Bowral

New South Wales, Australia

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Article History

Bowral, town, eastern New South Wales, Australia. It is situated at the eastern edge of the Southern Highlands.

Bowral, settled in 1825, bears an Aboriginal name meaning “large,” or “high.” It was proclaimed a town in 1863 and had become a fashionable resort for wealthy families of Sydney (60 miles [100 km] northeast) by the time it was gazetted a municipality in 1886. Bowral lies close to the Hume Highway and continues to serve as a resort and as a trade centre for a district producing vegetables, dairy products, fruits, and coal. It is the location of the International Cricket Hall of Fame. Fitzroy Falls and the Wombeyan limestone caves are nearby. Pop. (2006) urban centre, 11,493; (2011) Bowral-Mittagong urban centre, 19,726.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Lorraine Murray.