Bermagui, New South Wales

Bermagui is a town on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia in the Bega Valley Shire. The name is derived from the Dyirringanj word, permageua, possibly meaning 'canoe with paddles'.GeographyIt is said that 12 mile offshore from Bermagui the edge of the continental shelf is at its closest point to the mainland and hence there is good fishing. Anglers may catch, or tag and release; (NSW DPI Game Fish Tagging programme. 2013), Marlin, and Tuna such as Yellowfin, Bluefin, and Albacore, which are sought after 'game fish'.HistoryA wharf was built at Bermagui in the 1870s for the coastal trade. The port was serviced by the Illawarra Steam Navigation Company.A 1910 article, 'Bermagui - In a Strange Sunset', published by Henry Lawson in The Bulletin describes a steamer journey from Bermagui to Sydney. Lawson was probably travelling with the Illawarra Steam Navigation Company.In 1880, the Government geologist, Lamont Young, and four others disappeared while on a boat trip from Bermagui. Their boat was found near Mystery Bay, which is about 15 kilometres north of Bermagui, midway between Bermagui and Narooma, near Tilba. The bay received its name because of the disappearance.