Shire profile
A quick snapshot of Kempsey Shire, drawn from official ABS estimates and the NSW Government's council data. The shire covers the Macleay River valley on the Mid North Coast — from the river towns around Kempsey out to a string of coastal villages.
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.
- Population (ERP, 2023–24)
- 31,718ABS Estimated Resident Population (via OLG).
- Area
- 3,375.7 km²
- Population density
- ~9 people per km²
- Region
- Mid North Coast NSW — the Macleay River valley (Macleay Valley Coast)
- Council classification
- Regional Town/City (OLG Group 4)
- Main centres
- Kempsey (West / East / South Kempsey), South West Rocks, Crescent Head, Frederickton, Gladstone, Stuarts Point, Hat HeadThe Macleay River runs through the shire and is prone to major flooding; the area is Dunghutti country, home to the Slim Dusty Centre and coastal tourism towns. A selection of suburbs is listed below.
Suburbs & postcodes
- Kempsey2440
- West Kempsey2440
- East Kempsey2440
- South Kempsey2440
- Frederickton2440
- Gladstone2440
- Smithtown2440
- South West Rocks2431
- Crescent Head2440
- Hat Head2440
- Stuarts Point2441
- Bellbrook2440
- Willawarrin2440
- Aldavilla2440
On the map
The shaded area is the official Local Government Area boundary.
The suburb list and postcodes are a selection of the many localities in Kempsey Shire; most of the shire shares the 2440 postcode, with 2431 (South West Rocks) and 2441 (Stuarts Point) on the coast. The shaded area on the map is the official Local Government Area boundary (OpenStreetMap administrative boundary for Kempsey Shire).
Sources — check it yourself
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.