Monaro, New South Wales

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There are other uses for the term Monaro.

Monaro (pronounced "mon-air'-ro") is the name of a region in the south of New South Wales, Australia. A small area of Victoria near Snowy River National Park is geographically part of the Monaro, whilst the Australian Capital Territory is frequently considered part of the region: most towns have very close links with Canberra.

The Monaro region is a plateau area lying about 1000 meters above sea level, extending from the valley of the Murrumbidgee River in the north to the Errinundra Plateau in the south, and dropping rather sharply to the coast on its eastern side. Much of the region is an ancient highland, but there is basaltic bedrock near Cooma and Nimmitabel that produce the only true chernozems in the whole continent, which are some of the best soils in Australia. Elsewhere the granitic soils are heavily leached and very infertile, supporting a dry forest vegetation before clearing for pastures.

Because it is located east of the Snowy Mountains, the rain-bearing westerly winds deposit rain and snow on the mountains leaving the Monaro region in a rain-shadow. Annual rainfall ranges from 430 millimetres (17 inches) around Dalgety to 700 millimetres (26 inches) at the eastern edge of the plateau, where occasional cyclonic storms can produce extremely heavy rainfall - in one day in June 1975 Nimmitabel received 256 millimetres (over 10 inches) of rain. Temperatures in summer are warm to very warm, with average maxima ranging from 28°C (82°F) around Canberra and Queanbeyan to 22°C (71°F) on the highest parts of the plateau. Nights in summer can be cool, but in winter the region is the coldest part of mainland Australia outside the Alps, with July minima averaging -0.3°C (31.5°F) in Canberra and -1.5°C (29.3°F) in Bombala.

The Monaro region is characterised by rolling hills that rise to extremely rugged peaks in the Tinderry Mountains and to shallow valleys in the upper Murrumbidgee. The basaltic Monaro Range separates the Snowy and Murrumbidgee drainages. Because the climate in the basaltic areas is too cold for really reliable cropping (Nimmitabel has had frosts in January), the main industry is raising sheep and beef cattle. The Monaro provides some of the best beef and wool in Australia, and hobby farms such as the Cooma Llama Farm can also be found. Tourism is also important; the Monaro's towns serve as accommodation for skiers during the winter.

The Monaro Highway is the main State highway from Canberra to the Monaro region. The main towns in the region are Cooma and Bombala, whilst others include Berridale, Adaminaby, Dalgety, Nimmitabel and Jindabyne.