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Museum & Historic
Hamilton Hume discovered the district around the Yass River in 1821. According to local legend, the area was named after an incident on Hume’s visit when he supposedly asked an Aboriginal boy who was with him, to climb a tree to see what was ahead. Asked if he could see anything, the boy replied “Yass, plains”.
It is more likely however, that the name of the river and the town through which it runs comes from the Aboriginal word yharr, meaning running water.
Hume traversed the Yass District again in 1824 on his famous expedition to Geelong with William Hovell. The Government granted him land as a reward for his trek and he took up an election on the Yass River in 1829. Be then – settlers were populating the district and shopkeepers and tradesmen were setting up business along the Yass River.
The first survey was made in 1834 and a gaol and court house were erected 1836, the same year the post office was built.
By 1830 the Yass district had several pastoral settlers and the band was being carved up, although only few managed to secure freehold title. In 1836 the village site was survey and shortly after the first doctor arrived together with the first police magistrate. By 1841 mail was being dispatched daily from Sydney and in 1858 the Commercial Bank built.
Yass today retains many of the buildings built prior to the 1900s making it one of the significant heritage sites in NSW.
Today Yass has a population of over 5,300. The town has continued it its role as the gateway between Sydney and Melbourne and its proximity to Canberra has led to it being one of the fastest developing regions in Australia – offering both residents and tourists excellent rural lifestyle attractions married with world class facilities and services on offer in the nations capital.
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