Town in New South Wales, Australia
Nowra
(
) is a city in the
South Coast
region of
New South Wales
, Australia.
[2]
It is located 160 kilometres (99 mi) south-southwest of the state capital of Sydney (about 120 kilometres (75 mi)
as the crow flies
). As of the 2021 census, Nowra has an estimated population of 22,584. Situated in the southern reaches of the
Sydney basin
,
[3]
Nowra is the
seat
and commercial centre of the
City of Shoalhaven
.
The region around Nowra is a farming community with a thriving dairy industry and a significant amount of state-owned forest land. It is also an increasingly popular retirement and leisure area for people from
Canberra
and Sydney. The naval air station
HMAS
Albatross
is located about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) south-west of Nowra.
History
[
edit
]
Kinghorn Street in 1930
Prior to European arrival, the part of the Nowra region south of the Shoalhaven river was inhabited by the Wandi-Wandandian tribe of the
Yuin
nation, while the region north of Shoalhaven was inhabited by the
Dharawal
people.
[
citation needed
]
The name Nowra, originally written by Europeans as 'nou-woo-ro' (pronounced Nowa Nowa by the Indigenous Australians of the area), is an Aboriginal word for the
black cockatoo
.
[4]
Circa 1824, ex-convict
Mary Reibey
applied for a land grant in the Burrier area, on the southern side of the
Shoalhaven River
. The Nowra township was officially recognised in 1852. Less than ten years later, in 1861, a postal service was established. In 1861, the racehorse
Archer
, which was trained in Nowra by
Etienne de Mestre
, won the first
Melbourne Cup
. Nowra was declared a town in 1885
[5]
and a city in 1979.
Bundanon Homestead
A major landmark in the area is the house
Bundanon
, which renowned Australian artist
Arthur Boyd
and his wife Yvonne donated to the people of Australia in 1993 along with an adjoining property that had been previously owned by Boyd's brother-in-law, the equally famous Australian artist
Sidney Nolan
.
[6]
[7]
Bundanon began as a single-storey weatherboard structure built around 1840. In 1866, a two-storey sandstone house, made of locally quarried stone, was built immediately in front of the original weatherboard house. The sandstone house features timber verandas and is now listed on the
Register of the National Estate
.
[8]
Heritage listings
[
edit
]
Nowra has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
Geography
[
edit
]
Along the north of Nowra is the
Shoalhaven River
, which formerly hosted the Australian National wakeboarding championships and is a popular fishing location. The
Nowra Bridge
connects it to
North Nowra
and
Bomaderry
. The Shoalhaven River is a
saltwater river
, although it does not flow into the sea. The Shoalhaven River meets the sea through the
canal
that joins the Shoalhaven and Crookhaven Rivers, which was dug by convicts under the direction of local entrepreneur and pioneer
Alexander Berry
.
Nowra area from Cambewarra Lookout
Climate
[
edit
]
Nowra has a
humid subtropical climate
(
Cfa
) under the
Koppen climate classification
. This makes it the southernmost city on the coastal strip to be within this climate zone. Interestingly, nearby coastal cities to the north, such as Wollongong and Kiama, are not in this zone and instead have an
oceanic climate
(
Cfb
) because their warmest month's average temperature do not reach the 22 °C threshold.
[11]
Due to its position on the
leeward
side of the
Great Dividing Range
, Nowra experiences a
foehn effect
, particularly in late winter and spring.
[12]
Climate data for Nowra (
HMAS
Albatross
), elevation: 109 m, averages 2000?2019
|
Month
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
Year
|
Record high °C (°F)
|
45.1
(113.2)
|
40.5
(104.9)
|
37.6
(99.7)
|
34.6
(94.3)
|
27.4
(81.3)
|
23.3
(73.9)
|
24.7
(76.5)
|
26.6
(79.9)
|
33.2
(91.8)
|
37.1
(98.8)
|
41.2
(106.2)
|
43.0
(109.4)
|
45.1
(113.2)
|
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)
|
27.6
(81.7)
|
26.3
(79.3)
|
25.2
(77.4)
|
22.7
(72.9)
|
19.6
(67.3)
|
16.9
(62.4)
|
16.6
(61.9)
|
18.2
(64.8)
|
21.1
(70.0)
|
23.2
(73.8)
|
24.7
(76.5)
|
25.9
(78.6)
|
22.3
(72.1)
|
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)
|
16.5
(61.7)
|
16.7
(62.1)
|
15.1
(59.2)
|
12.3
(54.1)
|
9.2
(48.6)
|
7.8
(46.0)
|
6.6
(43.9)
|
6.8
(44.2)
|
8.8
(47.8)
|
10.6
(51.1)
|
13.5
(56.3)
|
14.8
(58.6)
|
11.6
(52.9)
|
Record low °C (°F)
|
8.6
(47.5)
|
9.5
(49.1)
|
7.7
(45.9)
|
3.7
(38.7)
|
3.0
(37.4)
|
2.5
(36.5)
|
?0.5
(31.1)
|
?0.9
(30.4)
|
2.5
(36.5)
|
2.7
(36.9)
|
5.7
(42.3)
|
7.4
(45.3)
|
?0.9
(30.4)
|
Average rainfall mm (inches)
|
65.8
(2.59)
|
132.6
(5.22)
|
98.6
(3.88)
|
67.9
(2.67)
|
52.5
(2.07)
|
121.4
(4.78)
|
64.7
(2.55)
|
72.7
(2.86)
|
42.5
(1.67)
|
66.7
(2.63)
|
72.2
(2.84)
|
79.9
(3.15)
|
901.5
(35.49)
|
Average rainy days
|
10.8
|
11.8
|
12.4
|
12.1
|
9.2
|
11.9
|
10.0
|
8.1
|
8.9
|
9.7
|
12.1
|
10.5
|
127.5
|
Average afternoon
relative humidity
(%)
|
57
|
63
|
59
|
57
|
55
|
56
|
53
|
46
|
47
|
52
|
56
|
55
|
55
|
Source:
BOM
[13]
|
Historical population
Year
| Pop.
| ±%
|
---|
1921
| 2,202
| ?
|
---|
1933
| 2,978
| +35.2%
|
---|
1947
| 3,551
| +19.2%
|
---|
1954
| 5,981
| +68.4%
|
---|
1961
| 6,221
| +4.0%
|
---|
1966
| 9,633
| +54.8%
|
---|
1971
| 12,873
| +33.6%
|
---|
1976
| 15,496
| +20.4%
|
---|
1981
| 17,887
| +15.4%
|
---|
1986
| 19,553
| +9.3%
|
---|
1991
| 21,942
| +12.2%
|
---|
1996
| 23,823
| +8.6%
|
---|
2001
| 24,700
| +3.7%
|
---|
2006
| 27,478
| +11.2%
|
---|
2011
| 27,988
| +1.9%
|
---|
2016
| 30,853
| +10.2%
|
---|
2021
| 33,583
| +8.8%
|
---|
Source:
Australian Bureau of Statistics
data.
[14]
[15]
|
Demographics
[
edit
]
Nowra Creek
According to the 2021 census, Nowra has a population of 22,584. This covers suburbs only south of the
Shoalhaven River
.
[1]
The population is slightly younger than the state and country as a whole, with an average age of 37 compared to 38 for both Australia and New South Wales. However, the population is
bimodally distributed
, with a larger percentage of children and the elderly than the state and national averages.
[1]
79.7% of the population were born in Australia and 82.1% speak only English at home, both above the state and national averages.
[1]
Nowra has a lower level of tertiary education than typical for the state and nation. Only 15% of the population of Nowra hold a tertiary qualification, compared to 23.3% of Australia and 23.8% of New South Wales.
[1]
The top five reported ancestries in Nowra at the 2021 census were Australian (40.9%), English (37.7%), Australian Aboriginal (10%), Irish (9.5%), and Scottish (8.3%).
[1]
Most (63%) people had both parents born in Australia, higher than the state and national averages.
The population of the suburb of Nowra (central Nowra) at the 2021 census was 9,956.
[1]
The Australian Bureau of statistics also recognises a larger built-up area including suburbs north of the Shoalhaven, North Nowra-Bomaderry, which had a population of 16,098 at the 2021 census.
[1]
Economy
[
edit
]
Nowra shops (Junction Street)
Nowra Town Hall was built in 1948 and is in the Central Business District. This district contains many services, including banks, health services and a library.
Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre
Nowra has a growing tourist industry, especially in the summer months, when visitors (mostly from Sydney and Canberra) flock to the beaches to enjoy swimming, surfing, fishing, shopping, and relaxing in the restaurants and cafes.
Nowra sits in the Shoalhaven region, where there are several vineyards.
Education
[
edit
]
Nowra has three public high schools:
Nowra High School
,
Shoalhaven High School
and
Bomaderry High School
. There are also several
non-government schools
, three of which are religiously affiliated:
- Nowra Christian School: a K?12 Christian-based school located in South Nowra
- Nowra Anglican College: a K?12 Anglican college in Bomaderry
- St John the Evangelist Catholic High School
: a Catholic systemic high school on the outskirts of Nowra, affiliated with St Michael's Catholic Primary School in Nowra
The district also has an independent school of special assistance. The Shoalhaven River College commenced classes in 2019 and enrols 60 students in years 9-12 in the mainstream curriculum.
There are seven public primary schools in the Nowra area: East Nowra Public School, Nowra Public School, Bomaderry Public School, Illaroo Road Public School, North Nowra Public School, Nowra Hill Public School, and Terara Public School.
The
University of Wollongong
has a campus in Nowra, and there is a campus of TAFE NSW Illawarra Institute in Bomaderry.
Health
[
edit
]
There are two hospitals in Nowra: the
Shoalhaven District Memorial Hospital
, which is a hub for
oncology
services, and Nowra Private Hospital.
Sports
[
edit
]
Marriott Park
The four major codes of football in Australia are all popular in the Nowra area.
Rugby union
is represented by the Shoalhaven Rugby Club, who play out of Rugby Park in South Nowra. The club won the 2008 premiership in the Illawarra district competition, and has produced international and provincial players such as
Andrew Walker
and
Alex Kanaar
.
Australian rules football
is played by three clubs from the Shoalhaven area, with the Nowra Albatross Vikings playing at West Street Oval and the Bomaderry Tigers at Artie Smith Oval. Further south, the Bay and Basin Bombers play at the Leisure Centre at Vincentia. These four clubs are all members of the
South Coast AFL
, fielding junior and senior teams.
Rugby league
was traditionally represented by the Nowra Warriors and Bomaderry Swamprats. However, at the end of 2007 these teams merged to form the
Shoalhaven Jets
Rugby League Football Club.
The
Shoalhaven Mariners
were established in 2006 and represent the area in the sport of baseball. The team plays home matches out of Fred Finch Park in
Berkeley
,
Wollongong
. Baseball has a new venue at the South Nowra Soccer Complex.
[16]
The
Shoalhaven Tigers
represent the area in the
New South Wales State Basketball League
and have won several championships from 1988 until 2007.
Archer
was an Australian
thoroughbred
racehorse trained in the Nowra area who won the first and the second
Melbourne Cups
in 1861 and 1862. He won both Cups by a significant margin. Archer is one of only five horses to have won the Melbourne Cup on two or more occasions, and one of only four horses to have won two successive Cups.
Public transport
[
edit
]
Nowra Bridge
Nowra Coaches
operates services from Nowra to
Bomaderry
,
Huskisson
,
Vincentia
and
Jervis Bay
.
[17]
Shoal Bus operates services from Nowra to
Berry
,
Gerringong
and
Sussex Inlet
.
[18]
Premier Motor Service
operates express services along the
Princes Highway
from
Sydney
to
Eden
that call at Nowra.
[19]
Nowra has no direct rail connection, but the
Illawarra railway line
terminates at nearby
Bomaderry railway station
with
NSW TrainLink
operating services to
Kiama
and
Sydney
.
[20]
Notable people
[
edit
]
- Arthur Boyd
, artist
- Tony Branson
, Australian rugby league international
- Deborah Cheetham
, Indigenous Australian opera singer.
- Ian Davis
, Australian cricket international
- Jeff Dowdell
, basketball (
Cairns Taipans
) player
- Adam Federici
, football (soccer) player
- Christie Hayes
, actress
- Blake Horton
, football (soccer) player
- William Kamm
, also known as 'Little Pebble', disgraced religious leader
- Nic Maddinson
, cricketer
- Bruce McGuire
, Australian rugby league international & NSW State of Origin player
- Frank Moorhouse
, writer
- Michael O'Connor
, dual international rugby league & union player
- Ashley Paske
, actor. Appeared in
Neighbours
(1989?1991).
- Karen Phillips
, swimmer
- Rodney Rude
, comedian
- Arron Spiessberger-Parker
, 1500m runner
- Jim Stanbury
, World Professional Sculling Champion 1891?1896 and 1905?1906.
- Rohan Taylor
, national swimming coach
- Corey Tutt
, founder of DeadlyScience
- Andrew Walker
, dual international rugby league & union player
Attractions
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
"2021 Census QuickStat: Nowra (Statistical Area Level 2)"
.
Australian Bureau of Statistics
. Retrieved
31 July
2022
.
- ^
"Nowra-Bomaderry | New South Wales, Australia | Britannica"
.
- ^
GIF map
. dpi.nsw.gov.au
- ^
"
Travel: Nowra
",
Sydney Morning Herald
, 8 February 2004. Retrieved 26 April 2007.
- ^
"
Nowra Police Station
Archived
6 March 2011 at the
Wayback Machine
".
NSW Police Regions and History
. Retrieved 29 April 2008
- ^
Morris, Linda (29 June 2018).
"Future of Arthur Boyd's gift to the nation is secured"
.
The Sydney Morning Herald
. Retrieved
12 January
2021
.
- ^
"Picasso, Boyd, Nolan artworks in multi-million-dollar move as fire threat makes them 'too vulnerable'
"
.
www.abc.net.au
. 16 January 2020
. Retrieved
12 January
2021
.
- ^
The Heritage of Australia, Macmillan Company, 1981, p.2/162
- ^
"Graham Lodge"
.
New South Wales State Heritage Register
.
Department of Planning & Environment
. H01699
. Retrieved
18 May
2018
.
Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under
CC-BY 4.0
licence
.
- ^
"Meroogal"
.
New South Wales State Heritage Register
.
Department of Planning & Environment
. H00953
. Retrieved
18 May
2018
.
Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under
CC-BY 4.0
licence
.
- ^
Stern, H., de Hoedt, G. and Ernst, J. 2000. Objective Classification of Australian Climates. Bureau of Meteorology, Melbourne.
- ^
Rain Shadows
by Don White. Australian Weather News. Willy Weather. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
- ^
"NOWRA RAN AIR STATION AWS"
.
Climate statistics for Australian locations
.
Bureau of Meteorology
. August 2016
. Retrieved
9 August
2016
.
- ^
"Statistics by Catalogue Number"
. Australian Bureau of Statistics
. Retrieved
15 May
2024
.
- ^
"Search Census data"
. Australian Bureau of Statistics
. Retrieved
15 May
2024
.
Note: counts urban area of Nowra-Bomaderry
- ^
http://www.southcoastregister.com.au/news/local/sport/baseball/mariners-start-preseason-training/1774804.aspx
Mariners start pre-season training. South Coast Register (11 March 2010). Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ^
Home
Nowra Coaches
- ^
Timetables
Shoal Bus
- ^
Sydney to Eden
Premier Motor Service
- ^
South Coast Line
Transport for NSW
External links
[
edit
]
|
---|
Nowra suburbs
| |
---|
Suburbs near Jervis Bay
| |
---|
North of Shoalhaven River
| |
---|
South of Shoalhaven River
| |
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Sussex Inlet
| |
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Ulladulla
| |
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Far South
| |
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|
|
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Cities
| |
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Towns & Townships
| |
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Local government areas
| |
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National parks
| |
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Rivers and other waterbodies
| |
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|
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International
| |
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| |
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Geographic
| |
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