Dubbo (pop. 38,783) is a city in New South Wales, Australia. It is located along the Macquarie River, about 250 miles (400 kilometers) northwest of Sydney. The town is a transportation hub at the junction of the Newell and Mitchell highways, two north-south highways that cross in central New South Wales. Dubbo is an Aboriginal word meaning red earth or head covering. 
Dubbo is part of a farming district specializing in wheat, barley, oats, and lucerne (alfalfa). Farmers also raise sheep as well as beef and dairy cattle. Many of the town’s residents are employed in construction, education, health care, real estate, retail, and transportation. 
Taronga Western Plains Zoo (formerly the Western Plains Zoo) opened in Dubbo in 1977. It has become a major tourist attraction for the city. Other famous sites include the Dubbo Regional Botanical Gardens and the Old Dubbo Gaol. The gaol (jail) was built in 1871. It closed as a working jail in 1966 before reopening as a museum in 1974.
The region traditionally has been inhabited by the Wiradjuri people, one of the largest Aboriginal groups in New South Wales. The land that would become Dubbo was first encountered by Europeans in 1818. That year, the British surveyor John Oxley found the area while exploring the Macquarie River region.
Robert Dulhunty was one of the first British settlers to live in the area. He received a land grant for his property, which he named Dubbo, in 1837. A settlement, also called Dubbo, grew up about 4 miles (6 kilometers) from Dulhunty’s estate. Dubbo officially became a village in 1849.
Dubbo’s early industries included mining and manufacturing. By the 1870’s, Dubbo was a major supplier of manufactured and trade goods for western New South Wales, boosting the town’s economy and population. In 1872, it became a municipality. The town experienced more significant growth beginning in 1947, with its population nearly doubling by the 1970’s. Dubbo was declared a city in 1966.
Dubbo was seriously impacted by flooding in 2022, caused by extreme rainfall in the area. The Macquarie River flooded, resulting in widespread property damage.
