| COOMA - NEW SOUTH WALES - 2630 | ||||
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Population: 6,300, Height above sea level: 809m Latitude: 36.1409, Longitude: 148.0721 Location: 395km south west of Sydney Highway: Monaro Hwy (23) Nearest Major Town: Canberra Nearest Airport: Canberra Touring Area: Snowy Mountains |
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Set high in the southern alps, Cooma was a major centre in the construction of
the massive
Snowy Mountains Hydro Electric Scheme of the 1950s.
An information centre on the highway tells the story of the project
and an adjacent memorial remembers the 121 people who lost their lives
during contruction. Cooma is the main town of the Snowy Mountains. Activities include skiing, bushwalks and drives, fishing, horse-riding and there are several art galleries to explore. Plenty of varied accommodation. The town is at the heart of the great Dividing Range in south-eastern New South Wales, 120 kilometres due south of Canberra. The local area is known as "Monaro Country". The mountainous aspect of the Monaro dictates that access is by road or light aircraft. The first recorded visit to Monaro by Europeans was in 1823 when the explorers Currie and Ovens followed the Murrumbidgee Valley, attempting to find a way of crossing the Murrumbidgee River. Graziers followed in the footsteps of the explorers but the region was sparcely populated for many years. In the 1950s the Australian Government embarked on an ambitous engineering endeavour to divert the eastward flowing rivers from The Great Dividing Range into the River Murray which flows across the central plains to the west. This was known as The Snowy Mountain Scheme. Workers from many countries migrated from war ravaged Europe to Australia, and brought the skills needed for the plan to succeed. In the 1950s the population of Cooma peaked at 16,000. Many of the immigrants remained in the district after the completion of the project and have contributed features of their native traditions to the present day culture of Cooma. A walk around Cooma will reveal many interesting heritage buildings including The Cooma Court House, H.M. Prison and historical churches. There are memorials to the workers who lost their lives working under extreme conditions to divert the waterways, the Kosciuszko Memorial, and the Cenotaph that commemorates the sacrifice of soldiers who served in The Great War. Lake Eucumbene was formed when the Eucumbene Dam was constructed by the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Authority as part of the Snowy Mountain Scheme. The lake was completed in 1956 and has since become a major fishing area in the mountains. The tributary streams flowing to Lake Eucumbene are restricted to fly and spin fishing. New access trails have been constructed to allow access to the hundreds of kilometres of waterways to be enjoyed. The streams are stocked with rainbow and brown trout. Buckenderra Holiday Village is a 30 minute drive west from Cooma and is a popular destination for visitors seeking outdoor activities. In summer there are water sports, horse riding and bush walking. In winter, snow skiers are attracted by the proximity of the village to the major snow fields. There are camping grounds, budget priced rooms, motels, restaurants and conference facilities, to cater for visitor's needs. There are three caravan parks, self-contained cottages and farm stay accommodation available close to the town. PLACES OF INTEREST: ACCOMMODATION & SERVICES: |
© Copyright Peter W. Wilkins