Coffs Harbour

Sister cities

• Sasebo

History

The traditional inhabitants of the Coffs Harbour region are the Gumbaynggirr people, who have occupied the land for thousands of years, forming one of the largest coastal Aboriginal nations in New South Wales. Their country stretches from the Nambucca River in the south to around the Clarence River in the north and to the Great Dividing Range in the west. By the early 20th century, the Coffs Harbour area had become an important timber production centre. Before the opening of the North Coast railway line, the only way to transport large, heavy items of low value, such as timber, was by coastal shipping. That meant sawmillers on the North Coast were dependent on jetties either in rivers or off beaches for exporting their timber. Timber tramways were constructed to connect the timber-getting areas and sawmills with jetties built into the ocean at Coffs Harbour.

Geography

Coffs Harbour is a regional city along the Pacific Highway between Newcastle and the Gold Coast. It has become a major service centre for those living between South West Rocks in the south and Grafton to the north. Sawtell, south along Hogbin Drive from the city, has become a satellite suburb of Coffs Harbour, and is increasingly referred to as part of the city. The surrounding region is dominated by coastal resorts and apartments. Hinterland hills and mountains are covered by forests, banana and blueberry plantations, and other farms growing macadamia nuts, cucumbers, and tomatoes. It is the only place in New South Wales where the Great Dividing Range meets the Pacific Ocean. The greater Coffs Harbour city is broken up into several suburb and precinct areas, including: * Red Hill * South Coffs * West Coffs * Coffs Harbour Jetty * Park Beach * Sandy Beach * Diggers Beach * Korora, West Korora * Sapphire Beach * Moonee Beach * Emerald Beach * North Boambee Valley * Boambee, Boambee East * Toormina * Sawtell * Bonville The city is surrounded by many towns and villages in the Coffs Coast region, including: * Coramba * Nana Glen * Corindi Beach and Red Rock * Karangi * Ulong * Upper Orara * Woolgoolga

Most-observed species

• koala

  Phascolarctos cinereus (Goldfuss, 1817) · Mammalia
  3,838
• Rainbow Lorikeet

  Trichoglossus haematodus (Linnaeus, 1771) · Aves
  3,407
• Lewin's Honeyeater

  Meliphaga lewinii (Swainson, 1837) · Aves
  2,086
• Laughing Kookaburra

  Dacelo novaeguineae (Hermann, 1783) · Aves
  1,992
• Noisy Miner

  Manorina melanocephala (Latham, 1801) · Aves
  1,924
• Tropical Soda Apple

  Solanum viarum Dunal · Magnoliopsida
  1,890
• Magpie-lark

  Grallina cyanoleuca (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  1,756
• Australian Magpie

  Gymnorhina tibicen (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  1,733