Bombala is a city in the Monaro region of southeastern New South Wales , Australia and the administrative seat of the Bombala Council . Bombala is located approximately 485 km south of Sydney and 80 km south of the city of Cooma . The name Bombala comes from an Aboriginal word meaning "meeting point of the waters". The city lies on the banks of the Bombala River . At the 2016 census, Bombala had 1,197 inhabitants.
Bombala was proposed as the seat of the Australian Parliament by King O'Malley in 1903 because it is halfway between the two cities of Sydney and Melbourne. Ultimately, this proposal was rejected in favor of Canberra . The railroad reached the city in 1921 and was discontinued in 1986. Important industries in this area are pasture land and wood. The timber industry has gradually taken over many of the historic properties in the Bombala area, including the 150-year-old Aston property southwest of the city. There are also some establishments that sell specialties such as meat rabbit, lavender and other herbs grown in the district. The next major city in the Bombala Council is the Delegate 36 km to the west. The Snowy River March of 1916, with which soldiers were to be recruited for the First World War , began in delegates and led via Bombala to Goulburn.
Tourism is also gaining in importance. The area is considered home to probably the largest population of platypus ( Platypus ) in New South Wales and is advertised as "Platypus Country".
