Tathra, New South Wales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tathra New South Wales
Tathra, New South Wales
Tathra Location in New South Wales
Population	1,675 (2016 census)
Postcode(s)	2550
Elevation	44 m (144 ft)
Location	446 km (277 mi) SSW of Sydney 18 km (11 mi) SE of Bega 243 km (151 mi) SE of Canberra 46 km (29 mi) S of Bermagui 50 km (31 mi) N of Eden
LGA(s)	Bega Valley Shire
State electorate(s)	Bega
Federal Division(s)	Eden-Monaro
Localities around Tathra: Chinnock Kalaru Tathra

Tathra (/tɑːθrə/) is a lovely seaside town. You can find it on the Sapphire Coast in New South Wales, Australia. In 2016, about 1,675 people lived there.

Tathra is known for its beautiful coastline. The town is close to the Old Tathra Wharf. It is also near two amazing places: Mimosa Rocks National Park and Bournda National Park. Mimosa Rocks National Park starts at the northern end of Tathra Beach. It stretches for about 16 kilometers north. Bournda National Park begins at Kianinny Bay, south of Tathra. It goes south for about 13 kilometers. There is a walking track along the coast in Bournda National Park.

The Bega River flows into the sea at the northern end of Tathra Beach. This beach is about 3 kilometers long. The name "Tathra" is thought to mean "beautiful country" or "place of wild cats." This comes from a local Aboriginal language.

Discovering Tathra's Past

The historic Tathra Wharf

A memorial plaque in Tathra's seaside gardens

Tathra sits on the traditional lands of the Djiringanj people. They are a group of the Yuin nation. The headland at Tathra has a shell midden. This shows it was a special place for the first people. They gathered food there long ago.

European settlers first came to Tathra in the 1820s and 1830s. This was even though it was outside the official settlement areas. Later, the Aboriginal people were moved to the Wallaga Lake Aboriginal Reserve. This was controlled by the Aborigines Protection Board.

The Historic Tathra Wharf

A small jetty was built in Tathra in the early 1800s. A bigger wharf was built in 1861–62. Farmers and the Illawarra Steam Navigation Company helped pay for it. Ships started using the wharf regularly in 1862. The wharf was built on strong turpentine wood supports. It was later fixed up by the National Trust and local people. It is the only old coastal steamer wharf left in New South Wales.

Community Services and Safety

A local Volunteer Fire Brigade started in 1945. In 2011, a new fire station opened next to the old one. The station got a big upgrade in 2020. It now has modern technology for training and meetings. Tathra Fire Brigade is very well-equipped and active.

The town also has a Surf Life Saving Club. This club helps keep people safe at the beach.

Notable Events in Tathra's History

In 2008, a sad event happened at the wharf. Two children fell into the water. Their father tried to save them, but all three were lost.

On April 3, 2014, Christine Armstrong was swimming near Tathra Wharf. She was with friends and her husband. A shark, thought to be about 4 meters long, was involved in an incident. This was believed to be the first such event in about 100 years in Tathra.

The 2018 Bushfires

On March 18, 2018, a bushfire started near Tathra. It spread quickly towards the town. The fire destroyed homes and blocked roads. About 130 homes were either destroyed or damaged. Many people had to leave their homes. An emergency center was set up in Bega for those affected.

Several schools in the area closed because of the fire. These included Bega High School and Tathra Public School. The New South Wales Rural Fire Service (RFS) worked hard to control the fire. They confirmed that 69 homes were destroyed. They also saved 398 houses. Important leaders visited Tathra after the fire. These included NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. They met with people affected by the fire.

Heritage Sites in Tathra

Tathra has some special places listed for their history. These are called heritage-listed sites.

• Wharf Road: Tathra Wharf

Getting Around Tathra

Tathra Road connects the town to Bega, which is 18 kilometers to the west. This road used to be part of the Snowy Mountains Highway.

The Sapphire Coast Drive links Tathra to Merimbula. Merimbula is 25 kilometers to the south. The Tathra-Bermagui Road goes to Bermagui. Bermagui is a fishing port 44 kilometers to the north.

Sapphire Coast Bus Lines provides bus services in Tathra. They bought the routes from the Daly family in 2013. The Daly family had run the bus services since 1982.