Lismore is a sub-tropical city in New South Wales, Australia. It is the main population centre in the City of Lismore local government area. It is a major regional centre in the Northern Rivers region of the state.

History
The city of Lismore resides in the Aboriginal Bundjalung Nation area. Evidence indicates the Bundjalung people arrived from the north of Australia around 8,000 years ago. European History of Lismore begins in c.1843. A pastoral run covering an area of 93 km² was taken up by Captain Dumaresq at this time covering the Lismore area. The run was stocked with sheep from the New England area. Ward Stephens took up the run in the same year, but the sub-tropical climate was unsuited to sheep grazing, so the run was eventually abandoned. In January 1845, William and Jane Wilson took over the run. Jane Wilson was responsible for naming it after Lismore, Scotland, where the couple honeymooned. The Wilsons were Scottish and arrived in NSW in May 1883. In 1855, a surveyor by the name of Frederick Peppercorne was instructed by Sir Thomas Mitchell to determine a site for a township in the area. The chosen site was William Wilson's homestead paddock, and the area was proclaimed the "Town of Lismore" in the NSW Government Gazette on 1 May 1856. The township was soon settled and a Post Office opened on October 1, 1859. Lismore was incorporated a municipality on 5 March 1879, and was proclaimed a city on 30 August 1946.  From the mid 1950s until the early 1960s Lismore hosted an annual Floral Carnival in early September. The week-long programme of events culminated in a street parade of decorated floats, crowning of the Floral Queen and a fireworks display.

Rainforest
Lismore and surrounding towns were once part of the rainforest referred to as "The Big Scrub," of which less than one per cent remains following European settlement. A section of this rainforest is viewable in the grounds of Southern Cross University.

Geography
Lismore is located on the Bruxner Highway and the Wilsons River, a tributary of the Richmond River. The state capital Sydney is 764 km (475 mi) south by road. Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, is within a 2.5-hour drive to the north.

Lismore central business district is located within 30 minutes drive from the eastern coast, and within 45 minutes of Byron Bay. The coastal town of Ballina is nearby. There are a number of rainforest patches in the area, remnants of what was once known as the Big Scrub. These are preserved today, with a small remnant known as Boatharbour Reserve just east of town on the Bangalow road. The nearest national park is Nightcap National Park.

Lismore is featured in the first verse of the original version of "I've Been Everywhere" and also mentioned in the Midnight Oil song "Outside World" from the album 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

Climate
Lismore experiences mild to warm temperatures all year round, with ample rainfall. Temperatures in summer range between 27 °C (81 °F) and 40 °C (104 °F). The sub-tropical climate combined with geographical features means the urban area is unusually humid when compared with surrounding areas, especially in summer. Although no major environmental hazards affect the area, Lismore is renowned for the occasional flood, one of the worst having occurred in 1974, rising to a water height of 12.1 metres (40 ft). Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh whilst staying in the Gollan Hotel in 1954 were almost floodbound by one such inundation. Following a flood in 2001, the then Premier of New South Wales — Bob Carr — initiated a flood levee program to curb the problem. Nonetheless, over 9000 residents of Lismore were evacuated after floods affected much of the area on June 30, 2005, many being temporarily housed on the campus of Southern Cross University. However, a new levee that had been completed two weeks prior limited damage and stopped the water reaching the central business area. On October 25, 2007 a tornado struck nearby Dunoon, captured on video as it struck a direct hit on an electrical transformer station.

Sister cities
Lismore formed a sister-city relationship with Yamatotakada City, Nara Prefecture, Japan in 1963. It was the first such relationship established between Australia and Japan.

Lismore is also sistered with Eau Claire, Wisconsin, USA and Lismore in Ireland.