Explore Forbes River, New South Wales, Australia, with this interactive street and satellite map. You can “grab” the Forbes River, NSW map and move it around to re-centre it. You can change between standard map view and satellite map view by clicking the small square in the bottom left-hand corner of the map. You can use the zoom buttons on the lower right side of the map to zoom in or out to street-level detail.
This page also offers TOPO MAPS — Geoscience Australia topographic mapping and the classic NATMAP 1:250 000 sheets — plus a labelled MGA grid overlay, a distance and bearing tool, and a GPS grid-reference readout. See How to Use This Map below. You will find live weather, local and world news further down the page.
This interactive map shows the street layout and satellite imagery for Forbes River, New South Wales, Australia. Use the Map and Satellite buttons above to switch between street map and aerial imagery views. Use the + and − buttons to zoom in or out, or scroll your mouse wheel while holding the Control key to zoom. On a touchscreen, use a two-finger pinch gesture to zoom in and out.
Click ⛶ Fullscreen to expand the map to fill your screen for a larger view. To return to the normal page view, press the Escape key on your keyboard, click the ✕ Exit Fullscreen button that appears above the map, or on a mobile device tap the back button (Android) or the close icon (iOS).
Drag the map to pan to any area of New South Wales or beyond. Switch to Satellite view to see high-resolution aerial photography of Forbes River and surrounding areas, including streets, buildings, parks and waterways.
TOPO MAPS — NEW. Click the green 🔍 Search Maps button below the map to open a second map with a Base map row offering three choices. OSM is the standard OpenStreetMap street map. Topo shows the Geoscience Australia National Base Map — seamless topographic mapping covering the mainland, Tasmania and the external territories. NATMAP 250K shows the classic NATMAP 1:250 000 map sheets, mosaicked nationwide — the printed sheets generations of Australians navigated the outback with. The search box finds any Australian town, suburb or landmark by name, so you are not limited to Forbes River.
Reading the map like a paper sheet. Click Grid to overlay the Map Grid of Australia (MGA), labelled along the edges exactly as a printed topographic sheet is — at normal zoom the squares are one kilometre across, so you can read a six-figure grid reference by eye and judge distance directly off the map. Click Measure, then tap two points, to get the distance between them together with the grid bearing in degrees and mils, the true bearing, and the magnetic bearing to set on a compass.
Click 📍 My position to take a single GPS reading from your device. It marks where you are and reports your position as an MGA grid reference as well as plain latitude and longitude — the grid reference being what emergency services and search and rescue work from — with a Copy position button so you can paste it straight into a text message. It takes one reading and stops, rather than tracking continuously, to conserve your battery. Note that map tiles need mobile coverage, but a GPS reading does not — your coordinates stay correct even where the map itself cannot load, which across much of inland Australia is most of the time.
Map search is available for a limited number of queries per session to manage costs. Be specific — search precisely for best results.
| Locality | Forbes River |
| State | New South Wales (NSW) |
| Local Government Area | Port Macquarie-Hastings Council |
| Country | Australia |
| Timezone | Australian Eastern Time (AEST/AEDT) |
| Remoteness | Outer Regional Australia |
| Latitude | -31.22271 |
| Longitude | 152.33585 |
| Area | 218.4 km² |
| Elevation | 465 m |
| Postcode | 2446 |
| Area Code | 02 |
| Distance to Sydney | 313 km north-northeast |
Forbes River is a locality in the Port Macquarie-Hastings Council local government area of New South Wales, Australia. The locality covers an area of 218.4 km². It sits at an elevation of around 465 m above sea level. It lies approximately 313 km north-northeast of Sydney. Forbes River is located at 31.2227°S, 152.3358°E. It observes Australian Eastern Time (AEST/AEDT). Postcode: 2446. The Australian Bureau of Statistics classifies the area as Outer Regional Australia.
Forbes River winds its way through a landscape of fertile alluvial plains, its banks fringed with towering eucalypts that cast dappled shadows across the water. It lies 59.4 km west-north-west of Port Macquarie, NSW (from Port Macquarie, NSW: bearing 296°T), and is situated 44.5 km west-south-west of Aldavilla. The air here carries the sweet, earthy scent of damp soil and eucalyptus, a constant reminder of the generous embrace of nature. On either side, paddocks stretch towards a horizon broken only by the occasional gentle rise, a patchwork of green and gold depending on the season. The river itself, a broad, slow-moving artery, reflects the vast, ever-changing Australian sky, its surface a mirror for the passing clouds and the intense, bright sunlight. The character of Forbes River is one of quiet persistence, a place where the land and water have shaped a gentle, enduring spirit.
For generations, the fortunes of Forbes River have been intrinsically linked to the bounty of its soil and the steady flow of its namesake waterway. Historically, this land was a vital corridor for Indigenous peoples, and evidence of their deep connection to the river and its surrounds can still be felt in the very atmosphere of the place. Later, European settlers recognized the immense agricultural potential, establishing a thriving farming community that continues to define the local economy. Cattle graze on the rich pastures, and crops are cultivated where the river’s waters have historically provided sustenance. The town itself, a cluster of welcoming buildings, centres its life around the river, its bridges, and the gentle rhythm of daily commerce. Travellers often remark on the unhurried pace, a stark contrast to the clamour of larger cities, and the genuine warmth of its inhabitants.
Sources: curated tourist landmarks, CAPAD 2024 (Australian protected areas), OpenStreetMap.
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This page provides a street and satellite map of Forbes River, New South Wales. Live weather conditions with current observations and a 7-day forecast are powered by Open-Meteo. Real-time local news and world news feeds keep the page current, while an editorially written description provides background on Forbes River, in the Port Macquarie-Hastings Council local government area.
Detailed location data for Forbes River includes the postcode (2446), telephone area code (02), and local government area (Port Macquarie-Hastings Council), with an ABS remoteness classification of Outer Regional Australia. These are among the most commonly searched location details for any Australian city, town or locality.
Search Maps opens a second, independent map. It searches OpenStreetMap for any Australian town, suburb or landmark by name; offers Geoscience Australia topographic mapping and the classic NATMAP 1:250 000 sheets as base layers; overlays a labelled Map Grid of Australia (MGA) so the map can be read like a printed topographic sheet; measures distance and grid, true and magnetic bearings between any two points; and takes a single GPS fix reporting your position as an MGA grid reference and as latitude and longitude. Map tiles require mobile coverage, but a GPS position does not, so the coordinates remain correct even where the map cannot load.
Location data is drawn from Geoscape Administrative Boundaries (GDA2020) and enriched with GeoNames and Australian Bureau of Statistics data, matched by coordinate proximity — ensuring the correct Forbes River is identified even where the name is shared across multiple localities.
| Page generated | September 2026 |
| Location data | Geoscape Administrative Boundaries (GDA2020); enriched with GeoNames and ABS 2021 Census data, matched by coordinate proximity |
| Map layers | Google Maps; © OpenStreetMap contributors; © Geoscience Australia National Base Map and NATMAP 1:250 000 (CC BY 4.0); magnetic declination from NOAA NCEI (World Magnetic Model) |
| Description | Editorial description generated with AI assistance from verified Geoscape, ABS and GeoNames location data. |