Geography
Hastings covers an area of 3686.1 square kilometres and is located 420 kilometres north of Sydney and 510 kilometres south of Brisbane. The area is bisected north to south by the Pacific Highway, which is the main road link between Sydney and Brisbane, and the State Rail Line. A large proportion of the area is taken up by State Forest and the Werrikimbe National Park.
The topography of the area is very diverse ranging from sand dunes, coastal wetlands, flood plains and rugged mountain regions. The area enjoys one of the best climate in Australia, with the maximum temperature rarely going above 30 degrees celcius or below 15 degrees celcius.
Demographic Profile
The area has many small localities and villages in addition to three main townships.
Based on the Estimated Resident Population and annual growth rates from 2000-2005, the Hastings current estimated population is 70,581.
Situated on the coast, Port Macquarie is the largest town with a population of 38,289 people (2001 Census) and serves as a major tourist destination in addition to being the major regional centre for the area.
The township of Wauchope, 21 kilometres or 15 minutes by car from Port Macquarie, serves as the regional centre for the inland area, particularly for the rural communities and the associated agricultural industries.
The Camden Haven, located at the southern extremity, is a rapidly growing area and includes the towns of Kendall, Kew, North Haven, Dunbogan and West Haven, with Laurieton as the main service centre.
The major outlying population centres are identified as:
- Wauchope: 4,772 persons
- The Camden Haven: 7,355 persons (includes Kendall, Kew, North Haven, West Haven, Dunbogan and Laurieton)
- Lake Cathie/Bonny Hills: 4,293 persons
- Smaller rural population centres and surrounding villages include: the Comboyne Plateau (Comboyne and Comboyne West) and rural villages (Beechwood, Ellenborough, Long Flat, Pappinbarra, Hollisdale, Upper Pappinbarra, Bellangry, Pembrooke, Ballengarra, Rollands Plains, Upper Rollands Plains, Telegraph Point): 10, 658 persons.
The average age for the Hastings is 43 years compared to 35 years for the state. Camden Haven has not only the oldest population in the Hastings (37.2% over the age of 65 years), but with a median age of 56 years it has the oldest population in Australia per capita. The youngest people live in Wauchope with an average age of 40 years. According to the ABS Census by 2016, 44% of the Hastings will be over the age of 50 years.
Want to know more?
You can access demographic information on the ABS website or visit our Community Profile & Demographic Databases.
