COBARGO

When first developed in the late 1860s, Cobargo was known as ‘The Junction’ because it was sited at the junction of Narira and Bredbatoura Creeks.

The town serviced a substantial local farming community at the time, as was demonstrated when 37 children enrolled in the local school when it opened in 1871.

Dairy farming became the area’s main activity and a large butter factory opened near the town in 1901. It continued in production until 1980.

The building of a bridge over Narira Creek in 1882 and improvements to the local main roads in the 1880s and 1890s encouraged the development of the town. By the 1890s the town supported a newspaper, the 'Cobargo Watch & South Coast Journal' (which in 1898 became the 'Cobargo Chronicle', and was published through to 1944).

The town declined in importance in the early 20th century as transport developed and it became easier for locals to travel to larger centres. Cobargo’s interesting and historic old streetscape was destroyed by a bushfire on 31st December 2019.

An annual Cobargo Folk Festival is held on the first weekend in March. It is now one of Australia’s major folk festivals.

(A more comprehensive history of Cobargo will supersede the above - hopefully in the not-too-distant future!)