Bombo, New South Wales

Bombo is a suburb of the Municipality of Kiama, in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 2 km north of Kiama.

Etymology
Bombo is derived from "Thumbon", the name of a renowned headman and warrior born in this district.

Infrastructure
Bombo is the gateway between Kiama and its northern suburbs, Kiama Downs and Minnamurra. The Princes Highway runs through Bombo. In November 2005 a new six lane road opened replacing the original two lane road.

Bombo railway station opened in 1887 as the terminus of the Illawarra railway line. In 1893 the line was extended to Kiama. It is the closest railway station to the Pacific Ocean in New South Wales.

In the 1950s the New South Wales Government Railways established a ballast quarry. Boral operated an adjoining quarry from the 1970s until 2014.

The Bombo disaster
The basalt quarry at Bombo was the site of a serious accident on 7 May 1888, when an explosive charge detonated prematurely and a mass of rock fell to the ground below where men were working. Four were killed and several severely injured.

("The Bombo disaster" could also refer to the 539-ton SS Bombo which sank off Wollongong in heavy seas on 22 February 1949 and Captain Bell and 11 other men died. The ship was owned by Quarries Pty Ltd. and carrying stone from the Kiama quarries to Sydney.)

Geography
Bombo's main waterway is Spring Creek.

Boneyard Falls, an oceanic wave action waterfall, are located on the Bombo Headland.

Heritage listings
Bombo has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
 * Illawarra railway: Bombo railway station
 * Princes Highway: Bombo Headland Quarry Geological Site