Gloucester is a town and Local Government Area in the dairy country of the mid north of the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the North Coast railway line .

History

The township of Gloucester was first established in 1855 primarily for sheep farming, however it became apparant that the land was not suitable. In 1876, gold was discovered in Copeland, a small town north-west of Gloucester. Copeland became a large town of over 3,000 inhabitants due to the gold discovery, and the large amount of red cedar trees. However, the population has since dwindled to a population of a few hundred. The four main industries of the Gloucester area are: tourism, timber, cattle farming and coal. The timber industry has been prevelent in Gloucester since the late 19th century, and is still a major industry in the Gloucester area. Gloucester Coal, originally Stratford Coal, began mining in Stratford, a small town 12km south of Gloucester, in 1995, and has since spread throughout the region. Cattle farming is still a major industry of Gloucester for both dairy a beef cattle.

External links

• Gloucester Information Page