Bega

About Bega

Bega is a town in the south-east of New South Wales, Australia, in the Bega Valley Shire. The name derives from a local Aboriginal word, possibly meaning "big camping ground" in the Thawa language, and the area was home to the Yuin people for thousands of years before European settlement. The town was gazetted in 1851 and later relocated to higher ground after repeated flooding of the Bega River. Situated at the foot of Mumbulla Mountain, Bega is the economic centre of the Bega Valley and is widely known for its dairy industry; the Bega Cheese brand, originating from a cooperative established in the 1890s, produces cheeses exported worldwide. Notable heritage landmarks include the 1881 Bega Court House and the Victorian-era Rosevear Jeweller's shopfront, both listed on the Register of the National Estate.