Grafton

Grafton Bridge

Grafton, New South Wales, Australia

Grafton, city and port, northeastern New South Wales, eastern Australia. It is located approximately 40 miles (65 km) from the mouth of the Clarence River (and its port at the Pacific Ocean, Yamba), in the North Coast district.

The site was first settled in 1838 by lumbermen who sought to exploit the area’s cedar forests. The city was proclaimed in 1885 and increased in size in 1956 through the merger of the municipalities of Grafton and South Grafton (both named for the duke of Grafton) on opposite banks of the river (bridged in 1932). The district is a communications hub, lying at the junction of the Pacific and Gwydir highways, with air and rail links to Brisbane, Queensland (north), and Sydney (southwest), and is accessible from the sea by boats of moderate draft. Grafton is a gateway to several national parks in the vicinity, and tourism is important. The locale yields sugarcane, fruits, timber, corn (maize), dairy products, vegetables, oysters, and prawns. Industries include meat and dairy processing, brewing, and mining (coal, asbestos, limestone). Grafton is the seat of an Anglican bishop. The city is noted for its wide tree-lined streets and for its annual Jacaranda Festival (late October–early November). Pop. (2006) urban centre, 17,501; (2011) urban centre, 16,598.