Bredbo
Bredbo is a village on the Monaro plains of New South Wales, Australia. The village is on the Monaro Highway 34 km north of Cooma. The village is in the Snowy Monaro Regional Council and had a population of 352 at the.
Located at the junction of the Bredbo and Murrumbidgee rivers, the Bredbo area was historically prone to flooding. As a way-point on the road from Sydney to the Snowy Mountains, travellers were frequently stranded by rising water. By 1839 the Bredbo Inn had been established to accommodate travelers. The Inn was a Cobb and Co stagecoach post, with stables located behind the Inn which are still standing today.
The surrounding settlement was developed to support squatters' runs established in the district between 1848 and 1850. Bredbo was officially proclaimed a village in 1888.
Gold was discovered in the area by the Reverend William Branwhite Clarke, who also discovered gold at Kiandra. A field was proclaimed along the Bredbo River, which was worked until 1921. In the 1930s a geological survey was undertaken and a mine opened and operated until 1942. The fields at Cowra Creek were worked from 1888 and are still popular for fossicking.
Bredbo sits on the Bombala railway line which reached the town in 1889 at which time there were eight houses. The railway closed in 1989 however one final "Farewell to Bredbo" special train was run from Canberra on 3 March 1990.
In the early 20th century, the Australian poet Banjo Paterson stayed at the Bredbo Inn. It is here that Paterson may have encountered the notable stockman Charlie McKeahnie, a likely source of inspiration for Paterson's epic poem The Man From Snowy River. McKeahnie was renowned for his risky riding, and was eventually killed in a horse race over the Bredbo bridge. Following the accident the fatally wounded McKeahnie was carried to the Inn, where he died of his injuries.
One of the earliest settlers in the Bredbo district, John Cosgrove of Billilingera, was believed to be the largest landholder in southern New South Wales. In one year 68,000 sheep were shorn in the Billilingera shearing shed.
Located at the junction of the Bredbo and Murrumbidgee rivers, the Bredbo area was historically prone to flooding. As a way-point on the road from Sydney to the Snowy Mountains, travellers were frequently stranded by rising water. By 1839 the Bredbo Inn had been established to accommodate travelers. The Inn was a Cobb and Co stagecoach post, with stables located behind the Inn which are still standing today.
The surrounding settlement was developed to support squatters' runs established in the district between 1848 and 1850. Bredbo was officially proclaimed a village in 1888.
Gold was discovered in the area by the Reverend William Branwhite Clarke, who also discovered gold at Kiandra. A field was proclaimed along the Bredbo River, which was worked until 1921. In the 1930s a geological survey was undertaken and a mine opened and operated until 1942. The fields at Cowra Creek were worked from 1888 and are still popular for fossicking.
Bredbo sits on the Bombala railway line which reached the town in 1889 at which time there were eight houses. The railway closed in 1989 however one final "Farewell to Bredbo" special train was run from Canberra on 3 March 1990.
In the early 20th century, the Australian poet Banjo Paterson stayed at the Bredbo Inn. It is here that Paterson may have encountered the notable stockman Charlie McKeahnie, a likely source of inspiration for Paterson's epic poem The Man From Snowy River. McKeahnie was renowned for his risky riding, and was eventually killed in a horse race over the Bredbo bridge. Following the accident the fatally wounded McKeahnie was carried to the Inn, where he died of his injuries.
One of the earliest settlers in the Bredbo district, John Cosgrove of Billilingera, was believed to be the largest landholder in southern New South Wales. In one year 68,000 sheep were shorn in the Billilingera shearing shed.
Map - Bredbo
Map
Country - Australia
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The ancestors of Aboriginal Australians began arriving from south east Asia approximately 65,000 years ago, during the last ice age. Arriving by sea, they settled the continent and had formed approximately 250 distinct language groups by the time of European settlement, maintaining some of the longest known continuing artistic and religious traditions in the world. Australia's written history commenced with the European maritime exploration of Australia. The Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon was the first known European to reach Australia, in 1606. In 1770, the British explorer James Cook mapped and claimed the east coast of Australia for Great Britain, and the First Fleet of British ships arrived at Sydney in 1788 to establish the penal colony of New South Wales. The European population grew in subsequent decades, and by the end of the 1850s gold rush, most of the continent had been explored by European settlers and an additional five self-governing British colonies established. Democratic parliaments were gradually established through the 19th century, culminating with a vote for the federation of the six colonies and foundation of the Commonwealth of Australia on 1 January 1901. Australia has since maintained a stable liberal democratic political system and wealthy market economy.
Currency / Language
| ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUD | Australian dollar | $ | 2 |
| ISO | Language |
|---|---|
| EN | English language |