Interesting facts

1. New South Wales is Australia's oldest and most populous state. 2. The state was founded in 1788 as a British penal colony under Captain Arthur Phillip. 3. The Sydney Opera House, an architectural masterpiece located on Sydney Harbor, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. 4. Mount Kosciuszko in the Snowy Mountains is mainland Australia's highest peak at 2,228 meters (7,310 feet). 5. Bondi Beach is one of the world's most famous surfing beaches and home to the world's oldest surf lifesaving club, founded in 1907. 6. The state's borders include the Murray River to the south and the Tasman Sea to the east. 7. The remote town of Lightning Ridge is the world's largest producer of the rare and highly valuable black opal. 8. The Blue Mountains get their name from a blue haze created by eucalyptus oil evaporating from the millions of gum trees in the valleys. 9. The coastal town of Byron Bay is the easternmost point of mainland Australia. 10. The "Big Banana" in Coffs Harbor is one of Australia’s first and most famous "Big Things" (novelty roadside attractions). 11. Lord Howe Island, part of NSW but located 600 km offshore, restricts visitors to just 400 at any one time to preserve its pristine environment. 12. The state floral emblem is the Waratah, a striking red flower native to southeastern Australia. 13. The Platypus is the state animal, while the Kookaburra is the state bird. 14. The Hunter Valley is Australia's oldest commercial wine-producing region, dating back to the 1820s. 15. The Sydney Harbor Bridge, opened in 1932, is affectionately known by locals as "The Coathanger." 16. NSW completely surrounds the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), which contains the nation's capital, Canberra. 17. Port Jackson (Sydney Harbor) is widely considered the deepest and largest natural harbor in the world. 18. The Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme, built between 1949 and 1974, is considered one of the engineering wonders of the modern world. 19. By land mass, New South Wales is larger than the US state of Texas. 20. Australia's first recorded commercial brewing of beer took place in NSW in the late 1790s.