Area profile
A quick snapshot of Coonamble Shire, drawn from official ABS estimates and the NSW Government's council data. Coonamble sits on the Castlereagh River on the north-west plains of NSW, about 165km north of Dubbo. Council describes the shire as spanning "from the edge of the Warrumbungle mountain range, across the Castlereagh Plains, to the magnificent Macquarie Marshes" — it is one of the largest LGAs in the state by area and one of the smallest by population. Council's Community Strategic Plan describes the shire as sitting on the traditional lands of the Wailwan and Kamilaroi people.
New to these terms? Read them in plain English
- Local Government Area (LGA)
- The official area a council governs.
- Estimated Resident Population (ERP)
- The official population count for an area.
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)
- The national statistics agency behind population figures.
The area at a glance
- Population (ERP, 2023-24)
- 3,871ABS Estimated Resident Population, per OLG time-series data. Council's own economic profile page cites 3,907 residents; the 2021 Census counted 3,732.
- Area
- 9,916.1 km²OLG time-series figure. Council's Community Strategic Plan 2025-2035 states 9,955 km² and its business pages round to 10,000 km².
- Population density
- ~0.4 people per km²
- Region
- Orana, north-west NSW — the Castlereagh River and the Castlereagh plains
- Council classification
- Rural (OLG group 9)
- Main centres
- Coonamble (council seat), plus the villages of Gulargambone and QuamboneCouncil's Community Strategic Plan lists these three as the shire's township and villages. Quambone sits at the eastern approach to the Macquarie Marshes; the Macquarie Marshes Nature Reserve, listed as a Ramsar wetland of international importance in 1986, is about 30km west of Quambone.
- Local economy
- Dryland livestock grazing and croppingCouncil reports the LGA supports about 1,416 jobs and an annual economic output of about $400 million. Council also runs the Coonamble Regional Livestock Market saleyards and the Mount Magometon quarry, and is developing the Hooper Drive Industrial Estate.
- Neighbouring councils
- Walgett (north), Warrumbungle (east), Gilgandra (south), Warren (west)Also Brewarrina to the north-west and Narrabri to the north-east. Council links to each neighbour's road-conditions page for travel across LGA boundaries.
Suburbs & postcodes
- Coonamble2829
- Gulargambone2828
- Quambone2831
- Combara2829
- Conimbia2829
- Gilgooma2829
- Magometon2829
- Teridgerie2829
- Bourbah2828
- Black Hollow2828
On the map
The shaded area is the official Local Government Area boundary.
The suburb list and postcodes are a selection of the localities in the Coonamble Shire LGA; several rural localities share the 2829, 2828 and 2831 postcodes with places in neighbouring shires. The shaded area on the map is the official Local Government Area boundary (OpenStreetMap administrative boundary for Coonamble Shire Council). Coonamble Shire was established on 1 May 1952. The state electorate is Barwon and the federal division is Parkes.
Sources — check it yourself
- Office of Local Government — Time-Series Data 2023-24 (population, area, classification) · ABS ERP 2023-24
- Coonamble Shire Council — About the Coonamble Local Government Area · Aug 2026
- Coonamble Shire Council — Community Strategic Plan 2025-2035 (overview of the shire) · 2025-2035
- NSW National Parks — Macquarie Marshes Nature Reserve (Ramsar listing, 1986)
- Coonamble Shire (Wikipedia)
Figures are current as at the dates shown and may change — always confirm with the linked source. See the notice at the bottom of the page for full details and how to report a correction.