| Central Tilba New South Wales | |
|---|---|
 A view of Central Tilba | |
  Central Tilba | |
| Coordinates | 36°19′S 150°04′E / 36.317°S 150.067°E |
| Population | 288 (2016 census)[1] |
| Postcode(s) | 2546 |
| LGA(s) | Eurobodalla Shire |
| State electorate(s) | Bega |
| Federal division(s) | Eden-Monaro |
Central Tilba and Tilba Tilba are two villages near the Princes Highway in Eurobodalla Shire, New South Wales, Australia. At the 2016 census, Central Tilba and surrounding areas had a population of 288[1] (Tilba Tilba had 95).
The area was originally inhabited by the Yuin people, an Aboriginal nation. Tilba Tilba is the original name of the district, and is said to mean "many waters" in the Thawa language.[2]
The town was settled during the Australian gold rushes of the nineteenth century, and was the home town of the Bate family, of political renown.[citation needed]
Central Tilba is located around 10 kilometres (6 mi) south south west of Narooma and is 60 kilometres (37 mi) north of Bega.[2] The entire village is classified by the National Trust as the Central Tilba Conservation Area.[3]
The ABC Cheese Factory in Central Tilba was in operation from September 1891[4] until 2006 and it remains a local attraction. The Tilba Factory was purchased in 2012 by two local dairy farmers who installed new cheese-making and milk-bottling equipment, bringing back the tradition of dairy manufacture to the Tilba area. The milk bottled and cheese made on site are from two local dairy farms, one in Tilba one in Cobargo. In 2006 there were 19 locals employed at the Tilba Factory, where they were producing award-winning cheese, yoghurt, milk and cream made from jersey milk.[5] As of 2021[update] the business is called Tilba Real Dairy.[6]
Gulaga / Mount Dromedary, an extinct volcano which created the geological composition of the area, including the nearby Najanuka / Little Dromedary Mountain to the south, rises above Central Tilba.[7]
It is the site for the television series: River Cottage Australia.[citation needed]
