Queanbeyan

Queanbeyan, city, southeastern New South Wales, Australia. It lies along the Queanbeyan River, just southeast of the Australian Capital Territory.

The city originated in 1828 as a holding called Queen Bean, a name phonetically derived from an Aboriginal word meaning “clear water.” Queanbeyan was proclaimed a town in 1838, a municipality in 1885, and a city in 1972. During the 20th century it experienced rapid growth as a residential urban centre because of its proximity to the federal capital, Canberra, which began to be built in the 1920s. Queanbeyan serves a district of wine growing, sheep raising, mixed farming, and mining (iron, coal, silver-lead). The city’s industries include sawmilling and wood-product manufacturing, building construction, and the manufacture of metal products, machinery, and textiles. Pop. (2006) local government area, 35,972; (2011) local government area, 37,991.