Bombo, New South Wales

Bombo is a suburb of the Municipality of Kiama, in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) north of Kiama.

Bombo Kiama, New South Wales
Panorama of Bombo, on the shorefront of Bombo Beach
Bombo
Coordinates	34°39′S 150°51.5′E
Population	175 (2021 census)[1]
Postcode(s)	2533[2]
Elevation	10 m (33 ft)
Location	119 km (74 mi) SSW of Sydney 38 km (24 mi) S of Wollongong 2 km (1 mi) N of Kiama
LGA(s)	Municipality of Kiama
County	Camden
Parish	Kiama
State electorate(s)	Kiama
Federal division(s)	Gilmore
Suburbs around Bombo: Kiama Downs Kiama Downs Jamberoo Bombo Tasman Sea Kiama Kiama

Etymology

Bombo is derived from "Thumbon", the name of a renowned headman and warrior born in this district.^[3]

Infrastructure

Bombo is the gateway between Kiama and its northern suburbs, Kiama Downs and Minnamurra. The Princes Highway runs through Bombo. In November 2005 a new six lane road opened replacing the original two lane road.^[4]

Bombo railway station opened in 1887 as the terminus of the Illawarra railway line. In 1893 the line was extended to Kiama. It is the closest railway station to the Pacific Ocean in New South Wales.

In the 1950s the New South Wales Government Railways established a ballast quarry.^[5] Boral operated an adjoining quarry from the 1970s until 2014.^[6]

The Bombo disaster

The basalt quarry at Bombo was the site of a serious accident on 7 May 1888, when an explosive charge detonated prematurely and a mass of rock fell to the ground below where men were working. Four were killed and several severely injured.^[7]

("The Bombo disaster" could also refer to the 539-ton SS Bombo which sank off Wollongong in heavy seas on 22 February 1949 and Captain Bell and 11 other men died. The ship was owned by Quarries Pty Ltd. and carrying stone from the Kiama quarries to Sydney.)^[8]

Geography

Bombo's main waterway is Spring Creek.

Boneyard Falls, an oceanic wave action waterfall, are located on the Bombo Headland.

Heritage listings

Bombo has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

• Illawarra railway: Bombo railway station^[9]
• Princes Highway: Bombo Headland Quarry Geological Site^[10]

See also

• Stone Fleet (New South Wales)

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Bombo". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
2. "Bombo Postcode, NSW". Retrieved 5 December 2016.
3. "Bombo". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
4. Premier opens North Kiama bypass ABC News 28 November 2005
5. 30-year life extension Freight Rail & Countrylink Xpress issue 3 March 1990 page 4
6. Boral Bombo Quarry Boral
7. "The Bombo Quarry Disaster". Illawarra Mercury. Vol. XXXIII, no. 96. New South Wales, Australia. 10 May 1888. p. 2. Retrieved 6 June 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
8. "Coastal Ship Lost in Big Seas". The West Australian. Vol. 65, no. 19, 5[?]5. Western Australia. 24 February 1949. p. 6. Retrieved 6 June 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
9. "Bombo Railway Station group". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01092. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC BY 4.0 licence.
10. "Bombo Headland Quarry Geological Site". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00177. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC BY 4.0 licence.