Old Bar, New South Wales

"Old Bar" redirects here. For the old town of Bar in Montenegro, see Stari Bar.

Old Bar Baara (Birrpayi)[1] New South Wales
Diamond Head Beach, Old Bar
Old Bar
Coordinates	31°58′S 152°35′E
Population	5,126 (2021 census)[2]
Postcode(s)	2430
Elevation	15 m (49 ft)
Location	324 km (201 mi) NNE of Sydney 177 km (110 mi) NE of Newcastle 18 km (11 mi) E of Taree[3] 43 km (27 mi) N of Forster
LGA(s)	Mid-Coast Council[3]
County	Gloucester[3]
Parish	Bohnock[3]
State electorate(s)	Myall Lakes
Federal division(s)	Lyne
Localities around Old Bar: Dumaresq Island Bohnock Cabbage Tree Island Pampoolah Old Bar Tasman Sea Saltwater Wallabi Point Tasman Sea

Old Bar is a coastal town in New South Wales, Australia in Mid-Coast Council. It lies around 18 kilometres (11 mi) east of Taree on the Mid North Coast,[3] and around 315 kilometres (196 mi) north of Sydney.

Geography

Old Bar is on the southern side of the mouth of the Manning River.[4]

Demographics

The population of the urban centre was measured at 3,650 people in the 2011 census,[5] and that of the suburb proper which includes some surrounding rural area at 4,272 people.[6] It grew rapidly during a boom in housing in 1988.[7]

Airstrip

Old Bar is a common place for light aircraft to land. Old Bar Airfield is an authorised landing area and is heritage listed.[8]

2019 Bushfire

In November 2019, a bushfire that started at Hillville, south of Taree, jumped the Pacific Highway into the path of Old Bar and Wallabi Point. The day before, the NSW Rural Fire Service told residents in these areas to get out or defend. One home was confirmed lost on Old Bar Road.^[citation needed]

Old Bar Panorama, March 2014

Heritage listings

Old Bar has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

• 0.5 km off Old Bar Road: Old Bar Airfield[9]

References

1. "FirstVoices".
2. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Old Bar". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
3. "Old Bar". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 22 July 2009.
4. Driscoll, Julia (12 December 2019). "The river runs dry: Manning River at zero flow". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
5. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Old Bar (UCL)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
6. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Old Bar (State Suburb)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
7. Dow L, Guyon D, Irving R, McPhee M, Matthews A, Prineas P, Rubinich T, Simpson J (1995). Reader's Digest Illustrated Guide to Australian Places. Surry Hills, NSW: Reader's Digest. p. 70. ISBN 0-86438-399-1.
8. Siossian, Emma, "Aviation tales from Old Bar Airfield portray a tiny airstrip with a big history still in use today", ABC Mid North Coast, Saturday, 12 February 2022.
9. "Old Bar Airfield". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01304. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC BY 4.0 licence.