Cobar is known as The Copper City: a historic mining town, with plenty of history and heritage, it’ll certainly capture your attention from the moment you arrive to pick up your Hertz rental car. Located in central-western New South Wales, it’s a 700-kilometre journey to the capital of New South Wales, Sydney.
So, while you’re out here, embrace all that this town has to offer: a vibrant history, a rich culture, and an impressive story!
Learn about Cobar, with Hertz
While you’re here, you’ll explore everything from the interesting museums and colonial buildings to the Aboriginal rock art and open-cut mines. It’s a versatile town with plenty to offer, so make sure to dedicate some time to visiting and learning about the town itself.
The town’s history dates back to the late 1800s, with the Great Cobar Copper Mine taking centre stage in the area. It employed a massive 2,000 workers and was the country’s leading copper mine. You’ll learn all about this at the Great Cobar Heritage Centre, where you’ll also see the remains of the smelter foundations too. It’s an impressive way to remember such an important part of the town’s history and heritage.
The Heritage Centre doesn’t just focus on the mining history. While this was an extremely influential time in the town’s history, the town itself has a much longer, ancient history. Learn about the Aboriginal people and the way they lived here and discover what the town was like before the industrial revolution took precedent.
Once you’ve finished discovering the Aboriginal history in the museum, you may drive the 70-kilometre journey outside of Cobar to the Mount Grenfell Historic Site. Here, you’ll find ancient Aboriginal rock art depicting Dreamtime stories.
Perhaps spend an afternoon driving around and admiring the landscape of the area. The mines certainly have had a huge influence on not just the history of the town, but the geographical landscape too. Drive up to Fort Bourke Hill Lookout for a real insight into what the town used to look like. This lookout overlooks the New Cobar Gold Mine, which was the first gold mine in the area. After this, head to the Great Cobar Open Cut, which has since turned into a fantastic swimming spot much loved by the locals of the area. It’s a particularly popular spot during the summer months.
Explore the New South Wales Outback in your Rental Car
Cobar is located in the New South Wales Outback, so any drive here will be mesmerising, with expansive distances of flat red sand. It’s certainly an epic road trip for those who are just visiting the outback for the first time - so make the most of it and enjoy it.
Dubbo is located a three-hour drive away from Cobar and is a great town to visit and enjoy. With attractions like Taronga Western Plains Zoo and the Old Dubbo Gaol, you can drive here for a couple of days of tourist magic.
Cobar is definitely a town that’s worth visiting. With ample history, heritage, and culture, it’ll stay in your memory long after you drop off your rental car keys. There’s always something to do and learn about, and plenty of exciting destinations just a drive away. We can’t wait to welcome you here soon, at Hertz Cobar Downtown.
