Coolamon is a town in the Riverina region of south-west New South Wales, Australia. Coolamon is 40 kilometres (25 mi) north-west of Wagga Wagga and south-west of Sydney via the Hume and Sturt Highways. The town is situated on the railway line between Junee and Narrandera. Coolamon had a population of 1,589 at the 2011 census and is 290 metres (950 ft) above sea level. It is the administrative and service centre for the local government area which bears its name—Coolamon Shire.
History
The original land where Coolamon now stands, prior to European settlement, was occupied by the Kamilaroi and/or Wiradjuri Aborigines.
A property "Coleman" was first settled there by a Mr J. Atkinson in 1848. The town was surveyed prior to the coming of the railway in 1881.
Cowabbie Post Office opened on 1 May 1881 and was renamed Ganmain on 1 July and Coolamon on 1 November of that year.
Modern Coolamon
The name of Coolamon comes from the Aboriginal word for a basin-shaped wooden dish made and used by Australian Aborigines. In the area around the town are thousands of naturally occurring indentations in the ground called Coolamon Holes which fill with water.
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