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