At the 2021 census, Cooma had a population of 6,715.[2] Cooma is the main town of the Monaro region. It is 800 metres (2,620 ft) above sea level. The name could have derived from an Aboriginal word Coombah, meaning 'big lake' or 'open country'.[3]
Cooma is 5 kilometres (3 mi) south of the banks of the Murrumbidgee River, a main tributary of the Murray–Darling basin. Cooma sources its water from the river.
History
The area now known as Cooma lies on the traditional lands of the Ngarigo people.[4]
Cooma was explored by Captain J. M. Currie in 1823. It was first surveyed in 1840, and was gazetted in 1849.[5] Cooma was proclaimed a municipality in 1879.
The railway from Sydney was extended from Royalla to Cooma in 1889 under the supervision of John Whitton.[6] The line was closed to rail passenger traffic in 1989.[7][8] The estimated population of Cooma was 47 in 1851 and it grew to 2330 (1911), 1969 (1933), 2249 (1947), 9103 (1966), 7353 (1976) and 7978 (1981).[9][10][11][12][13]
In 1949, the town became the headquarters of the Snowy Mountains Scheme and grew rapidly. Between 1949 and 1974 the population expanded due to an influx of 65,000 workers from more than 30 countries.[14] Those working on the Snowy Scheme depended on the railway and during construction of the scheme, the railways were one of the largest employers in the region.[6] In 1959, the tenth anniversary of the scheme was celebrated with the erection of an avenue of flags representing the 27 nationalities of people working on the scheme.
Cooma has developed a growing tourism industry as it became the main rest stop for many travellers heading to the NSW snow fields during the winter months. As a result, the town nicknamed itself the 'Gateway to the Snowy Mountains'.
The Aviation Pioneers' Memorial at Cooma contains artifacts recovered from the Avro 618 Ten aircraft Southern Cloud, which crashed on 21 March 1931 in the Toolong range of the Australian Alps. The wreck was not found until 26 October 1958.[15]
Heritage listings
Cooma has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
According to the 2021 census, there were 6,715 people in Cooma.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 4.5% of the population.
77.8% of people were born in Australia; the next most common countries of birth included England at 2.2%, New Zealand at 1.6%, Germany at 1.3%, India at 1.1%, and Italy at 0.9%.
82.7% of people spoke only English at home; the next most common languages spoken at home included Italian at 0.8%, German at 0.7%, Nepali at 0.5%, Spanish at 0.5%, and Urdu at 0.4%.
The most common responses for religion included No Religion 36.3%, Catholic 23.6%, Anglican 18.7%, and Uniting Church 2.0%; a further 9.5% of respondents for this area elected not to disclose their religious status.[2]
Education
Government schools include Monaro High School, a high school that serves the town and seven of the neighbouring rural towns and villages including Peak View, Berridale, Jindabyne, Nimmitabel, Bredbo and Dalgety.[24] The other two government schools support primary education and are Cooma Public School[25] and Cooma North Public School,[26] both providing education for students in Kindergarten to Year 6.
The Roman Catholic school is called St Patrick's Parish School and provides education from Kindergarten to Year 10.[27] The Snowy Mountains Christian School, an independent Christian school provides education from Kindergarten to Year 10.[28]
Tertiary education is provided by TAFE NSW Illawarra Institute Cooma campus.[29]
Another Tertiary Education centre is the Cooma Universities Centre, which opened in 2014.
Climate
Cooma has a dry oceanic climate (Cfb). Summer averages are warm, though tend to swing wildly between hot and cool; and winters are chilly with particularly cold night time temperatures due to its valley location, high elevation, and frequent clear skies, sometimes recording the lowest temperatures in the country. However, daytime maximum temperatures in winter are often unremarkable, on account of the foehn effect.
The area is exceptionally dry by southeast coastal Australian standards as it lies in a major rain shadow; the region is flanked by mountain ranges on all sides, most notably on the west. Despite its dryness, it has only 90.1 clear days annually, lower than the adjacent coastal areas of Wollongong and Sydney (106 and 107 clear days respectively).[30][31] Strong cold fronts often push through the region in winter and snow is not uncommon in Cooma from June to September, though is generally light and rarely settles for more than 24 hours. Frost occurs in all months of the year and is frequent between April and October. Severe thunderstorms are semi-frequent in summer, and owing to the elevation of the town can carry large quantities of hail.[32]
Mean daily minimum temperatures range from −2.7 °C (27.1 °F) (July) to 10.8 °C (51.4 °F) (January), with an annual mean daily minimum of 4.1 °C (39.4 °F). Mean daily maximum temperatures range from 11.4 °C (52.5 °F) (July) to 27.3 °C (81.1 °F) (January), with an annual mean daily maximum of 19.4 °C (66.9 °F).[32]
Climate data for Cooma Visitors Centre (1973–2020); 778 m AMSL; 36.23° S, 149.12° E
The Cooma–Monaro Time Walk in Centennial Park was a community project to mark the Bicentennial Year of 1988, from designs by Cooma College of TAFE and the Cooma–Monaro Historical Society.[35][36]
Media
Newspapers
One newspaper operates in Cooma, The Monaro Post, which began in 2006 and is independently owned by Gail Eastaway, Tracy Frazer and Louise Platts.
Note: transmitters for XLFM and Snow FM, as well as some ABC services, are in place throughout the Snowy Mountains.
Television
Cooma receives five free-to-air television networks including all the digital free-to-air channels relayed from Canberra, broadcast from the Telstra site Radio Hill translator in Cooma Common, off Polo Flat Road.
Another transmitter for the Cooma and surrounding Monaro region is located at Mount Roberts approximately 30 km NNE of the town, broadcasting The Three Commercial TV Networks and the ABC Television services, but not SBS Television Services.
The Cooma Colts is the town’s junior rugby league team, the Stallions (founded 1973)[38] is the senior rugby league team and the Rugby League Tag team known as the Fillies also plays during the rugby league season.
The Cooma Tigers (founded 1952) [39] soccer team plays in local competitions.
The Southern Cats (formerly Cooma Cats founded in 1975) Australian rules football club is based at the Snowy Oval and participates in the AFL Canberra Community Division 3.[40]
Transport
Cooma is served by Cooma–Snowy Mountains Airport, which is 15 kilometres from the CBD. Cooma has a bus service connecting various areas of town three times a day run by Cooma Coaches. Snowliner Coaches also operate services. Cooma has a taxi service run by Cooma Radio Taxis.
^Studies, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (10 January 2021). "Map of Indigenous Australia". aiatsis.gov.au. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
^ ab"Cooma Railway Precinct". NSW Heritage Register. Office of Environment and Heritage: Government of New South Wales. 11 November 2009. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
^"Bombala Line". www.nswrail.net. Retrieved 21 January 2007.
^Cooma-Monaro Historical Society, The Cooma-Monaro Time Walk : a mosaic record of the history of the Monaro from 1788-1988, Cooma-Monaro Historical Society
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