State (pop., 2001: 6,609,304), southeastern Australia.
Bounded by Queensland, the Pacific Ocean, Victoria, and South Australia, it has an area of 309,130 sq mi (800,640 sq km); the capital is Sydney . The dominant geographic feature is the Great Dividing Range . Inhabited from prehistoric times, New South Wales was claimed for Britain by Capt. Australian Capital Territory in 1911. New South Wales is the centre of commercial farming, industry, and culture in Australia.