Explore South West Rocks, New South Wales, Australia, with this interactive street and satellite map. You can “grab” the South West Rocks, 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 South West Rocks, 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 South West Rocks 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 South West Rocks.
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 | South West Rocks |
| State | New South Wales (NSW) |
| Local Government Area | Kempsey Shire Council |
| Country | Australia |
| Timezone | Australian Eastern Time (AEST/AEDT) |
| Remoteness | Inner Regional Australia |
| Latitude | -30.89516 |
| Longitude | 153.03891 |
| Population | 4,847 |
| Density | 354.1 /km² |
| Area | 13.7 km² |
| Elevation | 13 m |
| Postcode | 2431 |
| Area Code | 02 |
| Distance to Sydney | 373 km north-northeast |
South West Rocks is a locality in the Kempsey Shire Council local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It has a population of approximately 4,847. The locality covers an area of 13.7 km², giving a population density of about 354.1 people per km². It sits at an elevation of around 13 m above sea level. It lies approximately 373 km north-northeast of Sydney. South West Rocks is located at 30.8952°S, 153.0389°E. It observes Australian Eastern Time (AEST/AEDT). Postcode: 2431. The Australian Bureau of Statistics classifies the area as Inner Regional Australia.
South West Rocks unfurls along a spectacular stretch of coastline, where the Macleay River surrenders itself to the vast Pacific Ocean. It lies 64.4 km north-north-east of Port Macquarie, NSW (from Port Macquarie, NSW: bearing 12°T), and is situated 9.2 km south-south-east of Stuarts Point. Here, ochre headlands cradle a series of pristine beaches, their sands ranging from the pale gold of Trial Bay to the darker, more rugged shores facing the open sea. Inland, the terrain gently rises, giving way to swathes of coastal rainforest and eucalyptus woodlands, alive with the calls of unseen birds. The air itself carries a perpetual tang of salt and damp earth, a constant reminder of the sea's proximity and the generous rainfall that nourishes this verdant landscape. Even on a still day, the subtle scent of iodine and blooming native flowers perfumes the breeze, a unique perfume that defines the very character of South West Rocks.
The history of South West Rocks is deeply entwined with its maritime setting and the enduring allure of its natural harbours. For millennia, Indigenous peoples have known this country, their connection to the land and sea a silent testament to the region's bounty. Later, European settlers were drawn by the promise of safe anchorage and fertile soil, establishing a small but resilient community. The iconic Trial Bay Gaol, a stark reminder of a penal past, now stands as a brooding sentinel overlooking the bay, a place where history feels palpable in the salt-laced wind. Today, the local economy thrives on a blend of tourism, drawn by the exceptional beaches and the chance to witness migrating whales, and a continuing reliance on the rich fishing grounds offshore. The rhythm of life in South West Rocks is a gentle ebb and flow, dictated more by the tides and the seasons than the clamour of hurried schedules, a place where the simple beauty of the coast shapes the daily lives 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 South West Rocks, 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 South West Rocks, in the Kempsey Shire Council local government area.
Detailed location data for South West Rocks includes the postcode (2431), telephone area code (02), and local government area (Kempsey Shire Council), with an ABS remoteness classification of Inner 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 South West Rocks is identified even where the name is shared across multiple localities.
| Page generated | October 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. |