brisbane Broncos and Australia * Phillip Hughes, Test cricketer *

Greg Inglis Gregory Paul Inglis (born 15 January 1987), also known by the nickname of "G.I.", is a retired Australian professional rugby league footballer. His regular playing positions were Centre, Fullback, Five-eighth and Wing. From 2011 to 2019 he pl ...

, rugby league player for South Sydney Rabbitohs and Australia, spent part of his childhood in Macksville * Albert Kelly, rugby league player for Brisbane Broncos * Frank Partridge , decorated World War II soldier and regular on radio quiz show Pick a Box * David Pereira, cellist * Aden Ridgeway, former NSW Senator *

Noel Rowe Noel Rowe (20 June 1951 – 11 July 2007) was a poet who lived in Sydney, Australia, and was senior lecturer in Australian Literature at the University of Sydney where he was also awarded the University Medal (1984) and doctorate (1989). Before ...

, poet *

Ryan Stig Ryan Stig (born 7 November 1989) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer. He plays for the Limoux Grizzlies in the Elite One Championship as a and . He previously played for the Newcastle Knights in the National Rugby League. ...

, rugby league player for Newcastle Knights

Schools

* Macksville Public School * St Patrick's Primary School *

Macksville High School Macksville High School is a government-funded co-educational comprehensive secondary day school, located in Macksville, in the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. Established in 1950, the school enrolled approximately 500 s ...

Culture, events and festivals

Macksville holds an annual show. The Macksville Show is held on the last weekend in April. The showground also hosts a range of other events throughout the year including cattle sales, the "Rusty Iron Rally" and "Pro-Ag". Since 2013 Macksville has held a river festival that includes fireworks, music, magical floating lanterns and show rides. It is organised by both Macksville and Nambucca Rotary Clubs. A new riverside stage was constructed for the 2015 event. In 2016 the event was discontinued due to being financially unviable.

Transportation

Macksville is halfway between

and

on the Pacific Highway. The town was bypassed in late 2017.Warrell Creek to Nambucca Heads – Pacific Highway upgrade
Roads & Maritime Services Macksville railway station is on North Coast railway line.

References

External links

{{authority control Mid North Coast Towns in New South Wales