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tamworth Attractions

The Country Music Capital of Australia

Welcome to the Tamworth Region.  Lose yourself in the experiences, savour some of the tantalising
local food and wine, marvel at the history and heritage, join in and escape in the natural wonders of the picturesque rural setting.

Destination:    Tamworth
Travel time:    No longer than 15 minutes across the city

TRIP ESSENTIALS:

• Set your sights upon the 12 metre sky high Big Golden Guitar, the icon that has become
  synonymous with Australia’s Country Music Capital. Be sure to take a photo with one of
  Australia’s ‘Big Things’ to commemorate your trip to Tamworth.
  
  
• Get a bird’s eye view of Tamworth and its surrounds from the Oxley Lookout. See how the Peel
  River winds along the valley floor and the Liverpool Ranges rise skyward in the distance.
  
  
• Enjoy delicious coffee and a bite to eat prepared by one of Tamworth’s Award Winning Chefs
  while soaking up the alfresco ambience of the city’s tree-lined Peel Street.
  
  
• As one of the agricultural hubs, the region has a strong focus on traditional farming and grazing of
  beef, sheep, poultry, grains, dairy and pastures. Venture to one of the regions local producers to
  see some of the innovative and interesting farming practices.
  
  
• Tamworth is known as the ‘First City of Light’ because in 1888 it was the first in the Southern Hemisphere to have electric street lighting. Light up your knowledge of history at the Powerstation Museum in Peel Street.
  
  
• Walk a Country Mile interpretive museum located in the Visitor Information Centre narrates the story of the music and artists that have shaped Australian Country Music. The interpretive display provides a unique understanding of Australian heritage, with documentation of historical events through the lyrics of country music.- Each month within Tamworth and the Tamworth Region market days are held selling local produce, arts and craft, homemade delights and an array of plants, flowers and more.
  

FACTS:

• There are five cities around the world which acknowledge Tamworth as a sister city: Gore, New Zealand; Tamworth, England; Sannohoe, Japan; Cheoyang district of Beijing, China; and Dekalb, Illinois, USA.
  
  
• In an Australian first, Tamworth has united with six other leading regional cities to form the Evocities campaign.  Tamworth offers a clean, green, vibrant, dynamic, innovative, accessible and globally linked community.
  
  
• Take a day trip around the picturesque Tamworth Region to one of the surrounding towns to view some of the most beautiful rural landscapes with captivating wildlife and an ambience that is set to enthral and relax.

TAMWORTH COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL - January

Tamworth is proudly known as Australia’s Country Music Capital and each year plays host to the annual celebration officially known as the Tamworth Country Music Festival and the CMAA Country Music Awards of Australia. Known as the largest music Festival in the Southern Hemisphere and one of the top 10 in the world, it is an iconic Australian event full of atmosphere that you will not forget. Take in a show headlined by award-winning artists or enjoy the vibrant and enthusiastic atmosphere of Peel Street, where Buskers line the street belting out an array of tunes.

Visitors can take in a number of country music attractions year-round including the award winning Walk a Country Mile interpretive museum, the Big Golden Guitar, The Galaxy of stars at TRECC, Australian Country Music Hall of Fame, Tamworth Songwriters Association (TSA) Songmaker Tribute, and the bronze cast Country Music legends bust in Bicentennial Park. While the Hands of Fame displays handprints of country music stars in concrete, there is also the more quirky Noses of Fame at Joe Maguire’s Pub. One of Australia’s three wax museums is located in Tamworth. The Gallery of Stars at the Big Golden Guitar Tourist Centre immortalises some of the biggest names in Australian Country Music.

CULTURED MIX:

Tamworth has a rich and fascinating history. Exploring the city’s heritage is a world that you can get enthralled and lost in. Landmarks in the city include the railway station built in 1878, the Victorian classical stuccoed brick Post Office designed by James Barnet and built in 1883-86 and the War Memorial Town Hall with its amazing sprung floor built in 1933-34.

Be sure to see how Tamworth Historical Society is keeping the area’s history alive at the Calala Cottage Museum. Calala Cottage was designed and built by Philip Gidley King in 1875, is now a late Victorian furnished museum.  The site also includes the oldest standing building in Tamworth, an original slab hut.

Anyone that is interested in Australia’s wartime history can immerse themselves in memorials that pay tribute to those who have served for Australia.  They include Anzac Park, with its Anzac Memorial Gates and Sandakan Memorial, the War Memorial Cemetery, Gipps Street War Memorial Avenue and The Australian Light Horse Memorial bronze sculpture “the Whaler” in Bicentennial Park.

Other must see Museums include the Powerstation Museum (Corner Peel & Darling Streets) marking Tamworth’s standing as the first municipal shire to turn on electric street lighting in 1888. For the more daring, rev up your life with a visit to the Powerhouse Motorcycle Museum (Armidale Road, Eastern end of the Powerhouse Hotel). There are more than 50 motorcycles from the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and 80’s.

The Tamworth Regional Art Gallery is one of the oldest regional galleries in NSW, established in 1919, and hosts some of the most prestigious and exquisite touring exhibitions in Australia.

For a self-guided tour of the local history and heritage within Tamworth, pick up your itinerary from the Visitor Information Centre.

THE GOOD LIFE:

First-time visitors to Tamworth and the region can relish in knowing that it’s not necessary to compromise on taste, comfort or indulgence when it comes to dining, accommodation, shopping or things to see and do.

Tamworth has the distinction of being home to world-class, award winning restaurants with Culinary Olympians and a triple Michelin Star awarded chef. These talented food artists are Tamworth locals, and are among the best in the world. Many restaurants throughout the region make the most of the variety of local produce using it to create a wide range of delicious dishes. Several of the licensed local eateries stock a selection of wines from the region’s boutique vineyards.

Choose the tree-lined main street with the cosmopolitan feel or shop ‘til you drop’ at one of the modern shopping centres. You will be certain to find the latest fashions from around the world as well as locally made, unique and specialised products, or go all out and slip into the rural lifestyle with a new wardrobe of classic cut country-style clothing and products. There is an array of major national retailers as well as exclusive one-of-a-kind boutiques.

Tamworth is also a photographer’s delight from the architecture of buildings, the rolling hills, the spectacular sunsets or the authenticity of the native animals.

CLOSE TO NATURE:

Country living is synonymous with the outdoors and exploring the natural wonders is a must for any visitor to Tamworth. Whether your preference is for a sedate relaxing experience or exhilarating physical activity, water sports or staying on terra firma there are a variety of options close at hand.

Younger members of the family can keep entertained for hours at the city’s recreational areas. There are playgrounds for sliding, swinging and climbing as well as indoor play centres, cinemas, skate parks, swimming pools and ten pin bowling. Indulge in the tranquillity at one of the local parks and gardens with picnic, barbeque and camping facilities available. Escape to the Tamworth Regional Botanic Gardens adjacent to the Endeavour Marsupial Park, 28 hectares of pure rural paradise. The Marsupial Park is a great family activity, which showcases the natural habitat for native animals and birds. Healthy colonies of kangaroo, wallabies, echidnas and free-roaming bird life are in abundance.

Oxley Lookout provides breathtaking views and an outlook for picturesque sunsets. From the lookout it is possible to bushwalk through the hills and around Tamworth and stretch your legs on the Kamilaroi Walking Trail.

A short drive from Tamworth is also several National Parks offering vantage points for some amazing views and the chance to see some spectacular natural wonders.

Local Dams offer a cool place to relax, with water sports, fishing and camping facilities, all within a short drive of Tamworth.

Really get back to your grass roots with a local farm stay, where you will be able to live the true rural farm life for a night or two.

VENUES:

With the Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre (AELEC) attracting horse enthusiasts from all over, riding is a hugely popular activity throughout the region - from highly competitive performance events such as campdrafting, cutting and rodeo to showjumping and dressage or purely for fun. There are several options for you to enjoy and experience for yourself.

The Capitol Theatre Tamworth offers something for everyone all year round. The Capitol showcases the diverse cultural fabric with exciting live performances such as concerts, musicals, drama, comedy dance and much more.

The Town Hall is not only a beautiful historic building, but also a venue which houses unique performances and events during the year. The majestic building is utilised for exquisite charity balls, comedic performances, antiques and collectable fairs and concerts.

The Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Conference Centre (TRECC) hosts loads of major acts and performances, including the coveted CMAA Country Music Awards of Australia. Housing up to 5,000 patrons, this modern site provides excellent acoustics and versatility for concerts, performances and conferences alike.

The local pubs and clubs roar with music on weekends and provide a fun and exciting nightlife for all visitors to the region.

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For more information about any of these interesting, fun, free activities and other great things to see and do in the Tamworth Shire contact the friendly team at the Tamworth Visitor Information Centre.