TAREE

city, northeastern New South Wales, Australia, 10 miles (16 km) above the coastal mouth of the Manning River. Established in 1854 as a private town, it was proclaimed a municipality in 1885 and a city in 1981; it derives its name from the Aboriginal tareehin, or tarrebit, referring to a local wild fig. Situated on the Sydney-Brisbane rail line and the Pacific Highway, 80 miles (130 km) northeast of Newcastle, Taree is the principal city of the Manning River district, which yields dairy products, timber, fish, vegetables, and corn (maize). Industries include dairy processing; sawmilling; dowel, broom, and fibrous plaster manufacture; engineering works; and boatbuilding. Taree has a tourist trade based on the nearby mountains and coastal scenery and hosts a January aquatic carnival. Pop. (1981) 14,697; (1991) 16,303.