Orana, NSW
About the Orana region
This region is NSW's largest, occupying approximately 25% of the state's land, or nearly 200,000 km². It is located in central and central-west NSW and is home to the regional centres of Dubbo, Mudgee and Orana, along with a number of smaller, quaint country townships. Orana's land is largely used for agricultural purposes, and offers residents a laid-back country lifestyle.
The region is the traditional home of a number of Aboriginal groups, including the Wiradjuri, Tubbagah, Wailwan, Kamilaroi, Wongaibon, Barranbinya, Gunu, Muruwari and Ngemba peoples.
Local councils
NSW's Orana region includes 12 municipalities: Dubbo Regional Council, Mid-Western Regional Council, Bogan Shire Council, Bourke Shire Council, Brewarrina Shire Council, Cobar Shire Council, Coonamble Shire Council, Gilgandra Shire Council, Narromine Shire Council, Walgett Shire Council, Warren Shire Council and Warrumbungle Shire Council.
Climate information
The Orana climate is one of hot summers and moderate winters across most of the region. Average maximum summer temperatures hover around 34-35 °C, while average maximum winter temperatures are closer to 19-21 °C, dropping to 4-6 °C at night.
The region is relatively dry, receiving a mean annual rainfall of just 420.8 mm.
Population
The estimated population of the Orana region is reported as 123,051 as of 2019.
Education
The Orana region boasts a range of educational opportunities, from pre-schools all the way through to universities, giving residents access to a quality education without having to leave the region.
Students who wish to continue their studies after graduating from secondary school may choose to study at Charles Sturt University, the University of Sydney School of Rural Health, or the Macquarie Conservatorium of Music, all of which have campuses in the region. TAFE Western also has numerous locations across the region.
Employment and local businesses
The Orana region has a Gross Regional Product of approximately $9.5 billion, and is home to about 50,000 local jobs. The region's top five industries by number of people employed are agriculture, forestry & fishing, healthcare & social assistance, retail, education & training, and public administration & safety. 86% of the region's land is used for agricultural production, befitting the industry's standing as a cornerstone of the Orana economy.
Housing
Median house prices vary across the Orana region. Dubbo, by far the largest population centre in the region, has a median purchase price of $380,000 and a median weekly house rental (for a 3-bedroom home) of $350, both of which are quite far below NSW's median values.
Events
Where: Dubbo, NSW
When: Annually, in May
What: Visitors are invited to take part in the festivities at the annual Dubbo Show, a festival designed to showcase the agricultural products of the region and promote local businesses. The show hosts a series of competitions and displays to engage, educate, and entertain patrons with activities like showjumping, pet parades, and cookery workshops. Come along and enjoy the multitude of events and activities on offer at this charming local agricultural show.
Where: Mudgee, NSW
When: Annually, in June
What: Warm up your winters with this annual barbecue and smoked meats festival! The MudgeeQue offers visitors the ability to enjoy world-class slow-cooked barbecued foods with your loved ones for one incredible day every June. There’s an array of craft brewers, distillers, and winemakers providing drinks to partner with the delicious barbecued food on offer, too. Tying it all together is the live acoustic folk and blues tunes that will be playing all day.
Where: Mudgee, NSW
When: Annually, in September
What: This free community wine and food festival has been bringing the streets of Mudgee to live every year since 2012. Flavours of Mudgee attracts a crowd of over 10,000 and over 75 stallholders, making it a key tourism event in the region. Live entertainment accompanies the showcase of local businesses, inviting both locals and visitors out for a wonderful day of food and wine tasting.
Additional Information
Orana has 12 subregions. Use the list below or the map above to learn more about individual subregions.
Orana Schools
- Government Schools
- Independent Schools
Combined
- Baradine Central School BARADINE NSW 2396
- Binnaway Central School BINNAWAY NSW 2395
- Brewarrina Central School BREWARRINA NSW 2839
- Collarenebri Central School COLLARENEBRI NSW 2833
- Coolah Central School COOLAH NSW 2843
- Dubbo School of Distance Education DUBBO NSW 2830
- Dunedoo Central School DUNEDOO NSW 2844
- Goodooga Central School GOODOOGA NSW 2838
- Gulargambone Central School GULARGAMBONE NSW 2828
- Lightning Ridge Central School LIGHTNING RIDGE NSW 2834
- Mendooran Central School MENDOORAN NSW 2842
- Trangie Central School TRANGIE NSW 2823
- Warren Central School WARREN NSW 2824
- Yeoval Central School YEOVAL NSW 2868
Primary
- Ballimore Public School BALLIMORE NSW 2830
- Bourke Public School BOURKE NSW 2840
- Bourke-Walgett School of Distance Education BOURKE NSW 2840
- Buninyong Public School DUBBO NSW 2830
- Burren Junction Public School BURREN JUNCTION NSW 2386
- Carinda Public School CARINDA NSW 2831
- Cobar Public School COBAR NSW 2835
- Coonabarabran Public School COONABARABRAN NSW 2357
- Coonamble Public School COONAMBLE NSW 2829
- Cudgegong Valley Public School MUDGEE NSW 2850
- Dubbo North Public School DUBBO NSW 2830
- Dubbo Public School DUBBO NSW 2830
- Dubbo South Public School DUBBO NSW 2830
- Dubbo West Public School DUBBO NSW 2830
- Enngonia Public School ENNGONIA NSW 2840
- Euabalong West Public School EUABALONG WEST NSW 2877
- Euchareena Public School EUCHAREENA NSW 2866
- Eumungerie Public School EUMUNGERIE NSW 2822
- Geurie Public School GEURIE NSW 2818
- Gilgandra Public School GILGANDRA NSW 2827
- Girilambone Public School GIRILAMBONE NSW 2831
- Goolma Public School GOOLMA NSW 2852
- Gulgong Public School GULGONG NSW 2852
- Gwabegar Public School GWABEGAR NSW 2356
- Hargraves Public School HARGRAVES NSW 2850
- Hermidale Public School HERMIDALE NSW 2831
- Ilford Public School ILFORD NSW 2850
- Kandos Public School KANDOS NSW 2848
- Louth Public School LOUTH NSW 2840
- Lue Public School LUE NSW 2850
- Marra Creek Public School NYNGAN NSW 2825
- Mudgee Public School MUDGEE NSW 2850
- Mumbil Public School MUMBIL NSW 2820
- Narromine Public School NARROMINE NSW 2821
- Nyngan Public School NYNGAN NSW 2825
- Orana Heights Public School DUBBO NSW 2830
- Pilliga Public School PILLIGA NSW 2388
- Premer Public School PREMER NSW 2381
- Quambone Public School QUAMBONE NSW 2831
- Rowena Public School ROWENA NSW 2387
- Rylstone Public School RYLSTONE NSW 2849
- Sofala Public School SOFALA NSW 2795
- Stuart Town Public School STUART TOWN NSW 2820
- Tambar Springs Public School TAMBAR SPRINGS NSW 2381
- Tooraweenah Public School TOORAWEENAH NSW 2817
- Ulan Public School ULAN NSW 2850
- Walgett Community College - Primary School WALGETT NSW 2832
- Wanaaring Public School WANAARING NSW 2840
- Weilmoringle Public School WEILMORINGLE NSW 2839
- Wellington Public School WELLINGTON NSW 2820
- Wollar Public School WOLLAR NSW 2850
- Wongarbon Public School WONGARBON NSW 2831
Secondary
- Bourke High School BOURKE NSW 2840
- Cobar High School COBAR NSW 2835
- Coonabarabran High School COONABARABRAN NSW 2357
- Coonamble High School COONAMBLE NSW 2829
- Dubbo College Delroy Campus DUBBO WEST NSW 2830
- Dubbo College Senior Campus DUBBO NSW 2830
- Dubbo College South Campus DUBBO NSW 2830
- Gilgandra High School GILGANDRA NSW 2827
- Gulgong High School GULGONG NSW 2852
- Kandos High School KANDOS NSW 2848
- Mudgee High School MUDGEE NSW 2850
- Narromine High School NARROMINE NSW 2821
- Nyngan High School NYNGAN NSW 2825
- Walgett Community College - High School WALGETT NSW 2832
- Wellington High School WELLINGTON NSW 2820
Special
- Lincoln School DUBBO NSW 2830
- Mian School DUBBO NSW 2830
- Red Hill Environmental Education Centre GULGONG NSW 2852
- Wambangalang Environmental Education Centre DUBBO NSW 2830
- Warrumbungle National Park Environmental Education Centre COONABARABRAN NSW 2357
- Yawarra Community School DUBBO NSW 2830
Combined
- Central West Leadership Academy DUBBO NSW 2830
- Dubbo Christian School DUBBO NSW 2830
- Koinonia Christian Academy BOURKE NSW 2840
- Macquarie Anglican Grammar School DUBBO NSW 2830
- Vista Lodge DUBBO NSW 2830
- St Mary's Catholic School WELLINGTON NSW 2820
- St Matthews Catholic School MUDGEE NSW 2850
Primary
- All Hallows Catholic Primary School GULGONG NSW 2852
- Burrabadine Christian Community School DUBBO NSW 2830
- Narromine Christian School NARROMINE NSW 2821
- Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School COOLAH NSW 2843
- St Augustine's Parish School NARROMINE NSW 2821
- St Brigid's Catholic Primary School COONAMBLE NSW 2829
- St Columba's Catholic Primary School YEOVAL NSW 2868
- St Ignatius' Parish School BOURKE NSW 2840
- St John's Catholic Primary School BARADINE NSW 2396
- St John's Catholic Primary School DUBBO NSW 2830
- St John's Parish School COBAR NSW 2835
- St John's Parish School TRANGIE NSW 2823
- St Joseph's Catholic Primary School GILGANDRA NSW 2827
- St Joseph's Parish School NYNGAN NSW 2825
- St Joseph's Primary School WALGETT NSW 2832
- St Laurence's Catholic Primary School DUBBO NSW 2830
- St Lawrence's Catholic Primary School COONABARABRAN NSW 2357
- St Mary's Parish School WARREN NSW 2824
- St Mary's Catholic Primary School DUBBO NSW 2830
- St Michael's Catholic Primary School DUNEDOO NSW 2844
- St Patrick's Parish School BREWARRINA NSW 2839
- St Pius X Catholic Primary School DUBBO NSW 2830
- Wellington Christian School WELLINGTON NSW 2820
Secondary
- St Johns College DUBBO NSW 2830
- Western College ALESCO Learning Centre, White Street Campus DUBBO NSW 2830
Special
- Currawah Aboriginal Education Centre GONGOLGON NSW 2839
- Skillset Senior College - Dubbo DUBBO NSW 2830
- Western College ALESCO Learning Centre DUBBO NSW 2830
Orana Housing
-
Houses in Orana
The price of a house in Orana ranges from around $38,000 to $850,000.
A typical house in has 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom & parking for 2 cars.
Orana Census Information
-
Dwelling Type
What types of residential properties are available in Orana?
Source: ABS 2016 Census GCP -
Tenure Type
Which residential properties in Orana are owned, mortgaged or rented out?
Source: ABS 2016 Census GCP -
Change in Residence
Did people in Orana change address in the last year?
Source: ABS 2016 Census GCP -
Working Population
What age groups are most strongly represented in Orana?
Source: ABS 2016 Census GCP -
Top 5 Industries
What industries do people in Orana work in?
- Agriculture forestry and fishing
- Health care and social assistance
- Retail trade
- Education and training
- Public administration and safety
Source: ABS 2016 Census GCP -
Family Size
How many people live in a household in Orana?
Source: ABS 2016 Census GCP
What's happening in Orana
-
Go Regional With Move to More Early mornings watching the sunrise, quiet afternoons with the family, vast stretches of land untouched by houses – there’s so much to...
-
Where to See Autumn Leaves Near Sydney In rural New South Wales, the delights of autumn go beyond food and wine festivals.
-
Acreage for Sale in NSW The state of New South Wales has enjoyed an extremely strong year in terms of its land prices.
Properties in Orana
- For Sale
- For Rent