History

Captain Cook sailed from New Zealand on April 1, 1770, bound for Van Diemen’s Land. The vessel was carried more northerly than charted – thereby Cook discovered the east coast of Australia on April 20, when land was sighted south of Mallacoota near the border of NSW/VIC. The Endeavour passed Merimbula Bay on the same day April 20, 1770.

Merimbula is an aboriginal word meaning “two waters” or place where 2 waters meet. Once inhabited by the Dyrringany Aborigines Europeans first explored the area when Bass & Flinders travelled up the Pambula River in 1797 while on a voyage south.

By the 1830’s the pioneering Imlay brothers owned land from Broulee to south of Twofold Bay. However the economic depression of the early 1840’s resulted in the loss of their property to the Sydney merchants the Walker Brothers, who in turn sold their leases [after the discovery of gold in the colonies] to the newly formed Twofold Bay Pastoral Company.

Merimbula began its existence as a private village & opened as a port in 1855.The first postmaster was appointed in 1857, & allotments of land went on sale in 1860 when the Association was dissolved. The first ferry service across the lake commenced in 1857, & the first bridge was constructed in 1908. Aborigines in habited South Merimbula until early this century.

By 1868 it was a village of 90 with a weekly steamship service to Bega. It was formally gazetted as a town in 1912.

Because this area of the country was never reached by railway & relied on coastal shipping until the 1950’s it is still pristine & unspoilt. The famous Bega Valley [& its cheese co-op] is just 20 minutes away, with the roads carrying little traffic by the standards of today.

Local oysters from the far south coast regularly win the annual “best Sydney rock oysters in Australia” competition. Don’t miss a short trip to Pambula Lake for a plate of oysters by the water, freshly shucked in front of your eyes by the local growers- a treat to be savoured!