One claim is that place name Bega is derived from the local Aboriginal word[what language is this?]

The Bega region was used by the Yuin-Monaro Aboriginal people for thousands of years before Europeans arrived in the area.

Live cattle were transported to Sydney for a time, to be supplemented by tallow and hides in the early 1840s.

In 1858, Tathra was used as a port for the transport of products to Sydney, and the Illawarra Steam Company was established.

Notable local landmarks are Bega Court House and Rosevear Jeweller's shopfront, which are both listed on the Register of the National Estate.

Bega has a temperate oceanic climate (Cfb) with mild to warm summers and cool winters with frequent foehn winds.

Nights are relatively cool all year round due to its valley location at a southern latitude, and frost is a regular occurrence in the winter months.

Diurnal range is particularly high from mid winter to early spring, especially for a near-coastal location.