We live hereC O B A R

C O B A R03

Facts and Figures about Cobar

Come and Stay

Events and Key Dates

Lifestyle

Arts, Crafts and Culture

Sport and Recreation

Investment in Cobar

The Housing Market

Education

Health and Community Services

Career Opportunities

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C O B A R03

Contents

We live hereC O B A R

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05

Facts & Figures

P O P U L A T I O N4,764, and every one of them a gem.

A R E ABig. Very big. 44, 070km2 , which is bigger than

Switzerland, Denmark and Lebanon and 96 other countries, and more interesting than all of them

(our claims are also big).

D I F F E R E N TWe have our own currency, Cobar Quids, and the

long-running ‘little paper’, The Cobar Weekly. Those who were born and raised here are Iron

Ringers. Otherwise, you might be a local, a blow-in, or part of the furniture.

C O B A R I S I N T H EM I D D L E O F E V E R Y W H E R E

It is at the cross-roads of two major highways, the north-south Kidman Way and the east-west Barrier

Highway – every direction covered.

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Come & Stay

Sit still and listen. If you’re in town, you might hear music from a pub or a club or a street party and you’ll definitely hear friendly conversation. You might hear the sound of a crowd shouting at a sports match or the yelling of kids on the skate park or the playground. There could be the sound of clapping at a dance concert or the splash of a swimming carnival. Out bush or anywhere in the early morning, you’ll be over-whelmed by birdsong. Sometimes you’ll hear the sound of heavy machinery at work for the mines, and sometimes, if you’re really, really quiet, you’ll hear nothing at all, maybe just the breeze in the leaves. Open your eyes and you’ll see, really see, the stars at night. You’ll see a streetscape that’s an attrac-tive mix of the old and new, of cafes and culture and the strictly practical. Everywhere you’ll notice the trees that grow only here, and when it rains, you’ll be amazed at the wildflowers. Cobar is a place where you can seek peace or a busy life or a combination of both. We’re on the NBN, so you can stay connected, or choose to cut off. There’s a busy calendar of festivals, events and workshops, and plenty of places to explore in the region. It’s up to you how much or how little you want to do, but you’ll be welcomed everywhere.Our history is many-layered, starting thousands of years ago with the Wangaaybuwan people. Today our community shows the multicultural history that is our past and our present. People come from all over the world to take up business and employ-ment opportunities and stay to enjoy the sunshine and the lifestyle.

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C O B A R09

J A N U A R YAustralia Day Festivities

M A YCobar RacesCobar Show

Intermine Golf ChallengeCobar Golf Course

Cobar Clay Target Annual Golden Clay Target Shoot

Louth Races

A P R I LCliffhanger (Bi-annually)

Seniors’ Week

J U L Y

A U G U S T

Cobar Sheepdog Trials

Nymagee CSW Flower Show

Festival of the Miner’s Ghost

Town Christmas PartyCarols By Candlelight

S E P T E M B E R

N O V E M B E R

O C T O B E R

D E C E M B E R

Events & key datesF E S T I VA L O F T H E M I N E R ’ S G H O S TOctober Lights up with the annual Festival of the

Miner’s Ghost, celebrating Cobar’s history and is a great opportunity to immerse yourself in the

culture of our community. Events include live music, markets, mine surface

tours, cemetery tours and, of course, the renowned fireworks display over

the old open cut mine.

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Lifestyle

A C T I V I T I E S & F A C I L I T I E SWhether you are an exercise junkie or you would rather a great spot to lounge around and read a book, Cobar has you covered. There is an abundance of team sports for all ages or arts and cultural groups who will bring out your creative side plus amazing places to visit that will have you soaking up the landscape and wildlife.

We are blessed to have wonderful facilities that provide great opportunities for our sporting clubs and are a great way to spend time with the family. The Cobar Youth & Fitness Centre, affectionately known as “The Youthie”, is a vibrant children’s hub with a games room, gym and weights rooms, an indoor stadium, squash courts, sauna, kiosk and a unique skate park. The Youthie has now begun its much anticipated spin bike class with brand new equipment complete with lights and music to make exercise a whole other world of fun.

JKM Dynamic Fitness is around two years old but has made an impact in our part of the world. There is fantastic equipment, personal training and group fitness classes from Yoga and Thai Chi to high intensity boxing, plus there is swipe pass entry for members so there is no hassles in fitting in a workout within your busy days and a supervised crèche that is operated alongside some of the classes to keep the little ones entertained.

The Cobar Memorial Swimming Pool is open from October through April and boasts an interactive children’s water play area and baby pool as well as a crystal clear Olympic size pool. No pool should be without a water slide, and Cobar’s comes complete with twists and turns.

Maybe you fancy a picnic or BBQ in between dips in the pool? An investment of $145,000.00 will see our pool with a brand new BBQ area and kitchen.

Photo Credits, Top Left: Photo by The Cobar Weekly. Bottom Left: Photo by Sam Smith.

S H O P P I N G & F O O DBoutique gift stores, courtyard cafes or tea and cake. Cobar has a unique array of shopping and food to feast on to suit your style. Cobar has multiple cafes and takeaways as well as pub restaurants, Chinese and Thai. Whether it is a family dinner or a romantic night for two, dine out in Cobar.

If you’re into quilting, sewing, knitting or crochet, Cobar has two stores renowned for their needlework abilities. Green thumb, gadget guru or auto enthusiast? We have you covered too. Cobar is full of friendly local retailers willing to go the extra mile to cater to the needs of you and your family.

A R T SCobar Arts Council is a group of volunteers who work to bring arts and cultural activities to the area. The Arts Council hosts an annual art exhibition to coincide with the Festival of the Miner’s ghost. New members are welcome.

For a beautiful display of locally-produced art and craft, go to the Great Western Gallery, tucked under the verandah of the historic Great Western Hotel. Shoppers and browsers are welcome, as are new volunteers and artists who want to display and sell their work. From the pavement outside, a montage of historic photographs can be seen.

Art and craft workshops, quilting groups and a

Arts, Crafts & Culture

range of other activities are regularly available around town. Various organisations fund occasional classes in skills from making hats to writing memoirs.

The Cobar Shire Library shows work from touring exhibitions such as the Outback Archies and also art and craft by local practitioners. Art from the collection of the Great Cobar Heritage Centre is periodically displayed in the Library. It is home to a Book Lovers discussion group and has a flexible meeting space, available to the public. Library staff run weekly story time and craft activities for children as well as school holiday programs.

Cobar provides many opportunities for residents and visitors to enjoy or be involved in arts and culture.

The Great Cobar Heritage Centre houses the Visitor Information Centre and also the museum. It is easy to get lost in the stories for a day or two, wandering through the stunning building and exploring the original mine site. From the Heritage Centre, a Centenary of Federation Walking track goes past sites of interest with interpretive panels about the bird and plant life as well as historic places. A Heritage Walk around town and a park with mining artefacts provides plenty to do on a weekend.

M U S I C & D A N C ETwo dance schools, Western Studio of Performing Arts and Copper City Dance Centre, provide lessons for young and old including contemporary, jazz, tap and ballet. Each school also performs an annual concert.

A variety of venues around town have a changing program of live music and comedy from locals and travelling performers.

Other visiting shows include circuses and symphony orchestras.

Sport & Recreation

Cobar has more sports than you can poke a stick at and we have stick-poking too, but we call it golf.

Out on the golf course, be careful not to bounce the ball off a wandering turtle or kangaroo, just enjoy the competitions at the Bowling & Golf Club, which attracts players from across the region.

Summer can be hot, which is great for getting wet swimming with Yabbies, Mermaids or Swim Club. It’s pretty good for cricket, tennis, touch football, Little Athletics and triathlons too. When it gets to winter, stay warm with rugby league or netball competitions for all ages, rugby union (seniors) and soccer (juniors).

If you’re the indoor active type, there are squash and basketball courts as well as Judo and two dance studios offering a range of dance styles. For those who like a bit of quiet competition and the sound of balls rolling gently across a piece of well-trimmed grass, there’s lawn bowls at two clubs.

Some folk prefer inter-species sport, for which we have race club, pony club, rodeo club and barrel racing club with excellent facilities at Dalton Park Horse Complex. More interested in the roar of engines, diesel fumes and the smell of the crowd? Join the Autoclub or the Dustbowl Fuel Burners.

Tractors are a thing in Cobar. We like them and some people really, really like them, so much they have a Fergie Club. That’s Ferguson Tractors, see? They do runs and are a feature of community events and parades. Stay here long enough and you’ll like them, too, promise.

If you have a steely eye and steady hand, try pistol shooting, gun club, clay target shooting or the bowman’s club if you fancy your archery skills. These groups are welcoming and will teach you all you need to know.

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Sport & Recreation

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Interested in volunteering and helping the community, with a team of great people around you learning new skills? Join the local SES group, Rural Fire Service, or Rotary. The PP Group (not telling what it stands for, you have to get involved and find out) fundraises, helps out community events and often entertains with hilarious shows. Then there’s View Club, the Hospital Auxiliary, Probus, CWA, the Buffalo Lodge and Masons or Men’s Shed. Cobar has a very strong and well supported Cadets unit, a great way for the kids to learn leadership and life skills. Girl Guides is going through a period of growth and could always do with even more girls and some grown-up leadership.

Joining the Buckwaroon Landcare Group will teach you a lot about the local environmental challenges and give you an insight into the depth of knowledge and commitment of the landholders who care for our country. If you’re of Indigenous descent, the Local Aboriginal Lands Council would welcome your input.

But wait,

If we don’t already have it in Cobar, just do it anyway and everyone else will join in.

there’s more...

C O B A R17

Investment in Cobar

Cobar has plenty of business opportunities and hundreds of millions of dollars of investment projects under way. All four mines in the Shire are investing in exploration and development projects with opportunities for employment and contracting.

A number of construction projects outside the mining industry are currently being undertaken or just completed. These include:

• $16m water treatment plant

• $17m water pipeline

• $5m water reticulation pipe replacement

• $25m new health service (hospital and aged care)

• $2m sewerage treatment upgrades

• $420,000 extension to the Cobar Primary Health Care Centre

• $120,000 extension to the Cobar Shire and TAFE Library

• New supermarket

• New conferencing facility and tavern

• Road upgrades

Several playground and community space upgrades are planned for 2018.

In Cobar, we actively seek opportunities to make our shire an even greater place to live, work and raise a family. We source funding for capital investment projects focused on increasing the liveability of our town and we create an environment that fosters enterprise.

C O B A R17

The Housing Market

Owning your own house in Cobar is not a dream but an affordable reality.

From units and flats and modest but neat starter homes to larger family houses with the outdoor entertaining areas so suited to our climate and lifestyle, Cobar has something to suit all tastes and budgets. Want to try a rural lifestyle? There are semi-rural blocks and large agricultural properties, with established homes for those who want to walk in, or plenty of opportunity to build your dream house.

The wide open spaces are waiting for you.

The Housing Market EducationCobar looks after children, young people and families. Family Day Care Services and Kubby House Child Care Centre provide long day care, while families with pre-schoolers and school-age children have several educational options.

F A R W E S T F A M I L Y D A Y C A R E A N D I N - H O M E C A R E S E R V I C E S Cobar Shire Council sponsors these services. Family Day Care is an option for working families with young children. Small groups of children are looked after by educators in the educator’s home.

In-Home Care allows children up to the age of 12 years to be looked after in their own home by an approved educator.

After school and during the holidays, school aged children have somewhere to go - Cobar Outside of School Hours (COOSH) Service. Kids can take part in a range of activities and games and help to prepare (and consume) afternoon tea. From 2018, before school care will also be available.

For more information and contact details, visit Council’s website at cobar.nsw.gov.au/our-town-and-shire/family-day-care.

C O O I N D A H O M E S C H O O L G R O U PCooinda Homeschool Group has been active in Cobar for over two years. Meeting weekly, Cooinda currently has around 20 children of varying ages. A huge variety of activities are undertaken by the group and have included sports, art, field-trips to surrounding areas, STEM activities, language learning, dancing, tours of local businesses and a book club. The group is a great support network for those already homeschooling or interested in finding out more.

Contact cooindahomeschoolers@gmail.com

C O B A R P R E S C H O O L C E N T R E“Growing and learning together”

Generations of Cobar kids have warm memories of their time at the much-loved preschool.

Cobar Preschool provides children aged 4-6 years with an excellent and enjoyable preparation for Kindergarten in a safe and friendly environment. The focus is learning through play, with plenty of opportunity for children to develop skills and abilities both indoors and outside.

The trained staff, which includes indigenous educators, deliver a play-based curriculum that develops the skills and abilities that children need for school. There is a large, much-used outdoor area with a variety of play equipment that is regularly added to and up-dated. The preschool also takes advantage of the adjacent sporting oval.

The preschool, which is down the bottom of the Booroomugga St cul-de-sac, can be contacted on (02) 6836 2435 or email cobarpre3@bigpond.com

C O B A R M O B I L E C H I L D R E N ’ S S E R V I C E S A N D N G A L I I P R E -S C H O O LCobar Mobile Children’s Services offers an amazing array of programs for families. They not only hold in-town play sessions, giving parents and children the opportunity to socialise, they also hold bush sessions for people living on properties in the shire.

They can also help out with home visits for families who have children with special needs.

The Ngalii Pre-School provides a colourful and creative high quality education space for Aboriginal children and those from low socio-economic families.

All this, and you can also hire toys, books, and parenting and teacher/child worker resources.

Contact Details: (02)68362845 cobarmobile@exemail.com.au

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“ We are a school community of responsible, respectful

learners...”

C O B A R P U B L I C S C H O O LCobar Public is the kind of school that makes adults wish they were kids again. It’s a great place to grow and learn, with smartboards, iPads and 3D printer capability, but also loads of opportunities for hands on and outdoor learning and play experiences.

As well as the outdoor covered learning and play areas, the school grounds has fixed play equipment, a Yarning Circle, a sandpit and a sensory garden. The richness and variety of this environment has nurtured such a high level of creativity in the children they have evolved a complex game called ‘Tribes’. In this game, they buy, trade, and build structures using natural resources. Through ‘Tribes’ and other self-devised games, they learn collaborative problem solving and develop cooperative friendships. This original style of play supports and contributes to the success of Problem Based Learning in the classroom. >

C O B A R21

Creativity and imagination is also fostered through music, including recorder excursions to perform at the Sydney Opera House, and participation in events such as the Outback Art Festival, Multicultural Carnivale Day and National Simultaneous Storytime. The over-flowing library with its resident cow encourages a love of words as every student is encouraged to borrow books and to take part in Book Fair.

Team and athletic sports are a feature and there are always a number of students who qualify to compete at a regional level. Students have also been successful in Moorambilla Choir auditions, and often achieve high marks in academic International Competitions and Assessment for Schools.

The school acknowledges with pride its links to the indigenous community. Every year, NAIDOC

Dreaming Day is celebrated. In 2017, all students learned and used vocabulary from the local Wangaaybuwan language.

All types of learners are catered for with programs for special education needs and extension for talented students. A healthy canteen operates every day, using produce from the school’s own garden. Children are further encouraged through the successful reward system operating around Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL).

Cobar is all about community and the school reflects this, with a very active P&C and strong ties with the Shire Council. The PBL motto is expected to apply both outside and inside school: “We are a School community of responsible, respectful learners”.

C O B A R P U B L I C S C H O O L C O N T . . .

S T J O H N ’ S P R I M A R Y S C H O O LSt John’s Primary School is easy to find. It’s next to the big red church, visible from most places because it’s built on a high point in town (it’s not a hill, we don’t do hills). It’s not only easy to find, it’s an easy and welcoming place to be.

Teachers and other staff know all the children by name. They know their names, and they know their educational needs. The school has cutting edge technology and teaching methods. All classrooms have interactive projectors and each student has a Chromebook that allows collaboration online and at home. Inclusion of children with special needs is a priority. Each child is cherished, enabled and encouraged to pursue personal achievement

Parents and caregivers are always welcome and are invited to attend the weekly assembly, held every Friday at 8:50am. Family and friends are also invited to attend other events such as Lunch on the Lawn. Facebook, the Skoolbag app, newsletters and the school’s website are needed to keep people informed of the many things that are going on.

The school is keen for families to be partners in learning, holding parenting, literacy and numeracy workshops throughout the year. The P&F Association holds fundraisers and working bees and is always keen to have fresh new members (because they wear the old ones out).

It’s important for children to get out of Cobar and see what else is in the world. St John’s sends students to regional and state swimming and athletics carnivals and is always represented in the Moorambilla Choir. The annual Year 5/6 excursion to either Canberra or Ballarat and Bendigo is one of life’s big events. The world is brought to St John’s through engagement with national art, academic and cultural competitions. >

C O B A R H I G H S C H O O L“Where there’s a will, there’s a way”

Cobar High School certainly has the will to find the way to give kids a great education. The school is well-equipped with smartboards and other information technology. Two computer laboratories and laptops give students access to the internet and a variety of programs. The hospitality rooms and science classrooms are state of the art.

Aurora College operates at Cobar via a virtual platform using blended learning, giving students in Years 7-10 the opportunity to take part in a selective academic environment without having to leave home. Aurora also offers subjects in Years 11 and 12, expanding the range of HSC subjects available.

The school is committed to Positive Behaviour for Learning, which helps students and teachers understand school expectations and provides a structure for effective classroom practice.

The recently introduced Student Leadership Challenge is open to all students, encouraging them to take part in community organisations and events. Points are awarded for volunteering, attendance at occasions such as Anzac Day, and participating in sports days and extra activities such as regional athletics carnivals and choirs.

Cobar High School always has a large team of students who have qualified to compete in athletics and swimming at a regional level. Many students also try out and are selected for representative team sports such as netball and rugby.

The Student Representative Council has a strong voice in the school. They are instrumental in organising and running the term and annual Rewards Days. Students earn the right to take part in these by accumulating ‘RAM’ cards at graded colour levels, finishing at ‘Rainbow’.

Every year, a public speaking competition is held, with all students participating. Judges are invited from the community to adjudicate the finals, and families can also attend. The relationship with the community is interactive: the school takes part in important events such as Anzac Day and the annual Agricultural Show.

Above all, the school focuses on spiritual growth. Christian values are taught through the framework of the Catholic faith.

The school has a sacramental program that is parish based and led by the Religious Education Coordinator and Parish Priest

St John’s is supported by St Laurence O’Toole Parish and the community of Cobar. The school is part of the Catholic Education System administered by the Wilcannia-Forbes Diocese.

S T J O H N ’ S P R I M A R Y C O N T . . .

For several years, Cobar High has had a strong relationship with the Moorambilla MAXed OUT choir. Operating under the artistic direction of Michelle Leonard, Moorambilla gives students the chance to sing and actively learn music and performance skills.

After an audition process, selected students can take part in intensive choir camps, with a gala concert at the end. Similarly, the school has been successful in securing students a place in the highly coveted School Spectacular.

The school also stages a biannual musical, showcasing the talents not only of the singers, dancers and actors, but also the artists, designers and stage crew.

Cobar High School’s website is at cobar-h.schools.nsw.edu.au

“ Where there’s a will, there’s a way...”

Health & Community Services

Getting crook in Cobar? We’ll do our best to get you well.We hope that living in Cobar will see you bursting with health, but just in case…

Medical service provision in Cobar is growing. A brand new $25m multipurpose health service is under construction. It will include 10 hospital beds and a range of other services. Additional space is also being added to one of the medical centres to accommodate more allied health services.

Cobar’s two medical centres currently have four doctors, a team of nurses, and allied health services including optometrists, podiatry, dietician, osteo-path, mental health provider and cardiologist.

Also available in town are an excellent dental clinic that will leave you smiling, therapeutic massage, two pharmacists, a pathology service and an aged care hostel. This hostel was built with funds raised in the community. It is very close to our hearts.

There are a number of agencies that provide com-munity services to residents. They include Centa-Care, Royal Flying Doctors, and Drugs and Alcohol service. Livebetter provide disability support, while McKillop provide speech and occupational therapy for younger children. Home Care is available and there is a regular passenger transport service to Dubbo or Bourke. Barnados support kids and families and provide great programs through the schools.

Careeropportunities

Kick start your career today and live the life you’d like in Cobar.

Aurelia Metals Head OfficeSuite 5 Level 2

60-62 McNamara StreetPostal Address: PO Box 8626

ORANGE NSW 2800Phone: (02) 6363 5200

Facsimile: +61 2 6361 4711Email: HR@aureliametals.com.auPeak Gold Mine: (02) 6830 2213

Cobar Shire CouncilPO Box 223

Cobar NSW 2835Street Address: 36 Linsley Street

COBAR NSW 2835Phone: (02) 6836 5888

Facsimile: (02) 6836 3964Email: mail@cobar.nsw.gov.au

cobar.nsw.gov.au/news-info/employment

CSA MineVia Louth Road

Postal Address: PO Box 31COBAR NSW 2835

Phone: (02) 6836 5100Facsimile: 02) 6836 5146csamine.com.au/careers

CreditsWith thanks to the following contributors...

Luke GriffithsThe Cobar Weekly

Sam SmithStef Stone, Set In Stone Photography

Cobar Public SchoolSt John’s Primary School

Cobar High SchoolThe Darling Design Co