BATEMANS BAY

coastal town and inlet of the Tasman Sea, southeastern New South Wales, Australia. The inlet, an estuary of the Clyde River, measures 4 by 5 mi (6 by 8 km). Sighted in 1770 by Capt. James Cook, it was named by him after the captain of the ship "Northumberland." The town, founded early in the 19th century, is on the southwest shore. Serving a district producing timber, vegetables, cheese, oysters, and crayfish, it is linked to Sydney (136 mi northeast) via the Prince's Highway and is a convenient resort for Canberra, 65 mi west-northwest. Pop. (1981) 4,924.