Soak up the nostalgia with a stroll down Coolamon town’s beating heart, Cowabbie Street. In the Wiradjuri language of central NSW, a coolamon is a vessel that holds water, and hey, a little refreshment never goes astray – pop in for a cold one in the shade of the wide verandas of the town’s pubs, or kickstart in one of the little cafés.
Until the 1920s, COOLAMON was one of the richest farming regions in the Riverina, and with its population of just 2275 people, the shire still plays in the big league producing cereal crops, wool, beef and fat lambs. Trivia: Ardlethan punches above its weight in the history department, literally; boxer Jimmy Sharman established his famous travelling boxing tent here in 1911. A wheat-belt town, Coolamon is surrounded by the vibrant villages of Ganmain and Ardlethan, and the smaller villages of Marrar, Matong and Beckom.
GANMAIN The calendar is always full at Ganmain, whose Historical Museum is great for vintage machinery buffs, Baldo’s Old Wares for genuine junk hunters, and the open-air Ganmain Haystack Museum. Follow the Murumbang Interpretive Nature Walk to spy threatened species including the Superb Parrot and the ever-busy White-browed Babbler amongst the waterbirds, or take the prettiest bike ride on the Gilgai Track to Coolamon. The town’s eclectic shops, the family-friendly Ganmain Hotel and the Ganmain bakery are must-visits and must-eats in this character-packed village.
ARDLETHAN The birthplace of the Australian kelpie dog, the village is just two minutes off the Newell Highway. Its open-cut tin mine ensured its prosperity, and the development of Australia’s first Anthrax vaccine here ensured its position in the history books, but Ardlethan still retains its slower pace of life, overlooked by the bronze kelpie in the main street. Drop in to the London Hotel for a cold one, or even stay the night, and kick off again with coffee at Ariah 62 café. For a look back 150 years, visit the Ardlethan & Beyond Museum The village lets its hair down at the picnic races and the annual show. MARRAR Say g’day to the past in the historic Marrar cemetery – the 1918 flu epidemic hit the early European settlers hard. Take time out in the quaint Marrar pub, which often has live music, unfurl the picnic blanket in the local park, or pull up a chair for coffee in the shade of the verandas at Marrar Kitchen, in the shopfronts built in 1914. Locals have a bucking good time at its rodeo and the makers’ markets.
BECKOM A short, five-minute drive from neighboring Ardlethan, put Beckom’s reputation as one of Australia’s friendliest towns to the test by popping into the village pub for an afternoon sundowner with the locals. Set on the banks of Mirrool Creek, its park has a barbeque and kids’ playground.
The fabulous Up-To-Date Store was built in 1909, for flashbacks to village life at the turn of the century. Spot the rare, gravity-feed cash-carry machine then take a deep dive into town’s history. Pigeonholes are stuffed with everything from a pin, piano or plough – the Harrods of country NSW? Look for the Gullaman Collection, for stone tools and cultural pieces from the local Wiradjuri people. For more stories from the past, the Coolamon RSL Memorial Museum tells the stories of locals who served their country, many of them farmers who returned to rural life. Across the road in the original fire station, the Coolamon Fire Museum has a global collection of firefighting curios.
Down the road at Coolamon Cheese, book a cheesemaking tour to try delicious handcrafted cheeses in a heritage building, or simply enjoy a handcrafted, artisan cheese platter while you watch cheese being made. Bringing the good oil to the region, another local food success is Brushwoods’ fresh, pure olive oil and oats, grown here and sold in providers and boutiques on the main streets.
For a dose of fresh air and birdlife, Kindra State Forest is a short walk or bike ride from Coolamon town centre. Twitchers, bring your binoculars to spot honeyeaters, red-capped robins and listen for the noisy white-winged choughs and sweet song of the Rufous Whistler. Clever you, you packed a hamper for a forest picnic. Bike riders will love the jumps and berms on the 10 kilometres of MTB trails; just keep an eye out for the ‘roos and goannas!
On your country drives, keep an eye out for ‘ghost signs’– advertisements from the past, selling beer, oil, tea or even ice cream, which are painted on barns, garages and shop walls around the shire.
Spend the night in a former bank, an old Methodist church, or in one of Coolamon’s first homes, built in 1883. Sweet Briar, The Ark, The Q Cottage – Coolamon’s B&B hosts are all about upcycling. Otherwise, slip into the Coolamon Motel, or flip a coin for a classic pub stay at the Ganmain Hotel, the or the London Hotel/Motel in Ardelthan.
Caravanners will find their tribe at the Coolamon Caravan Park, near the town’s swimming pool and golf course, or Ardelthan’s caravan and motorhome park, two minutes off the Newell Highway.
Cowabbie Street is ground zero for cafés, bakeries and even a retro diner and the Little Rustic Pantry, in a corrugated iron shed. Give praise for a delicious Devonshire tea from The Old Convent, while the heritage-listed Coolamon Railway Station houses The Station Collective, whose menu has a globally inspired brunch menu, from Reuben jaffles to Korean steak sandwiches. The New Coolamon Hotel opened in 1880 and is still going strong, hit the ‘Top Pub,’ the Royal Tavern or call into the Beckom Hotel for a cold ale with the locals.
Self-caterers can also fill the esky with local cheese and produce at the Foodworks supermarket, Gigi the Gourmet Grocer or hit the Ganmain Bakery for their famous pies.
Diaries out! Note down Ardlethan’s annual picnic races – complete with fashion in the field – Lions markets in the park, its burgeoning arts show and the annual country show. Neighbour Ganmain’s diary is always full; drop in for its agricultural show, the annual triathlon, gourmet and art weekend or the twilight Christmas markets. Little Marrar goes wild at its rodeo, and hosts the Country Makers market, which moves around the Riverina. Coolamon throws a New Year’s festival and a fire engine muster, and its Yield Festival celebrates the shire’s makers, thinkers, artists and creators.
Coolamon Old Ware & Collectables
Coolamon Canola Fields
Take in our charming towns and quaint villages, visit our world-class attraction and our friendly local.
From Coolamon to Temora and Junee, our sunny welcome shines brighter than the golden crops along the way.
Say hello to yellow.
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