COOMA
Cooma is a recommended stopover town
when heading south to the Alps. This place is a really progressive
community with plenty of day to day natural activities. The fact that
the snow season increasingly brings tourists add to the relaxed
environment.
The name could have derived from an Aboriginal word
Coombah, meaning 'big lake' or 'open country'
Coma was explored by Captain J.M. Currie in 1823. It
was first surveyed in 1840 and it was proclaimed a municipality in
1879.
In 1949, the town became
the headquarters of the Snowy Mountains Scheme and grew rapidly. 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
travelers 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.
The Cooma Museum is
assisted with ‘correctional personnel’. The Museum gives a good
insight to the early history of the era.
The traditional Cooma
Churches are well over 100 years old.    
The Cooma War Memorial
is opposite the historic Court House
and Post Office.
The caricatures are worth
more than a cursory perused.
Cooma has a number of
hotels, all of which will be close or already centurion pubs.    
Cooma is a delightfully
friendly town that commands an extended visit.
Heritage diary
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