Indigenous history The traditional custodians of the land surrounding Batemans Bay are the
Walbunja people of the
Yuin nation. The language spoken by the Walbunja people is Dhurga, one of the
Yuin–Kuric languages. A number of sites in the region are considered culturally significant to the Walbunja people, such as
Bhundoo and Hanging Rock. The Walbunja name for the bay is Yangary.
Indigenous population According to the 2021 census, there were a total of 8,581 people in the Batemans Bay urban centre. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 8.3% of the population, significantly higher than the state average of 3.4% and national average of 3.2%. Cook gave no reason for the name, which may commemorate either Nathaniel Bateman, the captain of
HMS Northumberland when Cook was serving as her master from 1760 to 1762, or
John Bateman, 2nd Viscount Bateman, a former
Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty in the 1750s. A colonial vessel,
Fly, was driven into Batemans Bay by bad weather during April 1808. Her crew engaged in a conflict with the local Indigenous people, initially firing muskets from the vessel. In response, the indigenous people threw spears against the crew, resulting in three
Fly fatalities. In 1821, Lt
Robert Johnston entered the bay and explored the lower reaches of the Clyde River on board the cutter
Snapper. Snapper Island within the bay is named after Johnston's ship. Johnston returned with
Alexander Berry and
Hamilton Hume and they traced the river to its source. When the district was surveyed in 1828, a deserted hut and stockyards were found. Cedar getters and land clearers were in the district in the 1820s. From 1820s through to the 1840s, the area to the
Moruya River was the southernmost
official limit of location for the colony of New South Wales. The
Illawarra and South Coast Steam Navigation Co found the Clyde River to be navigable in 1854. Regular services by the company in the 1860s and 1870s contributed to growth of the district. The village of China Bay was surveyed in 1859. Oyster farming commenced in 1860, and by 1870, there was a fleet of 40 oyster boats. A sawmill was erected in 1870. The port and town was proclaimed in 1885. A ferry service across the Clyde ran from 1891 until the bridge was opened in 1956. In 1942, during World War II, a trawler was attacked by a Japanese submarine between Batemans Bay and Moruya.
European population The change of population of Batemans Bay since 1881. • 1881 was 266 • 1961 was • 1981 was • 1996 was • 2006 was • 2011 was • 2021 was due to this status, they had to be removed using non-lethal methods, including smoke, noise, lights and removal of vegetation. The town received AUS$2.5 million to relocate the bats.
2019–20 bushfire emergency In December 2019, the town was under the threat of a catastrophic bushfire, which ultimately cut Batemans Bay off from all external road links, isolating the town during what was usually a busy tourist season. The bushfire gradually increased in intensity and severity, peaking on New Year's Eve and rapidly moving towards the town. Thousands of locals sheltered at beaches around the town, a large number of buildings were lost, and lingering economic damage. Due to the difficult mountainous terrain surrounding Batemans Bay, much of the firefighting efforts could only be fought from the air, with a number of firefighting aircraft tasked to defend the town. With the difficulties of the highway closures cutting the town off from links on the ground,
Moruya Airport proved to be a vital resource in the protection of the local region from the devastating bushfires. == Demographics ==