Narooma, New South Wales
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Narooma New South Wales |
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 Bridge at Narooma on the Princes Highway |
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| Population: | 3,391 (2001 Census) |
| Established: | 1881 |
| Postcode: | 2546 |
| Location: | |
| LGA: | Eurobodalla Shire Council |
| State District: | Bega |
| Federal Division: | Eden-Monaro |
Narooma is a town in the Australian state of New South Wales on the far south coast. The town is on the Princes Highway. The name is said to be derived from the Aboriginal word meaning ‘clear blue waters’.
Montague Island, a National Parks and Wildlife Reserve, is eight kilometers offshore from Narooma. The island was sighted off the coast by Captain Cook in 1770.
There had been an earlier settlement nearby at Punkalla, which was a port for Bodalla and Nerrigundah; a ruined jetty and timber mill can still be seen there. The post office opened at Narooma in 1881. In 1884 Narooma was declared a port. The school opened in 1886.
Narooma was regarded as a tourist resort from the early twentieth century. The local oyster industry was established around 1900. In 1940 a fish cannery opened.
The Uniting (formerly Methodist) Church on the Princes Highway dates from 1914. Together with the associated parsonage, it is regarded as an excellent example of the Australian Federation Carpenter Gothic architectural style.[1]
Central Tilba, south of Narooma, was classified by the National Trust in 1975 and listed on the register of the National Estate for its virtually unchanged 1890s buildings.
The Narooma bridge was the first major bridge constructed on the Princes Highway by the Main Roads Board as part of its efforts to develop the highway. The bridge was built between 1929 and 1931 and crosses Wagonga Inlet. The bridge has three spans and is made of steel and concrete. It is one of two bascule span bridges of its type remaining in New South Wales in 2002; the other was being threatened with demolition in 2002. A footpath was added to the eastern (seaward) side of the bridge in 1960.
Transport to Narooma was first from the sea. From 1894 a punt crossed Wagonga Inlet linking Narooma with Moruya. A daily mail coach ran through the town between Bega and Moruya. In 1929 a petrol driven punt that had previously operated at Batemans Bay was installed.
 Narooma court house |
 The Uniting Church built 1914 |
 The parsonage associated with Narooma's Uniting Church |
[edit] References
- Narooma Bridge. Heritage and conservation register. Roads and Traffic Authority of New South Wales (2002). Retrieved on 2006-01-30.
[edit] External links
