New South Wales

New South Wales is the most populous state in Australia, home to Sydney, the nation's largest city and global icon. Located on the southeastern coast, it is the country's economic powerhouse and the site of the first British settlement in Australia. Its harbour, beaches and Blue Mountains draw visitors from around the world.

New South Wales stretches from a long Pacific coastline and the Great Dividing Range to the dry outback plains of the interior. Sydney sits on one of the world's great natural harbours, while the Snowy Mountains in the south hold Australia's highest peak, Mount Kosciuszko. The climate ranges from temperate on the coast to arid inland.

As Australia's most diverse and urbanised state, New South Wales blends a cosmopolitan, multicultural society with a strong beach and sporting culture. Sydney is a hub of finance, the arts and nightlife, famous for the Opera House and Harbour Bridge.

The British established their first Australian colony at Sydney Cove in 1788, making New South Wales the cradle of modern Australia. Originally a vast penal colony, it gave rise to the other states and federated with them to form the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901.