Established around the Warringine Creek Bittern is named after the shy wetland bird referring to the town’s location amidst significant areas of native bushland and dense coastal vegetation.
The district formed part of the great Coolart pastoral run of the 1860s. The railway arrived in 1889 and small scale commercial development began during the early 1900s, but the town never reached its hope of becoming a major service centre to the nearby naval base.
Bittern Sunday Market is run on the Railway Station Reserve and has a large variety market of stalls selling new and used goods, craft, plants and flowers, fruit and vegetables, food, coffee and much more. Operates every Sunday morning.