Bombala, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Bombala is a town in the Monaro
region of south-eastern New South Wales
, Australia
, in Bombala Council
. It is located approximately 485 kilometres (301 mi) south of the state capital, Sydney
, and 80 kilometres (50 mi) south of the town of Cooma
. The name derives from an Aboriginal word meaning "Meeting of the waters". The town lies on the banks of the Bombala River
. At the 2006 census
, Bombala had a population of 1,206 people.
Bombala was proposed in 1903 by King O'Malley
as the site of the parliamentary seat of Australia. It was considered as a location because it was half way between the two cities of Sydney and Melbourne. The proposal was ultimately rejected in favour of Canberra
. The railway reached Bombala in 1921 and closed in 1986 The town lies on the banks of the Bombala River
being an extension of the line from Queanbeyan
to Cooma. The line was and still is known as the Goulburn
to Bombala line.
Principal industries of the area include grazing and timber. Tourism is also growing in importance to the local economy. There is also a small amount of specialty producers with meat rabbits, lavender
and many herbs being grown in the district. Delegate situated 36km west of Bombala is the next largest town in the Bombala Shire. The Snowy River March which commenced from Delegate in 1916 went via Bombala to Goulburn.
The timber industry has slowly begun to overtake many of the historic properties surrounding Bombala, such as the over 150 year old property of Aston, 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) south-west of the township.
The area is known for possibly the largest population of Platypus
in New South Wales and is promoted as Platypus Country.
, without specifically commemorating the town.
Monaro, New South Wales
Monaro is the name of a region in the south of New South Wales, Australia. A small area of Victoria near Snowy River National Park is geographically part of the Monaro, whilst the Australian Capital Territory is frequently considered part of the region: most towns have very close links with...
region of south-eastern New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, in Bombala Council
Bombala Council
Bombala Shire is a Local Government Area in the Monaro region of southeastern New South Wales, Australia. In addition to Bombala, Bombala Shire includes the villages of Delegate, Cathcart and Bibbenluke.- Council :...
. It is located approximately 485 kilometres (301 mi) south of the state capital, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, and 80 kilometres (50 mi) south of the town of Cooma
Cooma, New South Wales
-Education: is Cooma's only public high school, it serves the town and seven of the neighbouring rural towns and villages such as Berridale, Jindabyne, Nimmitabel, Bredbo and Dalgety....
. The name derives from an Aboriginal word meaning "Meeting of the waters". The town lies on the banks of the Bombala River
Bombala River
Bombala means "meeting of the waters" in the Aboriginal language. The head of the Bombala River is in the Brown Mountain area with other rivers running into it. The one that meets it at Bombala is the Coolumbooka River. The river than meanders along to the Quidong River where it also meets the...
. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Bombala had a population of 1,206 people.
King O'Malley
King O'Malley was an Australian politician. He was a member in the South Australian House of Assembly from 1896 to 1899, and the Australian House of Representatives from 1901 to 1917. O'Malley was also Minister for Home Affairs in the second and third Fisher Labor ministry...
as the site of the parliamentary seat of Australia. It was considered as a location because it was half way between the two cities of Sydney and Melbourne. The proposal was ultimately rejected in favour of Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
. The railway reached Bombala in 1921 and closed in 1986 The town lies on the banks of the Bombala River
Bombala River
Bombala means "meeting of the waters" in the Aboriginal language. The head of the Bombala River is in the Brown Mountain area with other rivers running into it. The one that meets it at Bombala is the Coolumbooka River. The river than meanders along to the Quidong River where it also meets the...
being an extension of the line from Queanbeyan
Queanbeyan, New South Wales
Queanbeyan is a regional centre in the Southern Tablelands in south-eastern New South Wales adjacent to the Australian Capital Territory. The city's mixed economy is based on light construction, high technology, manufacturing, service, retail and agriculture. It is the council seat of the...
to Cooma. The line was and still is known as the Goulburn
Goulburn, New South Wales
Goulburn is a provincial city in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia in Goulburn Mulwaree Council Local Government Area. It is located south-west of Sydney on the Hume Highway and above sea-level. On Census night 2006, Goulburn had a population of 20,127 people...
to Bombala line.
Principal industries of the area include grazing and timber. Tourism is also growing in importance to the local economy. There is also a small amount of specialty producers with meat rabbits, lavender
Lavender
The lavenders are a genus of 39 species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. An Old World genus, distributed from Macaronesia across Africa, the Mediterranean, South-West Asia, Arabia, Western Iran and South-East India...
and many herbs being grown in the district. Delegate situated 36km west of Bombala is the next largest town in the Bombala Shire. The Snowy River March which commenced from Delegate in 1916 went via Bombala to Goulburn.
The timber industry has slowly begun to overtake many of the historic properties surrounding Bombala, such as the over 150 year old property of Aston, 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) south-west of the township.
The area is known for possibly the largest population of Platypus
Platypus
The platypus is a semi-aquatic mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five extant species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young...
in New South Wales and is promoted as Platypus Country.
Notable Residents
- Minard Fannie Crommelin MBE (1881-1972), postmistress and environmental conservationist, born at Aston Station, near Bombala.
- Michael FarrellMichael Farrell (poet)-Biography:Michael Farrell was born in Bombala, New South Wales in 1965. He presently lives in Melbourne, where he is the Australian editor of Slope magazine.-Awards:* Harri Jones Memorial Prize, 1999: winner...
(1965-), contemporary Australian poet and magazine editor, born in Bombala. - Ngarigo people, traditional land owners.
- Dick ToothDick ToothDick Tooth born 1929 is an Australian former rugby union footballer of the 1950s. He represented for the Wallabies in ten Test matches and nineteen total appearances and was Australian captain on two occasions. He resided at St Andrew's College while studying at Sydney University...
(1929-), former Australian rugby union representative, born in Bombala.
Mars
The name Bombala is used as a name for a crater on the planet MarsMars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
, without specifically commemorating the town.