| 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 | ||||||
| State District: | Barwon | ||||||
| Federal Division: | Calare | ||||||
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Cobar is a town in central western New South Wales, Australia. It is located 712 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, 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]. It may also represent an Aboriginal attempt to pronounce copper.[3]
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.
The surrounding shire is 44,065 sq km, about the size of Tasmania.[4] The town of Cobar has 5,000 of the shire's 7,000 people.
Contents |
History
Copper was discovered in the area in 1870, leading to settlements being founded with Australia's European and Asian gold rush arrivals. The Great Cobar Copper Mining Company Limited was established in 1878. It and subsequent companies operated a number of light railways[5] carrying ore and similar material, as well as timber for mine supports. 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.
Economy
The Cobar economy relies heavily on trade with the local mines and their employees, and consequently, on world metal prices. During 2008, after a fall of 75% in world zinc prices, one local mine cut 540 of 655 jobs, with flow on effects felt by many other businesses. Over the year the workforce has reduced by 10%. [6] The town has some benefit from tourists passing through due to its location on the Kidman Way. It benefits from being the seat of the local government area, having two primary schools and a high school and a 31 bed hospital for acute care.
Map of Cobar
OpenStreetMap of Cobar [1]
Climate
Cobar has a semi-arid climate with hot summers and cool to mild winters. It has a median annual rainfall of 390mm. Rainfall is extremely variable, particularly in late summer and early spring. The highest rain falls have been in excess of 200mm in any one month. Rainfall is generally only about 4 days per month.
Average monthly maximum temperatures range from 13C to 20C in winter and 28C to 39C in summer. Average monthly minimum temperatures range from 2C to 8C in winter to 14C to 24C in summer.
The average relative humidity in Cobar during the summer is about 30% in the afternoon and about 50% at 9am. In winter it is about 45% at 3pm, and about 75% at 9am.
Annual mean wind speed at 9am and 3 pm is about 12.2 km/h with lesser speeds on winter mornings.
| Weather data for Cobar | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 47.0 (117) |
46.1 (115) |
41.5 (107) |
36.0 (97) |
29.6 (85) |
26.3 (79) |
25.7 (78) |
30.5 (87) |
38.0 (100) |
39.4 (103) |
43.6 (110) |
44.1 (111) |
47.0 (117) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 34.0 (93) |
33.3 (92) |
30.1 (86) |
25.2 (77) |
20.0 (68) |
16.5 (62) |
15.8 (60) |
18.0 (64) |
21.9 (71) |
26.0 (79) |
29.4 (85) |
32.6 (91) |
25.2 (77) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 20.5 (69) |
20.1 (68) |
17.1 (63) |
12.9 (55) |
9.0 (48) |
6.2 (43) |
5.0 (41) |
6.2 (43) |
9.1 (48) |
12.6 (55) |
15.8 (60) |
18.7 (66) |
12.8 (55) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 10.3 (51) |
8.4 (47) |
6.2 (43) |
3.2 (38) |
0.4 (33) |
-2.0 (28) |
-2.3 (28) |
-2.5 (28) |
-0.3 (31) |
2.9 (37) |
4.4 (40) |
9.1 (48) |
-2.5 (28) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 47.6 (1.87) |
42.8 (1.69) |
34.4 (1.35) |
26.7 (1.05) |
33.0 (1.3) |
27.6 (1.09) |
28.1 (1.11) |
27.4 (1.08) |
24.5 (0.96) |
35.2 (1.39) |
34.3 (1.35) |
36.2 (1.43) |
397.3 (15.64) |
| Source: [9] | |||||||||||||
See also
References
- ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Cobar (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2006 Census QuickStats. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/LocationSearch?collection=Census&period=2006&areacode=LGA11750&producttype=QuickStats&breadcrumb=PL&action=401. Retrieved 2007-10-28.
- ^ Donaldson, Tamsin. "Ngiyampaa". Macquarie Aboriginal Words. Sydney: Macquarie Library. pp. 38.
- ^ "Cobar". Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. http://www.gnb.nsw.gov.au/name_search/extract?id=KWqwjzWAKW. Retrieved 28 June 2009.
- ^ http://www.great-australian-homes.com/cobar.html Retrieved 24-01-2009
- ^ The Railways of The Great Cobar Shoebridge, J.W. Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, September, 1969 pp189-218
- ^ http://www.smh.com.au/text/articles/2009/01/23/1232471590783.html From boom town to bust Retrieved 24-01-2009
- ^ http://www.bom.gov.au/weather/nsw/cobar/climate.shtml Climate of Cobar, Retrieved 24-01-2009
- ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cobar,_New_South_Wales&action=submit Retrieved 2009-01-24
- ^ "BOM - Cobar weather statistics". http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_048027_All.shtml=.
External links
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