Berkeley, NSW - Postcode - 2506 - Post Codes & Zip Codes List

New South Wales, Australia Description

New South Wales is a coastal and interior tableland state in Australia. It is bordered on all sides by the Pacific Ocean, Victoria, South Australia, and Queensland. This includes Lord Howe Island, which is 360 miles (580 kilometers) east of the mainland. The state capital is Sydney.

New South Wales was the first British settlement in Australia in 1788 and is now the most populous and industrialized state after Victoria. Initially, New South Wales included all land east of longitude 135°E. Tasmania, South Australia, Victoria, and Queensland were all formed in the nineteenth century. On the Pacific coast, the Jervis Bay enclave was ceded to the Commonwealth government in 1915 to serve as a port for Canberra.

While New South Wales is not the largest state in terms of area, it has the largest economy and is a microcosm of Australia's demographic, political, and economic diversity. He describes a semi-peripheral country's struggles to adjust to global economic changes. In response to cheaper and better imported goods, heavier industries were phased out in favor of intricately transformed goods. Similarly, the state's rural industries sought to diversify crops and markets to combat global oversupply and declining prices for once-essential pastoral and agricultural exports like wool, wheat, dairy, and meat. Unemployment rates are high, often exceeding the national average, and vary greatly by region. Since the 1990s, the property, financial, and business sectors have grown the most in employment, and their fluctuations affect the state's economic trends. The rapid expansion of international tourism increased vulnerability to global economic downturns and put strain on infrastructure and the environment.

New South Wales' population has grown slower than most other Australian states since the turn of the century, reflecting the country's economic growth dynamics. In regional centers, especially along the coast, new settlement is evident, while the majority of the state's population lives in cities. The increased availability of amenities in those areas motivates such settlement, as does concern for the state's land resources. 

The Commonwealth government's control over the collection and expenditure of public funds has gradually eroded the state government's considerable autonomy since the 1940s. Greater national coordination in health care, education, and environmental resource management has recently come under increased scrutiny, as has outsourcing previously provided public services. Despite these changes, New South Wales' history, diversity, and economy continue to shape Australia's culture and prosperity, as well as international perceptions of Australian society and identity.

Geographical Description of New South Wales

Surrounded on all sides by fertile river valleys, plains, and granite outcrops, the region is bounded by the New England Range, steep gorges and ascents leading to the tablelands, the central and southern tablelands, and the Monaro plateau. Mountains to the west of Monaro include the Kosciuszko massif, which contains Australia's highest peak, Mount Kosciuszko (7310 feet) (2,228 metres). The tableland's elevation is 2,500 feet (760 metres), making it susceptible to harsh winters and snowfall. Except in the south, the inland slopes are gently descending, creating an undulating zone cut by rivers from the tablelands. The western semiarid plains are colluvial, with exposed bedrock in places like the Barrier Ranges. The state has dune fields in the northwest and a large area of sandy mallee country in the south that is unsuitable for agriculture.

New South Wales has a mild climate. The seasons are distinct in the south, with a hot summer, a cool winter, and spring and autumn. Autumn officially begins in March, winter in June, spring in September, and summer in December. North of the equator, where summers are hot and humid, winters are cold and dry.

Precipitation is highest in the state near the tablelands, but decreases northwestward. The semiarid western plains are part of the Western Division, which has been identified as a severe rainfall deficiency area. One-tenth of the state's total area receives less than 10 inches (250 mm) of rain per year and is located west of the wheat growing region. One-fifth of the population gets 10 to 15 inches (250 and 380 mm). Coastal districts receive the most annual rainfall, ranging from 35 inches (900 mm) to 60 inches (1,500 mm) or more.

Drought and flooding are common natural hazards in Australia. Drought is linked to the Pacific Ocean's El Nio phenomenon.

The state's dry climate and abundant sunshine make life difficult for farmers but enjoyable for city dwellers. Summers are rarely hot, though the north coast can be oppressively humid, and Sydney receives only 23 days of sunshine per year. It is hotter and colder inland. Summer temperatures range from 75-84°F (24-29°C) and winter temperatures range from 45-59°F (7-15°C). It is not uncommon for the tablelands and southern slopes to freeze at night in the summer. The Kosciuszko massif gets more snow than the Swiss Alps.

The Economy of New South Wales

New South Wales produces roughly one-third of Australia's sheep, one-fifth of its cattle, and one-third of its pigs. It provides much of Australia's grain, including wheat, corn, and sorghum, as well as most of its silver, lead, and zinc. However, it still produces a significant amount of coal from open-pit or open-cut mines in the Hunter River valley. The state has the highest manufacturing concentration in Australia, but a mid-20th century boom in heavy industries peaked in the 1970s. The sector has since declined due to lower tariffs, a smaller market, a skills shortage, and a floating Australian dollar.

Since the 1980s, growth in the service sector has partially offset the decline in these sectors. SYDNEY has become a major financial and insurance hub for Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. These sectors grew rapidly after 1980, contributing to the city's deindustrialization. However, because New South Wales has not enjoyed the same resource boom as Queensland and Western Australia, post-industrial Sydney has shown vulnerability to global economic instability. As services expanded in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, new jobs were created, but the associated labor market was volatile, with high rates of part-time employment.