Basic information

| Attribute | Detail | | :--- | :--- | | Official Name | New South Wales | | Common Name | New South Wales, NSW | | Native Name(s) | N/A (Historically home to dozens of distinct Aboriginal nations) | | Nicknames | The Premier State, The First State | | Motto | *Orta recens quam pura nites* (Newly risen, how brightly you shine) | | Geographic Level | State | | Country | Australia | | State/Province | New South Wales | | Capital | Sydney | | Government Type | Constitutional Monarchy, Parliamentary Democracy | | Date Founded | January 26, 1788 (British colony); January 1, 1901 (Statehood) | | Time Zone | AEST (UTC+10) / AEDT (UTC+11); Broken Hill uses ACST (UTC+9:30) | | Latitude | 31.2532° S | | Longitude | 146.9211° E | | Elevation | Sea level to 2,228 m (7,310 ft) | | Total Area | 809,444 sq km (312,528 sq mi) | | Population | ~8.3 million | | Population Density | 10.3 residents per sq km (26.6 per sq mi) | | ZIP/Postal Codes | 2000–2999 | | Area Codes | 02, 08 (Broken Hill only) | | Official Languages | English | | Currency | Australian Dollar (AUD) | | Demonym | New South Welshman |