Cobar, New South Wales
Encyclopedia : C : CO : COB : Cobar, New South Wales
Cobar (estimated population 5,300) is a cross roads on the Kidman Way (to Queensland) & Mitchell Highways (to South Australia). The town and Local Government Area on the eastern edge of the Australian Outback is 711 km (442 miles) northwest of Sydney, in northwestern New South Wales. The name Cobar derives from the Aborigines referring to the area as Kabbur, describing the "red ochre" of the area.
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 1300 depictions of humans, hand stencils and animals are at this site.
Copper was discovered in the area in 1870, leading to settlements being founded with Australia's European & 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.
Several heritage buildings from the late 1880s settlement are open to visitors, including the Great Western Hotel (1898), reputed to have the longest 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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