About Yamba – Population – What It Means

Overlooking Main Beach

Yamba is a small sea side town located at the mouth of the Clarence River in New South Wales. The first European to visit the area was Matthew Flinders, who stopped by in Yamba Bay for six days in July 1799.

The town economy is strongly based on fishing and tourism, but has a diverse range of influences. Due to the ‘Sea Change’ phenomena and the large amount of baby boomers who are starting to retire to the warmer northern climates, Yamba is experiencing further growth particularly in service industries.

In 2009 Yamba was voted the best small town in Australia by the Australian Traveller Magazine.

Population

At the 2006 census, Yamba had a population of 5,514.

As a popular tourist destination, it can triple its population in the January school holiday period. The population has been increasing over the past few years at a steady 5% and the tourist population has been doing likewise as the Yamba accommodation on offer to the discerning traveler is increasing in both quality and numbers.

What Does Yamba Mean?

There are two theories as to the meaning of Yamba, one being that it is the local Aboriginal word for “headland”. However, J.S. Ryan, following R.L. Dawson’s early Recollections and Records of the Clarence Aborigines, believes the most likely derivation is an Aboriginal word yumbah meaning a rough edible shellfish the size of a man’s hand that clings to rocks and is similar to an oyster.