Yamba, New South Wales
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Yamba () is a town at the mouth of the Clarence River in New South Wales. The first European to visit the area was Matthew Flinders, who stopped by in Yamba Bay for six days in the 19th century. Later, the town was founded by an escaped convict, Marcus Smith.
Marcus Smith first settled on the Clarence River, in West Yamba in the 1860s. Soon it was a bustling fishing village, as well as a major port. It celebrated the introduction of a town power supply in 1906, as well as a local tennis court 4 years later. Town growth was stubbed during the great depression, but soon after continued its rapid growth. This growth is due to newcomers to the Far-North Coast settling in Yamba.
The town economy is strongly based on fishing and tourism, but has a diverse range of influences. Due to the 'Sea Change' phenomena and the large amount of baby boomers who are starting to retire to the warmer northern climates Yamba is experiencing further growth particularaly in service industries.
Yamba was studied as the 3rd best community in the southern hemisphere, according to the University of New England. It was also a 'Tidy Towns' winner in 1988.
Typically, Yamba has a population of about 5500 (2000 ABS Statistics), but as a popular tourist destination, it can triple its population in the holiday period. At present the population is growing at a rate of 3% pa.
