Woodburn is a small highway town on the banks of the Richmond River in

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

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. 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,

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, 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. 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

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. Huge flooding inundated the town for days in February 2022, destroying many homes, businesses and vehicles.

Geography

Topography

Woodburn is situated in a river valley, as such it is both low-lying and relatively flat. with an average elevation of ~6 Metres. Costal wetlands border its east, and knolls to its south. The Richmond River flows through the centre of the town with most of the notable infrastructure surrounding it; before flowing up to Broadwater, then into the ocean at Ballina. Rocky Mouth Creek flows into the Richmond River from the southern end of the town. The Tuckombil Canal connects Rocky Mouth Creek to The Evans River, which flows out to the ocean at Evans Head.

Climate

Woodburn, according to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

; has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(''Cfa'') with warm summers and generally mild winters. Weather patterns vary year-on-year in the region; particularly impacted by the El Niño–Southern Oscillation, with drought and bushfires commonly associated with 'El-Niño' events, and Rainfall and Flooding associated with 'La-Niña' events. Temperatures in the region are moderated by proximity to the ocean.

Schools

Woodburn Public School

St Joseph's Primary School

References

External links

Richmond Valley Shire homepage
from the ''

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'' Towns in New South Wales Northern Rivers Richmond Valley Council {{NorthernRivers-geo-stub