Cooma, Administrative center in Snowy Monaro Region, Australia.
Cooma is a town on the eastern slopes of the Great Dividing Range and serves as the service center for the Snowy Mountains region. The place offers shops, restaurants, and lodging for travelers heading to the alpine destinations nearby.
The town grew rapidly during the 1950s when it became the operational base for the Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Scheme. This major project brought workers from many countries to the region and permanently changed Australian society.
The Snowy Scheme Museum displays objects and records from the engineering project that changed Australian society through workers from many countries. The collection tells the story of people who came here and left their mark on the community.
The town is reached by regular bus services from Sydney and Canberra and sits on the way to mountain destinations higher up. Visitors should know that winters here are cold and alpine roads can become difficult in snow.
The Southern Cloud Memorial commemorates Australia's first major aviation disaster, when an aircraft disappeared in the Snowy Mountains in 1931. The memorial and its story often go unnoticed by visitors, even though they mark an important chapter in Australia's early aviation history.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
