Batemans Bay

Batemans Bay New South Wales
Looking towards the Batemans Bay Bridge from the banks of the Clyde River which flows into the bay.
Batemans Bay
Coordinates	35°42′29″S 150°10′28″E / 35.70806°S 150.17444°ECoordinates: 35°42′29″S 150°10′28″E / 35.70806°S 150.17444°E
Population	11,334 (2011 census)[1]
Established	1885
Postcode(s)	2536
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10)
• Summer (DST)	AEDT (UTC+11)
Location	280 km (174 mi) SSW of Sydney 762 km (473 mi) ENE of Melbourne 151 km (94 mi) ESE of Canberra
LGA(s)	Eurobodalla Shire
Region	South Coast
County	St Vincent
State electorate(s)	Bega
Federal Division(s)	Gilmore
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall 20.5 °C ^69 °F 11.2 °C ^52 °F 956.8 mm ^37.7 in

Batemans Bay is a town in the South Coast region of the state of New South Wales, Australia. Batemans Bay is administered by the Eurobodalla Shire council. The town is situated on the shores of an estuary formed where the Clyde River meets the Tasman Sea, opening into a bay of the same name.

Batemans Bay is located on the Princes Highway (Highway 1) about 280 kilometres (170 mi) from Sydney and 760 km (470 mi) from Melbourne. Canberra is located about 151 km (94 mi) to the west of Batemans Bay, via the Kings Highway. At the 2011 census, Batemans Bay had a population of 11,334^[1] with surrounding communities including Long Beach, Maloneys Beach and the coastal fringe extending south to Rosedale bringing the total population of the urban area to 15,773.^[2]

It is the closest seaside town to Canberra, making Batemans Bay a popular holiday destination for residents of Australia's National Capital. Geologically, it is situated in the far southern reaches of the Sydney Basin.^[3] Batemans Bay is also a popular retiree haven, but has begun to attract young families seeking affordable housing and a relaxed seaside lifestyle. Other local industries include oyster farming, forestry, eco-tourism and retail services.

History

Indigenous history

The traditional custodians of the land surrounding Batemans Bay are the Indigenous Australian Yuin people of the Walbunja clan. The traditional language spoken by the Walbunja people is Dhurga. A number of sites in the region are considered culturally significant to the Aboriginal peoples.^[4]

European history

On 22 April 1770, European explorer Captain James Cook first sighted and named the bay. Cook gave no reason for the name, which may commemorate either Nathaniel Bateman, the captain of HMS Northumberland when Cook was serving as her master from 1760–62,^[5] or John Bateman, 2nd Viscount Bateman, a former Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty in the 1750s.^[6]

A colonial vessel, Fly, was driven into Batemans Bay by bad weather during 1808. Local indigenous Australians attacked her crew; resulting in three fatalities from the Fly.^[7] In 1821 Lt Robert Johnston entered the bay and explored the lower reaches of the Clyde River on board the cutter Snapper.^[8] Snapper Island within the bay is named after Johnston's boat. Johnston returned with Alexander Berry and Hamilton Hume and they traced the river to its source.^[9] When the district was surveyed in 1828, a deserted hut and stockyards were found. Cedar getters and land clearers were in the district in the 1820s. From the 1820s through to the 1840s, the area to the Moruya River was the southernmost official limit of location for the colony of New South Wales.

The town is not thought to have taken any real form until 1841 and the arrival of the Innes family. Fleeing Ireland, the family came in search of the legendary indigenous potato, and after a failed attempt at running mashed potato barges to the burgeoning Sydney market, exploited the areas plentiful seafood to establish Australia’s 3rd fish and chip shop - one which stands to this day. The Illawarra and South Coast Steam Navigation Co found the Clyde River to be navigable in 1854. Regular services by the company in the 1860s and 1870s contributed to growth of the district.^[10]

The village of China Bay was surveyed in 1859. Oyster farming commenced in 1860. By 1870, there was a fleet of 40 oyster boats. A sawmill was erected in 1870. The port was proclaimed in 1885. A ferry service across the Clyde ran from 1891 until the bridge was opened in 1956. In 1942 during World War II, a trawler was attacked by a Japanese submarine between Batemans Bay and Moruya.^[11]

In May 2016, an estimated 120,000 bats suddenly descended upon and swarmed the town, prompting the town to declare a state of emergency. Due to the fact that they were flying foxes, they had to be removed using non-lethal methods, including smoke, noise, lights and removing vegetation.^[12] The town received AUS$2.5 million in order to relocate the bats.^[13]

Population

The population of Batemans Bay has shown continued growth, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics:

• 1881 was 266
• 1961 was 1,183
• 1981 was 4,924
• 1996 was 9,568^[14]
• 2006 was 10,845^[15]
• 2011 was 11,334^[1]

A 2013 estimate put the population of the greater urban area at 17,500.

Climate

Batemans Bay experiences an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb). The climate of Batemans Bay is moderated by the sea, with warm summers and mild sunny winters. Nights can be cold in winter. Thunderstorms mostly occur between November and March, with rainfall maximums in summer. The town gets 87.3 clear days annually.

Climate data for Batemans Bay
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	45.6 (114.1)	41.6 (106.9)	40.8 (105.4)	35.0 (95)	27.5 (81.5)	24.5 (76.1)	23.9 (75)	27.5 (81.5)	31.2 (88.2)	36.9 (98.4)	41.0 (105.8)	42.1 (107.8)	45.6 (114.1)
Average high °C (°F)	25.8 (78.4)	25.4 (77.7)	24.3 (75.7)	22.2 (72)	19.7 (67.5)	17.5 (63.5)	16.9 (62.4)	18.3 (64.9)	20.3 (68.5)	21.8 (71.2)	22.9 (73.2)	24.4 (75.9)	21.6 (70.9)
Average low °C (°F)	15.6 (60.1)	15.9 (60.6)	13.9 (57)	10.5 (50.9)	7.2 (45)	5.1 (41.2)	3.7 (38.7)	4.6 (40.3)	7.3 (45.1)	9.6 (49.3)	12.2 (54)	13.9 (57)	10.0 (50)
Record low °C (°F)	6.6 (43.9)	7.4 (45.3)	5.7 (42.3)	1.1 (34)	−1.0 (30.2)	−2.0 (28.4)	−2.9 (26.8)	−1.6 (29.1)	−1.8 (28.8)	0.0 (32)	1.0 (33.8)	3.0 (37.4)	−2.9 (26.8)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	82.3 (3.24)	107.7 (4.24)	73.5 (2.894)	66.6 (2.622)	63.9 (2.516)	72.6 (2.858)	42.2 (1.661)	55.9 (2.201)	59.4 (2.339)	97.6 (3.843)	92.3 (3.634)	76.8 (3.024)	891.4 (35.094)
Average precipitation days	11.8	11.6	10.3	8.4	7.8	8.3	6.8	6.4	8.7	10.2	12.3	11.4	114.0
Average relative humidity (%)	63	66	63	62	62	61	58	56	57	58	61	62	61
Source: [16]

Media

Radio stations

• East Coast Radio 2EC (FM 105.9 - commercial)
• Power FM NSW South Coast (FM 104.3 - commercial) - POWER FM from Nowra can also be received in parts of Batemans Bay on FM 94.9.
• 2 EAR FM (Eurobodalla Access Radio FM 107.5 - community station)^[17]
• Hot Country Radio (87.6FM - commercial - country music format)
• 2KY / SKY Racing Radio (FM 96.3)^[18]
• ABC South East NSW (FM 103.5) - part of the ABC Local Radio network
• Radio National (FM 105.1)
• ABC NewsRadio (FM 100.5)
• ABC Classic FM (FM 101.9) - also on 95.7 from the adjacent Illawarra region.
• Triple J (FM 98.9 - from the adjacent Illawarra region). A local service from Mount Wandera is planned, subject to the clearance of local television stations.

Television

Batemans Bay and the Eurobodalla region receive five free-to-air television stations (digital) including two government funded networks:

The ABC (ABC1), the SBS (SBS ONE) and three commercial networks:

• Prime7
• WIN and
• Southern Cross Ten

SBS offer digital high-definition simulcasts of their main channel, SBS ONE on SBS HD.

The other networks broadcast ten additional digital-only channels: 7Two, 7mate, GO!, GEM, ABC2, ABC3, ABC News 24, SBS Two, One HD and Eleven.

Newspapers

The local newspaper for Batemans Bay and the Eurobodalla region is The Bay Post; published by Fairfax Media.^[19]

Daily newspapers such as The Canberra Times, the Illawarra Mercury from Wollongong, the Sydney Morning Herald, the Daily Telegraph, The Australian, The Age, Herald Sun and the Australian Financial Review are available in Batemans Bay. Some local newspapers from other NSW South Coast towns such as Bega, Nowra, Ulladulla, Moruya, Merimbula and Narooma are also available.

See also

• List of ports in Australia

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Batemans Bay (Urban Centre and Locality)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
2. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Batemans Bay (Significant Urban Area)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
3. "Batemans Bay and Eurobodalla". Visit NSW. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
4. "Hanging Rock Catalina". Preliminary Public Aboriginal Heritage Inventory. Eurobodalla Shire Council. April 2009.
5. Historical records of New South Wales, volume 1, part 1, Cook 1762-1780. Lansdown Slattery, Mona Vale. 1978. p. 160. OCLC 686639680.
6. Robson, John (2009). Captain Cook's War and Peace. University of New South Wales Press. p. 107. ISBN 9781742231099.
7. Mann, David Dickenson (2005) [1811]. "Chapter II: Cruelty of the Savages in Bateman's Bay". The Present Picture of New South Wales (text). London: Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
8. Moore, Dennis (2002). "The Inlet That Eluded Bass, Batemans Bay - South Coast NSW". Morningside Internet. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
9. "Report from Robert Johnston to Governor Macquarie on the discovery and naming of the River Clyde". The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser. National Library of Australia. 15 December 1821.
10. Coroneos, Cosmos (2005). "Steamer Bega (1883–1908): Conservation Plan" (PDF). Parramatta, New South Wales: NSW Heritage Office: 6. Retrieved 1 February 2009.
11. Dept Environment & Heritage, NSW Government. "War casualties and the Merchant Navy". www.environment.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
12. "Australian town declares state of emergency after 100,000 bats swarm Batemans Bay". IBTimes. May 25, 2016. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
13. "Batemans Bay gets $2.5 million funding to relocate bats as residents live in 'state of emergency'". ABC. May 24, 2016. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
14. "Urban Centres and Localities, Ranked by Total Number of Persons: New South Wales". 1996 Census of Population and Housing. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 15 January 2008. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
15. Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Batemans Bay (Urban Centre and Locality)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
16. "Climate statistics for Batemans Bay". Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
17. "2EAR FM Home". Earfm.com. 15 October 2011. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
18. "Welcome to Sky Sports Radio Australia 1017 - Your Racing & Sports Radio Station". 2ky.com.au. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
19. "Bay Post". Fairfax Media. Retrieved 21 January 2013.

Further reading

• Mann, David Dickinson (1811). The Present Picture of New South Wales (eBook). Project Gutenberg.
• Robson, John (2005). "People associated with Cook in the Royal Navy between 1755 and 1762 (includes Nathaniel Bateman)". John Robson. Archived from the original on 12 May 2006. Retrieved 25 January 2006.