Hay, New South Wales

Hay
Looking south down Lachlan Street, the main street of Hay
Hay
Coordinates: 34°30′0″S 144°51′0″E / 34.50000°S 144.85000°E / -34.50000; 144.85000
CountryAustralia
StateNew South Wales
LGA
Location
Established1859
Government
 • State electorate
 • Federal division
Elevation
93.3 m (306 ft)
Population
 • Total2,882 (2021 census)
Postcode
2711
CountyWaradgery
Mean max temp24.3 °C (75.7 °F)
Mean min temp10.0 °C (50.0 °F)
Annual rainfall368.3 mm (14.50 in)

Hay is a town in the western Riverina region of south-western New South Wales, Australia. It is the administrative centre of Hay Shire local government area and the centre of a prosperous and productive agricultural district on the wide Hay Plains.

Located approximately midway between Sydney and Adelaide at the junction of the Sturt, Cobb and Mid-Western Highways, Hay is an important regional and national transport node. The town itself is built beside the Murrumbidgee River, part of the Murray–Darling river system; Australia's largest. The main business district of Hay is situated on the north bank of the river.