Cootamundra facts for kids
Quick facts for kids CootamundraNew South Wales |
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The CBC bank building and post office on Wallendoon St
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 Cootamundra
Location in New South Wales
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| Established | 1861 | ||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2590 | ||||||||
| Elevation | 318 m (1,043 ft) | ||||||||
| Location | |||||||||
| LGA(s) | Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council | ||||||||
| County | Harden | ||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Cootamundra | ||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Hume | ||||||||
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Cootamundra, nicknamed Coota, is a town in the South West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia and within the Riverina. It is within the Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council. At the 2016 Census, Cootamundra had a population of 6,782. It is located on the Olympic Highway at the point where it crosses the Muttama Creek, between Junee and Cowra. Its railway station is on the Main Southern line, part of the Melbourne-to-Sydney line.
Cootamundra is the birthplace of Sir Donald Bradman AC, an Australian cricketer universally regarded as the greatest batsman of all time. It is also known for being the site of Cootamundra Domestic Training Home for Aboriginal Girls, an institution housing Aboriginal girls who were forcibly taken from their families.
It is also the home of the Cootamundra wattle. Every year there is a large "Wattle Time" Festival held at the time the wattle starts to bloom, with an art show and festivities.
Contents
History
The earliest people to live in the area where present day Cootamundra exists are considered to be the tribe of Wiradjuri, with the name probably deriving from their word guudhamang for "turtle".
Cootamundra was incorporated as a township on 9 August 1861, and the first settlers bought their lots in early 1862. Like many other towns in the Riverina, it was originally populated by those attracted by the gold rush of the 1860s, but became a quiet yet prosperous agricultural community after the local deposits were exhausted.
The town's rugby league team competed in the Maher Cup.
Timeline
- 1847 - Cootamundra Run, a large stock run, is the first colonist settlement in the area.
- 1861 - The site of Cootamundry is published in the NSW Government Gazette
- 1862 - Gold mining commences at the nearby Muttama Reef mine.
- 1864 - The first church (Anglican) and post office are established.
- 1875 - The first school in the district opens
- 1877 - Cootamundra's railway connection opens on 1 November.
- 1884 - Cootamundra is first gazetted as a municipality
- 1896 - Cootamundra Cycling Club. It is probably the oldest continual club in NSW, although as was the case with most clubs it went into recess during the war years.
- 1908 - Donald Bradman (later Sir Donald Bradman) is born in Cootamundra.
- 1911 to 1968 - Cootamundra Domestic Training Home for Aboriginal Girls forcibly taken from their families
- 1942 - On 3 December, the corvette HMAS Cootamundra, named for the town, is launched.
- 1952 - Name of Cootamundry officially changed to Cootamundra
- 1955 - The first Cootamundra Annual Classic cycling handicap race, one of the oldest open races in NSW.
- 1956 - Cootamundra's rugby league football club's Bill Marsh is first selected to play for the Australian national team.
- 1960 - Cootamundra's Australian Football club is established.
- 1982 - In November 1982, the aviation company Masling Industries was formed. This was restructured in June 1993 after the unfortunate death of the owner.
- 1986 - Popular Australian singer/songwriter/bush poet John R Williamson released his song 'Cootamundra Wattle'.
- 2015 - Australian youth radio station Triple jjj featured the 'Cootamundra bonus weather rap'
- 2000 - The first annual beach volleyball competition begins. Truckloads of sand are trucked into the main street for Coota Beach (play on words for Kuta Beach in Bali, Indonesia).
- Australian rugby league Kangaroos player Lee Ryde grew up representing the Group 9 Cootamundra Bulldogs local team.
- 2015 - Luke Barry Donnellan becomes the first Syrian national to win the prestigious Best Dressed award at the annual Cootamundra Cup.
Description and attractions
Cootamundra is located in the South West Slopes region of New South Wales, within the Riverina region.
It is within the local government area of Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council. Abb McAlister was elected mayor of the newly-formed Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council on 21 September 2017.
The town is known as the birthplace of the great cricketer Sir Donald Bradman. Although he never lived in the town and his parents left Yeo Yeo (some 18 km from Cootamundra) when he was two, the town celebrates this connection with the Sir Donald Bradman Birthplace Museum, the home where "The Don" was born, a fully restored visitors' site featuring cricketing memorabilia and artefacts.
The Coota Ex-Services Club is an ex-servicemen's club that is open to the public as a restaurant.
Hemet, California, is a sister city.
Cricket Captains' Walk
In 1998 a collection of 14 captains of the Australia International Test XI cricket team was unveiled in Jubilee Park, adjacent the Caravan Park. Specially commissioned, they were all the work of Harden-Murrumburrah sculptor Carl Valerius.
In 2008 a further 30 busts were installed on either side of a looping path, making a full set of Australian Test cricket captains, with three more added in 2020 to bring the list up to date. These are by various artists from the Tom Bass sculpture studio. The all-weather path, which starts and ends at Wallendoon Street is family, jogger, and wheelchair friendly, and approximately 250 metres long.
A life-sized bronze statue of Bradman in action, also by Valerius, is nearby, as is a newly-installed barbecue and playground. Jubilee Park, the site of these attractions, is on land reclaimed from the original stock dam, memorialised by a plaque on the Morgan Arch on Wallendoon Street.
The Giant
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- This location was in 1882 the site of Kibby's "Trade Palace" department store; and taken over by Solomon Cohen (c. 1848–1922) in 1886. In 1943 it became "Cohen's Corner", a name which endures to this day. "Hammond and Hanlon" were tenants in 1962 and "The Giant" in 1975, subsequently "U-Mark-it", "Half-case Warehouse", "Payless", and "Food World". It next became Mark Ward's hardware store, then "GV Bargains".
When the statue was taken down it was purchased by Allan and Phuong Jenkins, who ran a florist shop nearby. In 1985 Allan participated in a Round-Australia marathon run by Rotary International and the Australian Cancer Society as a fundraiser, and his support vehicle was surmounted by "The Giant". In 2014 the Jenkins couple donated the statue to the Cootamundra Heritage Centre.
Local artist Jim Newman did its original paintwork back in 1975, and his brother Robert Newman was responsible for its restoration in 2015. The statue is located alongside the Heritage Centre on Hovell Street, near the railway station.
The Giant, along with Don Bradman's Bat and Stumps in Bradman Oval, are considered to be two of Australia's many Big Things.
Population
According to the 2016 Australian census, there were 6,782 people in Cootamundra. Of these:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 5.6% of the population.
- 85.6% of people were born in Australia. The next most common country of birth was England at 2.1%.
- 91.6% of people spoke only English at home.
- The most common responses for religion were Catholic 30.8%, Anglican 28.4% and No Religion 16.4%.
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1921 | 1,748 | — |
| 1933 | 4,683 | +167.9% |
| 1947 | 5,259 | +12.3% |
| 1954 | 5,760 | +9.5% |
| 1961 | 5,939 | +3.1% |
| 1966 | 6,219 | +4.7% |
| 1971 | 6,530 | +5.0% |
| 1976 | 6,384 | −2.2% |
| 1981 | 6,540 | +2.4% |
| 1986 | 6,314 | −3.5% |
| 1991 | 6,386 | +1.1% |
| 1996 | 5,879 | −7.9% |
| 2001 | 5,486 | −6.7% |
| 2006 | 5,566 | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 5,579 | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 5,669 | +1.6% |
| 2021 | 5,732 | +1.1% |
| Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics data. | ||
Transport
Cootamundra railway station is located on the Main Southern railway line, with passengers served in each direction by twice daily NSW TrainLink XPT railway services between Sydney and Melbourne, and the twice weekly Xplorer railway services to Griffith. Interstate freight trains also pass through the town.
Regional Rail Logistics previously operated a containerised freight service from Junee to Sydney stopping in the town,
| Preceding station |  NSW TrainLink |
Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junee
toward Griffith or Melbourne
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NSW TrainLink Southern Line
Griffith Xplorer
Melbourne XPT |
Harden
toward Sydney
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TrainLink coaches
Cootamundra acts as a hub for coach services, run by Transport for NSW, to other regional centres with departures and arrivals timed to connect with certain New South Wales XPT train arrivals. The exception is Services 704/703 (coloured row), provided for those who have business in Canberra civic, the major hospitals, or to connect with the Canberra–Sydney rail service (three trains per day both directions).
Seats are allocated and must be booked ahead. must be consulted for conditions of travel and coach stop locations. On-line booking and more information
| Destination/s | Other stops | Service # | Frequency | Return # | Frequency | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Condobolin | see timetable | 717 | Daily | 718 | Daily | |
| Tumbarumba | see timetable | 723 | Tue/Thu/Sun | 724 | Tue/Thu/Sun | |
| Griffith, Hay, Mildura | see timetable | 725 | Daily | 726 | Daily | ~20 min. refreshment stop at Hay |
| Yass Junction, Canberra, Queanbeyan | see timetable | 782 | Daily | 781 | Daily | ~15 min. stop at Yass Junction. Wheelchair access |
| Parkes, Dubbo | see timetable | 791 | Mon/Wed/Sat | 792 | Sun/Tue/Thu | Wheelchair access |
| Orange, Bathurst | see timetable | 793 | Tue/Thu/Fri/Sun | 794 | Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat | |
| Major stop on route: Wagga Wagga–Cootamundra–Canberra–Queanbeyan | see timetable | 704 | Tue/Thu/Sat (morning) | 703 | Tue/Thu/Sat (evening) | currently (2019) a trial service, trial timetable, Wheelchair access |
Airport
Cootamundra Airport, is one of the oldest country airports outside of Mascot to be continually licensed.
From 1991 to 2002 local business Country Connection Airlines offered regional flights from Cootamundra to Sydney, as well as to many other regional locations such as West Wyalong, Cowra, Forbes and Young.
Sport
Cootamundra has a long and proud sporting history, with the region most notably producing Sir Donald Bradman, the greatest test cricketer ever.
Today, the most popular sport in Cootamundra is rugby league. The local team, the Cootamundra Bulldogs, compete in the George Tooke Shield competition, which is part of the broader Canberra Rugby League. The club formerly competed in the Group 9 Rugby League competition, in which they were among the most successful clubs, winning nine titles, and their junior sides remain in this league. The club famously produced Les Boyd, whom the club's home ground is named after, Eric Weissel, and Paul Field, a local player who was picked to represent New South Wales in the 1983 State of Origin series, one of only three players to ever be selected for the side from a Country Rugby League club.
Cootamundra also has an Australian rules football side, nicknamed the Blues, who play in the AFL Canberra lower divisions, and a rugby union team, the Cootamundra Tri-Colours, in the Central West Rugby Union Division 3 South. The region also has a strong local cricket competition.
Notable residents
- Paul Beath (born 1968) – represented the Canberra Raiders and Manly Sea Eagles in the NRL
- Les Boyd (born 17 November 1956) – grew up representing the Cootamundra Bulldogs in the Group 9 Rugby League, became a professional Rugby League Player, representing Australia and NSW in the State of Origin.
- Thomas Bradley (born 1990) – Australian dancer for Sydney Dance Company and Australian Dance Theatre
- Sir Donald Bradman AC (27 August 1908 – 25 February 2001) – Australian international cricketer, born in Cootamundra
- Bob Holder – rodeo champion described as the 'world's oldest cowboy.'
- Philip Lowe (born 1961) – Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, moved to Cootamundra aged 5.
- Hayley Manwaring (born 1991) – Guitarist in Australian rock band Moaning Lisa (band)
- Billy Murdoch (1854–1911) – batsman and Test cricket captain, was a solicitor in private life, and had a practice in Cootamundra in the 1880s.
- Hubert Leslie Primrose (1880–1942) – solicitor and politician
- Isaac Smith (30 December 1988) – AFL footballer
- Ethelbert Ambrook Southee (1890–1968) – college principal
- Eric Weissel (1903–1972) – Professional Rugby League Player
Climate
Cootamundra has hot, dry summers interspersed with severe thunderstorms, and cool, cloudy winters with many rain days. Occasionally, snow may fall during the winter months, with the most recent settled snowfall having occurred in August 2019. Under the Köppen climate classification scheme, the town has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa), receiving enough precipitation to avoid the cold semi-arid (BSk) climate classification.
| Climate data for Cootamundra Airport (1995–2022); 335 m AMSL; 34.63° S, 148.04° E | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 45.0 (113.0) |
43.0 (109.4) |
39.7 (103.5) |
33.5 (92.3) |
27.0 (80.6) |
22.0 (71.6) |
20.5 (68.9) |
24.8 (76.6) |
30.2 (86.4) |
34.9 (94.8) |
41.0 (105.8) |
42.2 (108.0) |
45.0 (113.0) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 32.1 (89.8) |
30.4 (86.7) |
27.2 (81.0) |
22.7 (72.9) |
17.5 (63.5) |
13.9 (57.0) |
13.0 (55.4) |
14.6 (58.3) |
18.3 (64.9) |
22.4 (72.3) |
26.1 (79.0) |
29.3 (84.7) |
22.3 (72.1) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 16.1 (61.0) |
15.5 (59.9) |
12.4 (54.3) |
7.5 (45.5) |
3.5 (38.3) |
2.2 (36.0) |
1.2 (34.2) |
1.5 (34.7) |
3.5 (38.3) |
6.3 (43.3) |
10.4 (50.7) |
13.0 (55.4) |
7.8 (46.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 2.0 (35.6) |
2.9 (37.2) |
0.9 (33.6) |
−4.0 (24.8) |
−6.5 (20.3) |
−7.3 (18.9) |
−7.8 (18.0) |
−7.0 (19.4) |
−6.0 (21.2) |
−3.5 (25.7) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
2.1 (35.8) |
−7.8 (18.0) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 49.3 (1.94) |
52.3 (2.06) |
53.9 (2.12) |
35.3 (1.39) |
38.0 (1.50) |
60.7 (2.39) |
58.5 (2.30) |
58.4 (2.30) |
52.9 (2.08) |
48.6 (1.91) |
64.6 (2.54) |
52.7 (2.07) |
614.3 (24.19) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 6.8 | 5.4 | 6.5 | 5.1 | 7.6 | 10.8 | 12.9 | 11.8 | 9.0 | 8.5 | 8.4 | 6.7 | 99.5 |
| Average afternoon relative humidity (%) | 33 | 38 | 38 | 43 | 53 | 66 | 65 | 61 | 53 | 46 | 39 | 36 | 48 |
| Source: Bureau of Meteorology | |||||||||||||
In popular culture
- Leonard Hubbard recorded the song "Cootamundra" in 1924.
Gallery
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Cootamundra looking NE; railway station at centre
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Cootamundra looking SW, railway station at top
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Plaques at Cootamundra Aerodrome
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Roadside memorial
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Roadside plaque
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Coota Beach Volleyball
