Bowral is the largest town in the Southern Highlands and the main business and entertainment precinct of the Wingecarribee Shire and Highlands.
During pre-colonial times the Bowral area was a part of land occupied by the Tharawal Aboriginal Tribe. The name Bowral is believed to be derived from the Aboriginal word "Bowrel" which loosely translates into the word "High".
The first Europeans to traverse the area were ex-convict John Wilson and his search party in 1789 as part of a commission by Governor Hunter to explore south of the new colony of Sydney.