Tamworth is located in New England, that region north of the Hunter Valley in New South Wales's north-eastern corner. It's one of the two major centres - the other is Armidale. If you're thinking about taking cheap flights to Tamworth for the annual Country Music Festival in January, book far, far, far in advance. The festival is the major draw of this beautiful country town; it's the largest Country Music Festival in the Southern Hemisphere.
Tamworth's love of country music is writ large around the city. It has the "Big Golden Guitar" and the Gallery of Stars Wax Museum on Ringers Road, the Hands of Fame Park at the corner of Kable Avenue and Bridge Street, the Walk A Country Mile Interpretive Centre at the Tamworth Visitor Information Centre and the Australian Country Music Hall of Fame on Brisbane Street. In Bicentennial Park, stand the bronze statues of Buddy Williams, Tex Morton, Stan Costa and Gordon Parsons.
Tamworth is an important agricultural centre and hosts the National Rodeo Finals during the festival while the Ag Quip takes place in nearby Gunnedah in August. It's also known as the National Equine Capital of Australia and the "First City of Lights", as it was the first place in the Southern Hemisphere to use electric street lights (a fact that's commemmorated in the Power Station Museum).
The Tamworth City Gallery houses paintings by Norman Lindsay as well as a large collection of silver (the Regan Silverware Collection).