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Over the years I have passed through Cooma a few times on the way down south, but last year I had a couple of hours in the town and was able to explore beyond the highway. Cooma is located on the junction of the Monaro and Snowy Mountains highways, which link Canberra, the coast and the mountains. It is about 400 km southwest of Sydney, with a population of approximately 7000. The area now known as Cooma is on the traditional lands of the Ngarigo people.

At the time of my visit, the Cooma Post Office was still operating out of these premises in Vale Street. The building was constructed in 1872, and was located on the main thoroughfare of the town at the time. It was designed by NSW Colonial Architect James Barnet, who also designed the courthouse and gaol shown below. In the past couple of months, the post office has relocated due to the building no longer being fit for purpose.

There are three heritage areas in Cooma recognised by the National Trust, including the Court House precinct, built in the 1860s. There had been gold discovered at Kiandra in 1859, and this boosted the population and business opportunities in Cooma. The current courthouse was constructed from 1885-1888 using locally quarried granite. It replaced the previous Barnet building, erected in 1864, which is the Cooma Police Station.

Further along Vale Street is the Cooma Correctional Centre. Cooma Gaol was built in the 1870s and originally housed up to 100 prisoners. Similar to Berrima Gaol, it was used for other purposes over the decades, including an insane asylum and a secure storage facility for materials for the Snowy Mountains Hydro Scheme. From 2001, it reopened as a medium/minimum security centre. Adjacent to the Correctional Centre is the NSW State Correctional Museum, which has an extensive collection of information, artefacts, and displays from convict days to present times. Guided tours are available, and whilst I found it interesting, it was also quite confronting.

One of the most striking buildings in Cooma, which has many heritage buildings of note, is the Brigidine Convent. It was completed in 1884, and was home to the Brigidine sisters. There was a school at the convent until 1929, when it was moved and renamed St Patrick’s School. A brief history of the order’s arrival in Australia, and establishment at Cooma, can be read here.

This was one of my favourite diversions as I wandered around Cooma. Nanny Goat Hill Lookout offers panoramic views of Cooma and the surrounding districts. The sculpture of a nanny goat was a delight, and was created by local artist, the late Chris Graham. Graham also played an important role in the erection of the Mosaic Time Walk, which can be glimpsed in the photo at the top of the post. Lookouts offer a different perspective of a town, and this one reminded me of the Billy Goat Hill lookout at Cowra.

Cooma has become a popular tourist stop for travellers on their way to the snowfields in winter, and nature adventures in the warmer months. These are just some of the many points of interest in Cooma. Have you had a chance to explore Cooma?

Photo: mural at Centennial Park, Cowra