Portal:New South Wales

The NEW SOUTH WALES PORTAL Topics Culture Geography Health History Mathematics Nature People Philosophy Religion Society Technology New South Wales (abbreviated NSW) is a state in the east of Australia. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales surrounds the whole of the Australian Capital Territory. New South Wales' capital city is Sydney, which is also the state's most populous city. As of June 2010, the estimated population was 7,238,819, which was 34.5% of the population of Australia, making it Australia's most populous state. The colony of New South Wales was founded in 1788 and originally comprised much of the Australian mainland, as well as Lord Howe Island, New Zealand, Norfolk Island and Van Diemen's Land in addition to the area currently referred to as the state of New South Wales, which was formed during Federation in 1901. During the 19th century, large areas were successively separated to form the British colonies of Tasmania (established as a separate colony named Van Diemen's Land in 1825), South Australia (1836), New Zealand (1849), Victoria (1851) and Queensland (1859). The Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is a semi-aquatic mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five extant species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young. It is the sole living representative of its family (Ornithorhynchidae) and genus (Ornithorhynchus), though a number of related species have been found in the fossil record. The bizarre appearance of this egg-laying, poisonous, duck-billed, beaver-tailed, otter-footed mammal baffled European naturalists when they first encountered it, with some considering it an elaborate fraud. It is one of the few venomous mammals; the male Platypus has a spur on the hind foot which delivers a poison capable of causing severe pain to humans. The unique features of the Platypus make it an important subject in the study of evolutionary biology and a recognizable and iconic symbol of Australia; it has appeared as a mascot at national events and is featured on the reverse of the Australian twenty-cent coin. Telopea speciosissima, commonly known as the "New South Wales Waratah" or simply "Waratah", is a large shrub in the Proteaceae family. It is endemic to New South Wales in Australia and is the floral emblem of that state. It is renowned for its striking large crimson flowerheads in spring. ...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? WikiProject New South Wales WikiProject Australia edit Queensland Northern Territory Western Australia South Australia New South Wales Victoria Tasmania Australian Capital Territory Visit Australia Portal The following Wikimedia sister projects provide more on this subject: What are portals? List of portals Featured portals