Cootamundra Main Street

Cootamundra NSW 2590 (Pop 5 500)
Pic: by Virtual Steve

Cootamundra is a SW NSW rural service centre 385 km s-w of Sydney at the Sydney-Melbourne railway junction. Original inhabitants were the Wiradjuri Aborigines who named the area meaning ‘marsh’. Cootamundra is famous for being cricketing great, Sir Donald Bradman’s birthplace as well as the Cootamundra Wattle and Cootamundra Gold , locally produced canola oil. Today sheep grazing, furniture manufacturing, brickworks and a tannery are main industries. Cootamundra markets 1st Sun each month. Wattle Time Festival (Aug), Agricultural Show (Oct), Christmas Carnival (Dec).

Tourist Attractions & Info:
Historic Cootamundra includes Sir Donald Bradman’s birthplace (89 Adams St) Open (9am-5pm) daily and Cootamundra Railway Station (1870s). ‘A Two Foot tour of Cootamundra’ includes 29 historic town locations and takes 2 hours. Details available at Visitor Information Centre. Captains Walk, Jubilee Park, Wallendoon St features bronze busts of all Australian cricket captains. Pioneer Park, Backbrawlin St a 1.3 km bushwalk up to Mt Slippery offering panoramic town views.

Nearby:
Bethungra Railway Spiral (23 km s-w) unusual piece of railway engineering crossing itself and crossing some of Australia’s deepest cuttings. Murrumburrah (35 km n-e) small rural community with an interesting historic museum open on weekends and well known Picnic Races held each Nov. The Milestones (19 km n-e) interesting wheat-themed concrete sculptures. Gardiner’s Lookout (13 km south) large boulder outcrop reputedly used by bushranger, Frank Gardiner to hide out.

Accommodation:
Cootamundra has 4 motels, nine hotels, 3 holiday cottages and a caravan park. Visitor Information Centre: Railway Station, Hovell St. Tel (02) 6942 4212 or 1800 350 203.

Airport:
Cootamundra Airport (CMD) Olympic Hwy. (2 km north).

Hospital:
Cootamundra Hospital, Mackay St. Tel (02) 6942 0444.