Shoalhaven Tourist Information
Shoalhaven Tourist Information
Welcome to the Shoalhaven Region
In December, 1797, George Bass, sailing down the coast in a whaleboat with six seamen, discovered the mouth of a river. It has been established that he had named the mouth of the Crookhaven with the name later assumed by the great Shoalhaven River. Thus the early settlers of Sydney learned of the district around the Shoalhaven. This area was then explored by Alexander Berry in 1822 who permanently settled at Coolangatta on the north bank of the Shoalhaven River. In the early days, the Shoalhaven region was noted for its timber logging and shipbuilding as well as wool, wheat and fresh vegetables which were shipped to Sydney from Jervis Bay Harbour.
Today, the City of Shoalhaven is a city of plenty and is becoming more popular every day. Our growth rate, one of the highest in the nation, is now running at over 7% per annum and our population is 78,000. The Shoalhaven, which stretches from Berry to Durras North, has 109 ocean, bay and lakeside beaches, lush rolling pastures, craggy mountain haunts and bush trails. We have a reputation for looking after our visitors, so please feel welcome. And remember, we have a temperate climate and there's always something to do. We believe you will want to come back often to take it all in. There's such a variety.
