Southern Highlands (New South Wales)

Southern Highlands New South Wales
Morton National Park at Fitzroy Falls
Population	52,678 (SA3 2021)[1]
Location	110 km (68 mi) South-West of Sydney 140 km (87 mi) North-East of Canberra
LGA(s)	Wingecarribee Shire[2]
Region	Capital Country
State electorate(s)	• Goulburn  • Kiama  • Wollondilly
Federal division(s)	• Hume  • Gilmore  • Whitlam
Localities around Southern Highlands: Southern Tablelands Macarthur (Greater Sydney) Illawarra Southern Tablelands Southern Highlands Illawarra Southern Tablelands Southern Tablelands South Coast

The Southern Highlands, also locally referred to as the Highlands, is a geographical region and district in New South Wales, Australia and is 110 km south-west of Sydney. The region comprises the local government area of the Wingecarribee Shire and also towns of the Mulwaree Shire. The region is also considered a wine region.

The region specifically is the area centred on the commercial towns of Mittagong, Bowral, Moss Vale, Bundanoon and Robertson as well as the historic town of Berrima. Smaller villages like Burradoo, Sutton Forest, Colo Vale, Avoca, Yerrinbool, Exeter, Welby and many more that make up the Wingecarribee Shire are spread in between and around these main centres and serve mostly as residential areas.

The Highlands geographically sits between 500 m and 900 m above sea level on the Great Dividing Range.^[3] Like other regions along this plateau such as the Blue Mountains to the north and the Australian Alps to the south, the Southern Highlands is known for its cool temperate climate. The Southern Highlands Shale Forest and Woodland and Blue Mountains and Southern Highlands Basalt Forests vegetation communities lie primarily within the region.

The Southern Highlands as a region is part of the larger Capital Country Region with the Highlands forming the northern part of the region and the Southern Tablelands forming the southern part of the region.