Bombo is a suburb of the

Municipality of Kiama The Municipality of Kiama is a local government area in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The area is situated south of Shellharbour and the City of Wollongong and is located adjacent to the Pacific Ocean, the Princes Highway a ...

, in the

Illawarra The Illawarra is a coastal region in the Australian state of New South Wales, nestled between the mountains and the sea. It is situated immediately south of Sydney and north of the South Coast region. It encompasses the two cities of Wollongo ...

region of

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, Australia. It is located north of

Kiama Kiama () is a coastal town 120 kilometres south of Sydney in the Illawarra. One of the main tourist attractions is the Kiama Blowhole. Kiama features several popular surfing beaches and caravan parks, and numerous alfresco cafes and restaurants ...

Etymology

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

Infrastructure

Bombo is the gateway between

and its northern suburbs,

Kiama Downs Kiama Downs is a suburb of the town Kiama in the Illawarra region south of Sydney, Australia. Renowned for its picturesque beaches and seaside views, it is about north of Kiama and is bordered by the Minnamurra River to the northwest and Jones ...

and

Minnamurra Minnamurra is a suburb in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia, in the Municipality of Kiama. It has a station (opened 1891) on City Rail South Coast line. The Minnamurra River flows into the ocean at Minnamurra. There is a sa ...

. The

Princes Highway Princes Highway is a major road in Australia, extending from Sydney via Melbourne to Adelaide through the states of New South Wales, Victoria (Australia), Victoria and South Australia. It has a length of (along Highway 1) or via the former ...

runs through Bombo. In November 2005 a new six lane road opened replacing the original two lane road.

Bombo railway station Bombo is a heritage-listed single-platform intercity train station located in Bombo, Municipality of Kiama, New South Wales, Australia, on the South Coast railway line. The station serves NSW TrainLink trains traveling south to Kiama and north ...

opened in 1887 as the terminus of the

Illawarra railway line The South Coast Railway (also known as the Illawarra Railway) is a commuter and goods railway line from Sydney to Wollongong and Bomaderry in New South Wales, Australia. Beginning at the Illawarra Junction, the line services the Illawarra an ...

. In 1893 the line was extended to

. It is the closest railway station to the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

in New South Wales. In the 1950s the

New South Wales Government Railways The New South Wales Government Railways (NSWGR) was the agency of the Government of New South Wales that administered rail transport in New South Wales, Australia, between 1855 and 1932. Management The agency was managed by a range of differe ...

established a

ballast Ballast is material that is used to provide stability to a vehicle or structure. Ballast, other than cargo, may be placed in a vehicle, often a ship or the gondola of a balloon or airship, to provide stability. A compartment within a boat, ship, ...

quarry.

Boral Boral Limited is Australia's largest building and construction materials supplier, with market-leading positions in quarries, cement, concrete and asphalt. Boral is actively pursuing a decarbonisation strategy through recycling of demolition ma ...

operated an adjoining quarry from the 1970s until 2014.

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. ("The Bombo disaster" could also refer to the 539-ton SS ''Bombo'' which sank off

Wollongong Wollongong ( ), colloquially referred to as The Gong, is a city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The name is believed to originate from the Dharawal language, meaning either 'five islands/clouds', 'ground near wate ...

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.)

Geography

Bombo's main waterway is Spring Creek.

Boneyard Falls The Boneyard Falls are an overflow of waves located at on the Bombo Headland, near Kiama on the south coast of New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in A ...

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

Heritage listings

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

* Princes Highway:

Bombo Headland Quarry Geological Site Bombo Headland Quarry Geological Site is a heritage-listed former quarry and now geological site at Princes Highway, Bombo, Municipality of Kiama, New South Wales, Australia. It is also known as Bombo Quarry. It was added to the New South Wa ...

References

Towns in New South Wales Municipality of Kiama {{Kiama-geo-stub