Cobar, New South Wales
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Cobar (estimated population 5,300) is a town and Local Government Area on the eastern edge of the Australian outback. It is located in the northwestern part of the state of New South Wales, 711 km (442 miles) northwest of Sydney. Aboriginal people knew Cobar as Kabbur, deriving its name from a word in the Aboriginal language meaning "red ochre".
Copper was discovered in the area in 1870, leading to a settlement being founded at the site. Decline set in after the copper mining operations ceased in 1920, but other minerals, including silver, lead and zinc, were discovered nearby in the 1980s, and the town has seen something of a revival since then. Three important mining belts are in the Cobar area: The Cobar belt, the Canbelego belt and the Girilambone belt.
Buildings from the original settlement era have been preserved, and attract some attention from tourists. Aboriginal rock art displays can also be found in the area. The Festival of the Miners Ghost is a festival with voices from old miners. It is on the last weekend in October.
Cobar is situated at 31° 29' South latitude and 145° 48' East longitude.