Guide to Kempsey New South Wales Australia

Kempsey is a town of about 15,000 people on the Macleay River, midway between Port Macquarie and Nambucca Heads. It is the service centre for a valley of dairy and beef farms.

The Pacific Highway bypassed the town in 2013 on a bridge more than three kilometres long, and the centre is calmer for it.

Known For

• The Slim Dusty Centre
• The home of the Akubra hat
• The gateway to the Macleay coast

Things To Do in Kempsey

The Slim Dusty Centre, in South Kempsey, celebrates the country singer who grew up at Nulla Nulla Creek, up the valley. It has a museum of his life and music, a cafe and a shop, and is open Monday to Saturday.

The Kempsey Museum shares a building with the visitor centre, designed by architect Glenn Murcutt, in South Kempsey. Akubra hats have been made in the town since the 1970s; the factory is not open, but local shops sell them. The river has parks and a walking path, and the beaches are 20 to 35 minutes away.

Where To Stay

Kempsey has plenty of motels along the old highway, pubs and caravan parks. Many visitors prefer to stay on the coast.

Eat & Drink

The town has cafes, clubs and pubs. The pie shop at Frederickton, ten minutes north, is a well-known stop.

History

The Dunghutti people are the traditional owners of the Macleay Valley. Europeans settled in the 1830s for cedar, and Kempsey has endured many floods; the worst, in 1949, destroyed much of the town centre.

Getting to Kempsey

Kempsey is just off the Pacific Highway, 45 minutes north of Port Macquarie. Trains between Sydney and Brisbane stop here.