Cobar, New South Wales
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| Cobar New South Wales |
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 Location of Cobar in New South Wales (red) |
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| Population: | 4,918[1] | ||||||
| Established: | 1870 | ||||||
| Postcode: | 2835 | ||||||
| Elevation: | 260 m (853 ft) | ||||||
| Location: |
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| LGA: | Cobar Shire Council | ||||||
| State District: | Barwon | ||||||
| Federal Division: | Calare | ||||||
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Cobar is a town in northwestern New South Wales, Australia. It is located 711 km (442 miles) northwest of Sydney. It is at the crossroads of the Kidman Way (to Queensland) and Barrier Highway (to South Australia). The town and the Local Government Area, the Cobar Shire Council, are on the eastern edge of the outback. At the 2006 census, Cobar had a population of 4,918. [1]
The name Cobar is derived from Ngiyampaa Kuparr.[2]
Some of the most significant Aboriginal rock art in NSW is within the shire. The indigenous Ngiyampaa Wangaapuwan traditions of this diverse bio-region are best represented in the Aboriginal rock art of Mount Grenfell, 40 km west of Cobar. Over 1,300 depictions of humans, hand stencils and animals are at this site.
Several heritage buildings from the late-1880s settlement are open to visitors, including the Great Western Hotel (1898), reputed to have the longest iron lace verandah in the Southern Hemisphere. The Festival of the Miners Ghost, held during the last weekend in October, is a festival celebrating the spirits of the old miners.
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[edit] History
Copper was discovered in the area in 1870, leading to settlements being founded with Australia's European and Asian gold rush arrivals. Cobar and many mining outskirts accommodated the miners who travelled to the area in the late 1880s. Copper mining operations ceased in 1920. Gold, silver, lead and zinc were discovered in the 1980s. The town's development in its region is distinct, afforded by the affluence of the mining boom. Three important mining belts are operational in the Cobar area: The Cobar belt, the Canbelego belt and the Girilambone belt. Visits to mine sites may be arranged through the local museum overlooking the open cut mine.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). Cobar (Urban Centre/Locality). 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved on 2007-10-28.
- ^ Donaldson, Tamsin. "Ngiyampaa", Macquarie Aboriginal Words. Sydney: Macquarie Library, 38.
[edit] External links
