Tamworth & Region

Tamworth Overview

Tamworth Overview

The city of Tamworth is a major regional centre in northern New South Wales, located on the Peel River. Tamworth is situated in the New England region, while known to the wider public as the “First town of Lights”.

Tamworth currently has a population of near 62,000 people, while proving one of the most progressive regions in NSW. Tamworth is home to a rich creative industry, culture and a rich quality of life.

Not only is Tamworth the “Country Music Capital of Australia”, but it’s also identified as the “National Equine Capital of Australia” due to its abundance of equine events.

Tamworth History

Tamworth History

Tamworth’s rich history extends as far as 1818, when well-renowned explorer John Oxley first stumbled across the city during his grand mission. Oxley named the famous Peel River after Robert Peel, a famous British Prime Minister.

Oxley occupied Tamworth from 1818 to circa the 1880s. In 1837, Tamworth first emerged on the map. In 1888, Tamworth was the first place in Australia to use electric street lights, while awarded the alternative name “First town of lights”.

By the 1960s and 70s, Tamworth transformed into an exceptional regional centre. In the 1980s, following several years of progression and development across various industries, tourism in Tamworth took off.

Tamworth Country Music Festival - By Jetty Road, CC BY-SA 3.0 Tamworth Country Music

Tamworth Country Music

Tamworth is otherwise known as the “Country Music Capital of Australia”, having the second biggest country music festival in the world.

First established in 1973, the Tamworth Country Music Festival was listed in Forbes Traveler as one of the ‘World’s Coolest Music Festivals’. Following Nashville, the Tamworth Country Music Festival is the second largest country music festival across the globe. The festival attracts widespread media coverage every year from major commercial networks, including the Nine Network, Ten Network and Channel 7.

Country music is unquestionably, an all-embracing musical genre in Tamworth and an integral part in defining what makes the city so special.