Jamberoo, New South Wales

Jamberoo is a village approx 11 km inland from Kiama on the South Coast of New South Wales, Australia in the Municipality of Kiama. At the, Jamberoo had a population of 1,636. The town's name is derived from an aboriginal word meaning 'track'.It is well known for the Jamberoo Action Park, Jamberoo Hotel (Pub) and the local dairy-farming community. The Australian Illawarra Shorthorn cattle breed originated in here. It is the birthplace of politician Joseph Cullen.HistoryEuropean history in the valley began in the early 19th century when the cedar-cutters moved through the rainforests gathering this valuable timber. Pioneer settlers followed in the early 1820s with William Davis receiving the first land grant in 1821, followed by John Ritchie and John Cullen shortly afterwards.Michael Hyam was a property owner by the late 1830s and he laid out the private village of Jamberoo in 1841. The Main South Coast Road formed the northern boundary of his village and at the western end of the town he gave out lots for Protestant Churches. The Presbyterian church of St Stephen stands on the original lot. The Methodist church around the corner in Wyalla St is now the Uniting Church and still hosts services, while the land given to the Church of England, now Anglican Church of Australia has been sold off and the Anglican Church is located north of Hyams Creek on Tates Hill. The old Presbyterian, Anglican and Uniting cemeteries are still located on the original lots, although they have been closed to burials since at least the 1920s