Portal:New South Wales

The NEW SOUTH WALES PORTAL

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Introduction

New South Wales (abbreviated as NSW) is a state on the east coast of Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria to the south, and South Australia to the west. Its coast borders the Tasman Sea to the east. The Australian Capital Territory is an enclave within the state. New South Wales' state capital is Sydney, which is also Australia's most populous city. , the population of New South Wales was over 8 million, making it Australia's most populous state. Just under two-thirds of the state's population, 5.1 million, live in the Greater Sydney area. Inhabitants of New South Wales are referred to as New South Welshmen.

The Colony of New South Wales was founded as a penal colony in 1788. It originally comprised more than half of the Australian mainland with its western boundary set at 129th meridian east in 1825. The colony also included the island territories of New Zealand, Van Diemen's Land, Lord Howe Island, and Norfolk Island. During the 19th century, most of the colony's area was detached to form separate British colonies that eventually became New Zealand and the various states and territories of Australia. However, the Swan River Colony has never been administered as part of New South Wales.

Selected article

The World War II Attack on Sydney Harbour occurred in late May and early June 1942, when submarines belonging to the Imperial Japanese Navy made a series of attacks on the cities of Sydney and Newcastle in New South Wales, Australia. On the night of 31 May – 1 June, three Ko-hyoteki class midget submarines, each with a two-member crew, entered Sydney Harbour, avoided the partially constructed Sydney Harbour anti-submarine boom net, and attempted to sink Allied warships. After being detected and attacked, the crews of two of the midget submarines scuttled their boats and committed suicide without engaging Allied vessels. The third attempted to torpedo the heavy cruiser USS Chicago but instead sank the converted ferry HMAS Kuttabul, killing 21 sailors.

Immediately following the raid the five Japanese fleet submarines that carried the midget submarines to Australia embarked on a campaign to disrupt merchant shipping in eastern Australian waters. Over the next month the submarines attacked at least seven merchant vessels, sinking three. As part of this campaign, during the early morning of 8 June two of the submarines bombarded the ports of Sydney and Newcastle.

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Selected image

Credit: Staxringold

The Australian 4th Division was formed in the First World War during the expansion of the Australian Imperial Force infantry brigades in February 1916.

On 11 April 1917 the Fourth Division assaulted the Hindenburg Line in the First Battle of Bullecourt. The battle was a disaster and 1170 Australian prisoners were taken by the Germans. In June it participated in the Battle of Messines. In September it participated in the Battle of Polygon Wood.

The photo depicts soldiers from the New South Wales-based 45th Battalion of the Division during the Hindenburg Line assault.

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Did you know

...that the 1999 Sydney hailstorm (hailstones pictured) is the costliest natural disaster in Australian history, causing over A$1.7 billion in insured damages?
...that Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Charles Bickerton Blackburn served as board member of the University of Sydney for 22 years?
...that a report by the Judicial Commission of New South Wales almost led to a New South Wales judge being removed from office because of the time delays in giving decisions?
...that Charles Menzies established Newcastle, New South Wales as a settlement, when he was only 21 years of age?