Fast facts
- Historic city and commercial heart of the Shoalhaven
- On the Shoalhaven River close to beaches and national parks
- 160 km south of Sydney, population 29,000
Why go there
The broad Shoalhaven River offers a number of recreational possibilities such as fishing, boating and river cruises. Nowra is also a base for local adventure tour operators. Options include four-wheel drive tours, scuba diving, canoe trips and cycling tours.
Nowra has a number of historic buildings and houses dating from the Victorian era.
History
The first buildings were erected at Nowra in the 1850s. The town experienced a small boom in the 1870s when nearby Terara, the largest village in the area, was flooded by the Shoalhaven and most of its inhabitants left in favour of Nowra.
In 1861, jockey Dave Power walked and rode the horse ‘Archer’ from nearby Terara to Melbourne – and won the first Melbourne Cup. They repeated the feat the following year, but in 1863 Archer’s owner, Etienne de Mestre, was refused permission to enter the horse when his entry form reached the Victorian Turf Club one day after the closing date for the race.
Things to do
- Marvel at the Fleet Air Arm Museum. The museum celebrates our proud links with the aviation industry with a wonderful display of military and civil aircraft.
- Take a trip to Bundanon on the Shoalhaven River. For several years these luscious, bush-cloaked surroundings were the home of the celebrated painter Arthur Boyd. On Sundays, the house and grounds, Boyd’s studio and a collection of his work is open to the public.
- Explore 'Meroogal', an historic, timber, gothic-style house with one of the most authentic 19th century interiors in NSW.
Events
- The Fleet Air Arm Museum has several Air Shows each year, when aircraft from the golden days of aviation take to the skies.
- Meroogal Garden Fair in November is a gardening expo set against the backdrop of the fine garden of the old home in all its spring glory.
Don’t miss
- Sunday amongst the art at Bundanon.
- The walking trails of Morton National Park.
- Greenwell Point oysters, fresh from the shell.
- Shoalhaven Camellia Gardens at Bomaderry.
- Nowra Markets, third Sunday of each month at Stewart Place.
