Area profile
A quick snapshot of Tenterfield Shire, drawn from official ABS estimates and the NSW Government's council data. Tenterfield sits at the northern end of the New England tablelands, straddling the Great Dividing Range on the Queensland border, where the New England Highway crosses into Queensland at Jennings/Wallangarra and the Bruxner Highway runs east to the Northern Rivers. It is a big, thinly settled shire — about seven thousand people spread over 7,324 km², roughly one person per square kilometre — with 1,688 km of local roads and around ten national parks nearby. Tenterfield's other claim is historical: Sir Henry Parkes delivered his 1889 'Federation speech' at the School of Arts here, which is why the town is known as the birthplace of the nation.
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)
- 7,081ABS Estimated Resident Population, per OLG time-series data. The council's own Community Strategic Plan quotes 6,973 residents and a median age of 55.
- Area
- 7,324.3 km²
- Population density
- ~1 person per km²
- Region
- New England tablelands, northern NSW — on the Queensland border
- Council classification
- Large Rural (OLG group 10)
- Main centres
- Tenterfield (council seat), plus the villages of Urbenville, Liston, Legume, Drake, Torrington, Jennings and MingoolaThe council's Community Strategic Plan lists the shire's economic base as beef and sheep grazing, horticulture, wineries, mining, tourism, museums, restaurants/cafés and boutiques, and counts 1,007 active businesses, 3,449 residential rate assessments, 1,471 farmland assessments and 1,688 km of roads.
- Living on the border
- Two of the shire's villages carry Queensland postcodesJennings (4383) adjoins Wallangarra in Queensland and Mingoola (4380) sits near Texas, Qld. The council's own community consultation recorded residents valuing being 'close to Stanthorpe, Warwick, Gold Coast, Brisbane and the coast', and its emergency page lists the Queensland Rural Fire Service alongside NSW services. Note that Queensland does not observe daylight saving, so clocks differ across the border in summer.
Suburbs & postcodes
- Tenterfield2372
- Liston2372
- Torrington2371
- Drake2469
- Urbenville2475
- Legume2476
- Mingoola4380
- Jennings4383
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 Tenterfield Shire LGA; other localities include Bolivia, Sandy Flat, Stannum, Amosfield, Boonoo Boonoo, Maryland, Sunnyside and Willsons Downfall. The shaded area on the map is the official Local Government Area boundary (OpenStreetMap administrative boundary for Tenterfield Shire Council). The Tenterfield township was gazetted on 7 October 1851 and the Municipality of Tenterfield incorporated on 22 November 1871; the council acknowledges the Ngarabal, Jukembal, Bundjalung, Kamilaroi, Githabul and Wahlubul people as traditional custodians of various parts of the shire.
Sources — check it yourself
- Office of Local Government — Time-Series Data 2023–24 (population, area, classification) · ABS ERP 2023–24
- Tenterfield Shire Council — Community Strategic Plan 2025–2036 (Shire Profile) · Adopted 28 May 2025
- Tenterfield Shire Council — Villages · Aug 2026
- Your Council (NSW Government) — Tenterfield · ABS ERP 2023–24
- Tenterfield 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.