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 north of Kiama.

Etymology

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

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.
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. Boral 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.

Geography

Bombo's main waterway is Spring Creek.
Boneyard Falls, an oceanic wave action waterfall, are located on the Bombo Headland.

Climate

Bombo experiences a humid subtropical climate bordering on an oceanic climate with very warm, wetter summers & mild, drier winters. The wettest recorded day was 25 August 2015 with of rainfall. Extreme temperatures ranged from on 18 January 2013 to on 17 July 2007.

Heritage listings

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