| Wingham | |
Location: | 352km north of Sydney |
Shire: | Greater Taree City Council |
Population: | 4407 |
Postcode: | 2429 |
Rich dairying and timber country in the geographical centre of the Manning Valley is the setting for the the town of Wingham, just 13km up river from Taree. Beef, dairying and timber support a strong economy which includes several sawmills, an export abattoir and a range of light engineering and service industries.
Wingham is the oldest town on the Manning River, having been surveyed in 1843, and a number of its historic buildings have been retained. These are centred on the main street and include the Courthouse, which has recently been renovated, the School of Arts and the Post Office. The Historical Museum in Farquhar Street records the early life of the town.
A fascinating feature on the edge of town is Wingham Brush Reserve, one of the last surviving pockets of subtropical floodplain rainforest in NSW. It is home to thousands of fruit bats from September to May each year and is filled with orchids, ferns and subtropical plants and several giant Moreton Bay fig trees.
The Manning River is a popular venue for boating, fishing, waterskiing and swimming and the town provides easy river access. Wingham is the gateway to a number of scenic attractions in the area. Some 40km west, beautiful Ellenborough Falls, tumble 160m in one of the longest single drop falls in the Southern Hemisphere. Dingo Tops Forest Park and the Bulga and Comboyne plateaus are other popular destinations.
Wingham enjoys many annual events including: National Titles Rodeo in January, Agricultural Show and Manning Collectors Expo in February, Taree Aquatic Festival over the Easter Weekend, Manning Valley Beef Week in May, and the Wingham Rodeo in November.