1820s–1988
A river town connected by a little railway
Yass's colonial history belongs within a much longer Aboriginal history. Yass Valley Council identifies Ngunnawal and Wiradjuri peoples as traditional inhabitants of the wider valley. Its account dates Hamilton Hume's expedition through the Yass area to 1821 and the beginnings of European settlement to around 1830.1
At Cooma Cottage, that pastoral history survives in a house altered over many years. Hamilton Hume bought the cottage and 100 acres in 1839 for £601. The National Trust records that he spent two decades extending it, adding wings and a portico to the original colonial bungalow.2
The railway tells another story of connection. The Yass Tramway opened in 1892, linking the town with the main line at Yass Junction. It carried passengers, mail and freight; wool and grain were part of its working life. Trains ran along Dutton Street before reaching the town station.3
Local collecting has preserved less conspicuous traces too. The historical society began collecting in 1961. In December 1988 its museum opened in a refurbished former garage, giving the district's objects and records a permanent public home.4