When did cotton come to Australia?

The earliest record of cotton being grown in Australia is 1823 when a trial crop of cotton was planted in the Hunter River Valley in New South Wales. However, it was not until the 19th century that cotton became a significant commercial crop in Australia. In the 1850s and 1860s, cotton was grown in Queensland, New South Wales, and South Australia. However, the industry was devastated by the American Civil War, which caused a collapse in world cotton prices. In the early 20th century, cotton was grown in the Ord River region of Western Australia, but it was not until the 1960s that cotton became a major crop in Australia. In the 1960s, the Australian cotton industry was established in the Gwydir Valley in New South Wales. The cotton industry in Australia is now worth over $2 billion a year and employs over 15,000 people.