Cobram

Aboriginals, although they had disappeared from the area prior to European settlement, were believed to inhabit the stretch of region bound by the Murray River from Tocumwal to the east of Cobram and south as far as the Broken Creek. The main tribe believed to have occupied the area were the Bangerang. A 'horde', or smaller grouping of about 100 persons, named Angootheraban, are believed to have lived in the immediate Cobram area.{{cite book | last = Curr | first = Edward | title = Recollections of squatting in Victoria, then called the Port Phillip District (from 1841 to 1851) | publisher = George Robertson | year = 1883 | location = Melbourne }}

Charles Sturt first passed through the region on the northern bank of the Murray River in June 1838 en route to South Australia, leading a cattle droving party, with 300 head of cattle.{{cite book | author = Kenn Rogers | title = The Story of Cobram | year = 2002 | publisher = Cobram Historical Society| page = 6}}

In January 1845, Octavius Phillpotts established Cobram station between the already existing Yarrawonga and Strathmerton stations, located where Cobram East now is.{{cite book | author = Kenn Rogers | title = The Story of Cobram | year = 2002 | publisher = Cobram Historical Society| page = 7}} This was divided into the Cobram and St. James stations in 1855.{{cite book | author = Kenn Rogers | title = The Story of Cobram | year = 2002 | publisher = Cobram Historical Society| page = 13}}

By the 1860s, present day Cobram still hadn't begun to exist, and the area was still broadly referred to as Yarroweyah.{{cite book | author = Kenn Rogers | title = The Story of Cobram | year = 2002 | publisher = Cobram Historical Society| page = 36}} In 1868, the old township of Cobram, bound by Warkil Street to the west and the Murray River to the east was reserved for future use, about 15 kilometres west of Cobram East.{{cite book | author = Kenn Rogers | title = The Story of Cobram | year = 2002 | publisher = Cobram Historical Society| page = 24}}

Up until this time, the area of Cobram was part of the Echuca Shire, Cobram station was included when Yarrawonga Shire was created on 15 May 1878. It would later be part of the Tungamah shire in its creation on 17 February 1893.{{cite book | author = Kenn Rogers | title = The Story of Cobram | year = 2002 | publisher = Cobram Historical Society| page = 74}} On 12 August 1879 the first school, 2166 Cobram, opened, later renamed Cobram East.

In 1886, the government produced the town plan for Cobram, as section 110.{{cite book | author = Kenn Rogers | title = The Story of Cobram | year = 2002 | publisher = Cobram Historical Society| page = 41}} 1888 brought about the establishment of the township proper, with the opening of the primary school, Cobram 2881, in April, the opening of the Cobram Post Office near the court house on 1 May, and the coming of the railway on 1 October, which had been heavily publicised by the Cobram Courier, the town's newspaper, first issued 12 September of that year.{{cite book | author = Kenn Rogers | title = The Story of Cobram | year = 2002 | publisher = Cobram Historical Society|pages=51, 54, 45}} It was also in 1888 that the first policeman was appointed, the first doctor arrived and Cobram Football Club played its first match along with the building of Cobram's first pub, the Royal Victoria Hotel.{{cite book | author = Kenn Rogers | title = The Story of Cobram | year = 2002 | publisher = Cobram Historical Society|pages=48, 49, 51, 55}} A river punt began operating between Cobram and the New South Wales banks the following year.{{cite book | author = Kenn Rogers | title = The Story of Cobram | year = 2002 | publisher = Cobram Historical Society| page = 56}}

The Cobram Post Office was moved to its present site on 23 February 1904, the first government building in town and the first built in Australia with the authority of the Commonwealth government.{{cite book | author = Kenn Rogers | title = The Story of Cobram | year = 2002 | publisher = Cobram Historical Society| page = 93}}

Cobram township was finally proclaimed by John Fuller, Governor of Victoria, on 2 December 1912. Two years later, electricity for the town was being produced by a local coal-fired power plant.{{cite book | author = Kenn Rogers | title = The Story of Cobram | year = 2002 | publisher = Cobram Historical Society| pages = 133–134}}

St. Joseph's Catholic primary school was opened in 1922{{cite book | author = Kenn Rogers | title = The Story of Cobram | year = 2002 | publisher = Cobram Historical Society| page = 157}} and in 1925, the Cobram Golf Club opened a 9-hole course near the Murray Valley Highway, transferring three years later to the current location in Barooga.{{cite book | author = Kenn Rogers | title = The Story of Cobram | year = 2002 | publisher = Cobram Historical Society| page = 173}}

Cobram adopted yet another town plan in 1949, the first rural Victorian town to do so, with high anticipation of population growth and the proliferation of industry.{{cite book | author = Kenn Rogers | title = The Story of Cobram | year = 2002 | publisher = Cobram Historical Society| page = 232}} In 1950, the first of such expansions was realised, with the creation of the Murray Valley Co-operative Dairy Producers and Trading Company, the predecessor of Murray Goulburn Co-operative.{{cite book | author = Kenn Rogers | title = The Story of Cobram | year = 2002 | publisher = Cobram Historical Society| page = 235}}

The town split from Tungamah Shire and Cobram Shire was formed on 1 April 1953, after increasing agitation from the townspeople with the operations of the Tungamah Shire.{{cite book | author = Kenn Rogers | title = The Story of Cobram | year = 2002 | publisher = Cobram Historical Society| page = 236}} The first Shire President was Jordan Norman, a long-standing Cobram businessman. Almost ten years later, in 1962, the first high school opened in the town.{{cite book | author = Kenn Rogers | title = The Story of Cobram | year = 2002 | publisher = Cobram Historical Society| page = 257}} In May 1972, the first connections to town sewerage were made, totaling 1,000 by 1976.{{cite book | author = Kenn Rogers | title = The Story of Cobram | year = 2002 | publisher = Cobram Historical Society| page = 276}}

Through the 1980s and 1990s, Cobram was awarded many town awards, including Tidiest Town in Victoria in 1991 and 1993.{{cite book | author = Kenn Rogers | title = The Story of Cobram | year = 2002 | publisher = Cobram Historical Society| page = 292}} In 1993, Cobram Shire was amalgamated with Yarrawonga, Numurkah, Nathalia and Tungamah Shires to form the Moira Shire.{{cite book | author = Kenn Rogers | title = The Story of Cobram | year = 2002 | publisher = Cobram Historical Society| page = 296}}

Image:Cobram town sign.JPG, as approaching from Yarrawonga]]

Cobram serves as the headquarters for the Shire of Moira, is centrally located within the shire and is the second-largest town. Cobram has one government high school and a primary school, an Anglican prep to year 12 college, a Catholic primary school and a special developmental school. It also has a district hospital, built in 1949 with emergency department and an associated nursing home for the elderly.{{cite book | author = Kenn Rogers | title = The Story of Cobram | year = 2002 | publisher = Cobram Historical Society| page = 294}}

There are numerous recreational facilities for public use, such as Scott Reserve, the Cobram Showgrounds, Cobram Lawn Tennis Club and of course the Murray River including Thompson's Beach. A large sports stadium is located adjacent to the Anglican College and Cobram Showgrounds, with numerous soccer fields, netball and tennis courts outside, along with indoor basketball, badminton, volleyball, tennis and netball courts.

The Melba Theatre first opened on 1 December 1948. Featuring a lobby and two cinemas, it was the first air-conditioned theatre in the region.{{cite book | author = Kenn Rogers | title = The Story of Cobram | year = 2002 | publisher = Cobram Historical Society| page = 230}} A fire destroyed the cinema and caused damage to surrounding shops on 10 April 2010 and it was demolished the following day.{{cite news

| year = 2010

| url = http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/firefighters-battle-blaze-at-cobram-theatre/story-e6frf7jx-1225852249936

| title = Cobram's Melba Theatre goes up in flames

| work = Herald Sun

| publisher = Herald & Weekly Times

| accessdate = 2010-04-23

}}

A Peaches & Cream Festival is held biennially around the second or third weekend in January. It is Australia's oldest-running festival, with a town parade and music festival located at Thompson's Beach.{{cite news

| year = 2007

| url = http://www.bordermail.com.au/news/local/news/general/lifersquos-a-beach-then-you-rock/191795.aspx

| title = Life's a beach, then you rock

| work = The Border Mail

| publisher = Fairfax Digital

| accessdate = 2009-01-22

}}

Image:Thompson's Beach Cobram.JPG

Cobram is the birthplace of Murray Goulburn Co-operative,{{cite web

| year = 2008

| url = http://www.devondale.com.au/about/history.asp

| title = About Us - History

| publisher = Murray Goulburn Co-operative

| accessdate = 2008-05-07

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080719215739/http://www.devondale.com.au/about/history.asp

| archive-date = 19 July 2008

| url-status = dead

}} Australia's largest dairy co-operative, collecting 35% of Australia's milk produce{{cite web

| year = 2008

| url = http://www.devondale.com.au/about/profile.asp

| title = About Us - Profile

| work = Murray Goulburn Co-operative

| accessdate = 2008-05-07

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080719215645/http://www.devondale.com.au/about/profile.asp

| archive-date = 19 July 2008

| url-status = dead

}} through its numerous facilities throughout south eastern Australia. Murray Goulburn, along with the Meiji Dairy Corporation milk processing plant, a large abattoir and orange juice factories form the major industries of the town as well as serving as major employers.

Cobram is home to a large Muslim community of mainly Iraqi origin which continues to grow quickly,{{cite web

| last = Johnson

| first = Natasha

| year = 2002

| url = http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2002/s574713.htm

| title = New immigrants settle in rural NSW

| work = 7.30 report

| publisher = Australian Broadcasting Corporation

| accessdate = 2007-10-30

}} along with Italians who migrated in the post-war boom, and began a thriving fruit industry.

In 2006, the then 104-year-old De Burgh Truss road bridge over the river was replaced by a concrete type immediately adjacent to and upstream of the original bridge, named Cobram Barooga Bridge. The new bridge was built to a cost of $9.6 million and completed ahead of schedule.{{cite web

| year = 2006

| url = http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/constructionmaintenance/majorconstructionprojectsregional/southwest/murrayriverbridges/cobram_baroonga.html

| title = Cobram and Barooga

| work = Roads & Traffic Authority

| publisher = New South Wales Government

| accessdate = 2009-01-22

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060825162924/http://rta.nsw.gov.au/constructionmaintenance/majorconstructionprojectsregional/southwest/murrayriverbridges/cobram_baroonga.html

| archive-date = 25 August 2006

| url-status = dead

}}

Smaller towns located nearby include Strathmerton, home of a large Bega cheese processing plant, Yarroweyah, Katamatite, Katunga, Koonoomoo and the larger towns of Yarrawonga on the Victorian side and Tocumwal on the New South Wales side.

According to the 2016 census of Population, there were 6,014 people in Cobram.

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 1.7% of the population.
• 75.8% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were Italy 2.8%, England 2.2%, New Zealand 1.8% and India 1.7%.
• 80.3% of people spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Italian 4.1% and Arabic 2.2%.
• The most common responses for religion were Catholic 32.7%, No Religion 22.0% and Anglican 14.7%.

Although there are no named suburbs in the town, there are areas which can be distinguished by locals due to their colloquial names.

The Mill End is the oldest area name, given to the old Cobram town bound by Warkil Street to the west and the river to the east, so named because of the timber mills that were once scattered in the area.{{cite book | author = Kenn Rogers | title = The Story of Cobram | year = 2002 | publisher = Cobram Historical Society| page = 228}} It is still used, although not as commonly, by people and business.

Murray Heights is the name given to the estate of relatively recent residential area that runs along the sand hills of River Road on the town's eastern edge. The sandy mounds had previously been occupied by orchards.

Koonoomoo, Yarroweyah and Cobram East share the same post code as Cobram, as does Barooga despite being in NSW.

Cobram has an Australian rules football team in the Murray Football League called the Cobram Tigers.{{Cite web | last = Full Points Footy | title = Cobram | url = http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/cobram.htm | accessdate = 2009-04-15 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090105202721/http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/cobram.htm | archive-date = 5 January 2009 | url-status = usurped }}

Cobram Roar[https://www.facebook.com/cobramroarfc/ Cobram Roar FC] Facebook is a soccer club formed in 2014 which participates in the Albury Wodonga Football Association. They are based at the Cobram Showgrounds.

Cobram also has two cricket teams which play in the Murray Valley Cricket Association.

Other popular sports played include basketball, table tennis, ballet, motocross, netball, lawn tennis, badminton and lawn bowls. Cobram Bowling Club is centrally located and has three grass greens. The club has two ladies' pennant teams and four Saturday pennant sides which participate in the Murray Bowls Association.

Golfers play at the Cobram Barooga Golf Club on Barooga Golf Course Road.{{Cite web | author= Golf Select | title = Cobram Barooga | url = http://www.golfselect.com.au/armchair/courseView.aspx?course_id=2311 | accessdate = 2009-05-11 }}

The Cobram Lawn Tennis Club hosts an annual tournament over Labour Day#Australia Weekend (usually the first weekend of March). It is attended by around 750 tennis players from around Victoria, with most travelling from Melbourne for the weekend. The tournament concludes with the finals on Labour Day Monday.

V/Line once serviced Cobram with regular daily passenger trains as part of the Shepparton service. These train services were discontinued in 1993.{{Victorian Rail-Newsrail|title=Rail Passenger Service Withdrawals Since 1960|author=Chris Banger|month=3|year=1997|pages=77–82}} Now V/Line operates multiple daily return connecting coach services between Cobram and Melbourne,{{cite web

| year = 2020

| url = https://www.vline.com.au/getattachment/c6635101-43bd-4cc0-9c54-c8b68380e783/Shepparton-Melbourne-(via-Griffith,-Tocumwal,-Co

| title = Shepparton Line

| work = V/Line

| accessdate = 6 July 2020

}} as well as multiple return services to Albury and Mildura.{{cite web

| year = 2008

| url = http://www.vline.com.au/pdf/newtimetables/albury-mildura.pdf

| title = Timetables - Murraylink

| work = V/Line

| accessdate = 2008-05-07

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080721163459/http://www.vline.com.au/pdf/newtimetables/albury-mildura.pdf

| archive-date = 21 July 2008

| url-status = dead

}}

{{clarify|date=July 2020|reason=Can not find current timetable for this service}}

NSW TrainLink, the New South Wales regional rail and coach provider, services Cobram with three-times-weekly return coach services 741 and 742 between Albury and Echuca.{{Cite New South Wales transport timetables|Southern Region}}

Cobram possesses a cool semi-arid climate bordering on a humid subtropical climate (Köppen: BSk/Cfa), with warm summers and cool winters. Average maxima vary from {{convert|32.0|C}} in January to {{convert|13.9|C}} in July while average minima fluctuate between {{convert|16.2|C}} in January and {{convert|3.4|C}} in July. Mean precipitation is quite low (averaging {{convert|449.0|mm|in|abbr=on}} per annum). Cobram only receives 79.4 precipitation days annually, with a maximum frequency of rain in winter. The town is somewhat sunny, experiencing 130.1 clear days and 99.6 cloudy days per annum. Extreme temperatures have ranged from {{convert|46.5|C}} on 25 January 2019 to {{convert|-4.8|C}} on 18 June 1998.{{cite web |url = https://www.farmonlineweather.com.au/climate/station.jsp?lt=site&lc=74106 |title = Tocumwal Airport Climate (1897-2022) (nearest AWS) |website = FarmOnline Weather |access-date = September 19, 2024}} All climate data was sourced from Tocumwal Airport, situated {{convert|11.2|km|mi|abbr=on}} north of Cobram.

{{Weather box

|location = Cobram (sourced from Tocumwal Airport) ({{coord|35.82|S|145.60|E}}, 114 m AMSL) (1970-2022 normals & extremes, rainfall to 1897)

|metric first = Yes

|single line = Yes

|Jan record high C = 46.5

|Feb record high C = 45.7

|Mar record high C = 41.8

|Apr record high C = 37.8

|May record high C = 29.0

|Jun record high C = 23.7

|Jul record high C = 25.5

|Aug record high C = 30.5

|Sep record high C = 35.2

|Oct record high C = 37.0

|Nov record high C = 43.5

|Dec record high C = 44.9

|Jan high C = 32.0

|Feb high C = 31.5

|Mar high C = 28.1

|Apr high C = 23.1

|May high C = 18.3

|Jun high C = 14.7

|Jul high C = 13.9

|Aug high C = 15.7

|Sep high C = 18.9

|Oct high C = 22.8

|Nov high C = 26.9

|Dec high C = 29.7

|Jan low C = 16.2

|Feb low C = 16.1

|Mar low C = 13.6

|Apr low C = 9.7

|May low C = 6.7

|Jun low C = 4.3

|Jul low C = 3.4

|Aug low C = 4.2

|Sep low C = 6.2

|Oct low C = 8.8

|Nov low C = 11.9

|Dec low C = 14.1

|Jan record low C = 7.4

|Feb record low C = 6.8

|Mar record low C = 5.0

|Apr record low C = 0.0

|May record low C = -2.1

|Jun record low C = -4.8

|Jul record low C = -4.3

|Aug record low C = -4.0

|Sep record low C = -1.5

|Oct record low C = -1.5

|Nov record low C = 0.2

|Dec record low C = 5.1

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 33.4

|Feb precipitation mm = 28.9

|Mar precipitation mm = 35.2

|Apr precipitation mm = 32.2

|May precipitation mm = 40.5

|Jun precipitation mm = 44.0

|Jul precipitation mm = 41.9

|Aug precipitation mm = 42.7

|Sep precipitation mm = 39.0

|Oct precipitation mm = 42.4

|Nov precipitation mm = 34.9

|Dec precipitation mm = 34.1

|year precipitation mm = 449.0

|unit precipitation days = 0.2 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 4.1

|Feb precipitation days = 3.5

|Mar precipitation days = 4.6

|Apr precipitation days = 5.0

|May precipitation days = 7.2

|Jun precipitation days = 9.2

|Jul precipitation days = 10.2

|Aug precipitation days = 10.0

|Sep precipitation days = 8.2

|Oct precipitation days = 7.3

|Nov precipitation days = 5.6

|Dec precipitation days = 4.5

|Jan afthumidity = 33

|Feb afthumidity = 35

|Mar afthumidity = 38

|Apr afthumidity = 46

|May afthumidity = 57

|Jun afthumidity = 65

|Jul afthumidity = 65

|Aug afthumidity = 57

|Sep afthumidity = 52

|Oct afthumidity = 45

|Nov afthumidity = 38

|Dec afthumidity = 33

|Jan dew point C = 10.9

|Feb dew point C = 11.9

|Mar dew point C = 10.6

|Apr dew point C = 9.2

|May dew point C = 8.6

|Jun dew point C = 7.3

|Jul dew point C = 6.4

|Aug dew point C = 6.0

|Sep dew point C = 7.2

|Oct dew point C = 7.6

|Nov dew point C = 8.3

|Dec dew point C = 8.9

|source 1 = Bureau of Meteorology (1970-2022 normals & extremes, rainfall to 1897)

}}

Image:CobramCourtHouse.JPG

A major landmark is the Cobram Bridge, a De Burgh truss lift bridge, which was built across the Murray in 1902. The Cobram Bridge is the only bridge on the Murray River whose construction was completely funded by the Victorian government.{{cite web

| year = 1998

| url = http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/index.cgi?action=heritage.show&id=4301002

| title = Cobram Bridge over Murray River

| work = Roads & Traffic Authority

| publisher = New South Wales Government

| accessdate = 2009-01-22

}} Tenders were awarded in November 1900 and the bridge was opened officially on 3 December 1902, two months after being open to traffic.{{cite book | author = Kenn Rogers | title = The Story of Cobram | year = 2002 | publisher = Cobram Historical Society| page = 98}}

Other landmarks include the settlers' log cabin, war memorial and civic centre. Also of note is the Cobram courthouse, built in 1912, which continues to be utilised as the Cobram Magistrates' Court. Most of the old brick buildings were of local bricks, made by Samuel Steward. He has a monument on the Cobram to Barooga Road.

Cobram Station, built from 1905 to 1907, is a large homestead located east of the town on the Murray Valley Highway. The building comprises 250,000 bricks hand-made on site. It is currently a private residence.

Around the region are numerous river beaches, with Thompson's Beach, claimed to be the largest inland beach in Australia{{cite web

|year=2005

|url=http://www.mrimf.com.au/mrimf/pdfs/sept05news.pdf

|title=MRIMF Newsletter. Volume 3, September 2005

|work=Murray River International Music Festival

|accessdate=2007-04-07

|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070831161433/http://www.mrimf.com.au/mrimf/pdfs/sept05news.pdf

|archivedate=31 August 2007

|url-status=dead

}} located just north of Mookarii Street, before crossing into New South Wales.

• Former Geelong Australian rules footballer Garry Hocking and Steven Hocking
• Former Geelong and Essendon Australian rules footballer John Barnes
• Former Olympic diver Dean Pullar.{{cite web|url=http://www.scotch.vic.edu.au/Gscot/GSdec00/p41dream.htm|title=Dreams do come true!|last=Berry|first=Rick|work=Great Scot|publisher=Scotch College|accessdate=2008-12-15}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{commons category}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20050330144221/http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/ncas/multimedia/gazetteer/list/cobram.html Australian Places - Cobram]

{{Towns in Moira Shire}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Towns in Victoria (state)

Category:Shire of Moira

Category:Populated places on the Murray River