About Nowra NSW

Nowra is a city in the South Coast region of NSW, about 170km south of Sydney. It is also the commercial and administrative centre of the City of Shoalhaven.

Nowra hosts a major rural business district and a diverse population in its suburbs and myriad satellite villages.

The Nowra region is a farming community, sustaining a thriving dairy industry and several State forests, but is also increasingly a retirement and leisure area for Canberra and Sydney. The naval air station HMAS Albatross is located about 10km south-west of Nowra.

The regional centre of Nowra, situated on the Shoalhaven River, is close to many popular natural and cultural features of the Shoalhaven and Southern Highlands districts.

Major industries include tourism, manufacturing and the presence of the Royal Australian Navy. The history of its fleet air arm is well represented.

Facilities and attractions include golf clubs, bowling clubs, movies, river cruises, Shoalhaven Zoo, galleries, horse racing and canoeing. There are also award-winning restaurants, modern clubs and a variety of fishing activities.

Nowra is also near Berry, Jervis Bay, Kangaroo Valley, Culburra Beach, Greenwell Point, Huskisson and Shoalhaven Heads.

The closest train station is in nearby Bomaderry (end of the CityRail South Coast line). The area is served by buses.

Nowra and its surrounding townships have three public high schools - Nowra High School, Shoalhaven High School and Bomaderry High School. Non-government schools include Nowra Anglican College, St John the Evangelist Catholic High School and Nowra Christian School. The Catholic high school is linked to St Michael's Catholic Primary School in Nowra. Public primary schools include Nowra East Public School, Nowra Public School, Bomaderry Public School, Illaroo Road Public School, North Nowra Public School, Nowra Hill Public School and Terara Public School. The University of Wollongong also has a campus in Nowra, and there is a campus of TAFE NSW Illawarra Institute in Bomaderry.

Hospitals include Nowra Community Hospital and Shoalhaven District Hospital.