Tenterfield (pop. 3300) is situated amid hills at an altitude of 860m and lies close to the border with Queensland. Originally this was grazing land, with fruit plantations, timber working, sawmills and mines (silicates, gold). The landscape is a glory of color in autumn.
Tenterfield is famed as the place where Sir Henry Parkes, prime minister
of New South Wales, made a speech while visiting the School of Arts (now a museum) in 1889 calling for the unification of Australia and thus launched the movement for federation.