Royal Australian Mint honours the final Cobb & Co coach run from Surat to Yuleba, 100 years ago

With the turn of the century, the stagecoach was pushed off the road by the motor buggy and airplane. Echoes of cracking whips and galloping horses were no more and the coaching days were over.

The Royal Australian Mint has unveiled a commemorative $1 coin to mark the 100th anniversary of the last Cobb & Co coach service in Australia.

The coin was launched at a former Cobb & Co resting stop in Bungendore, NSW, on Monday (31 July).

During the 19th Century, Bungendore was an important stop for stagecoaches travelling between Sydney and the Goldfields in the southern regions of NSW and Victoria. At the time, people also travelled from Bungendore to the Molonglo Plains, which was evolving into what today is known as Canberra.

Assistant Minister for Treasury, Andrew Leigh, said Cobb & Co became a true pioneer of Australian travel in a time when passage through the country was notoriously uncomfortable.

“The famous coach service left its mark from Victoria to tropical north Queensland. Its network of routes crisscrossed the eastern states of Australia, from North Queensland to Melbourne and across to Adelaide. It also ran coaches in Western Australia,” he said.

“But with industrialisation, large mail carrying companies became obsolete and the update of radio and telephone communications connected towns hundreds of miles apart. The coaching days were over.”

The last Cobb & Co coach service ran from Surat to Yuleba on 14 August 1924.

Owner of the Carrington Inn, Richard Graham, has extensively researched Cobb & Co and its impact on travel in hard-to-reach areas as Australia was opening up to travel.

“The Lord Carrington Inn (the original name) would have been a bright spot at the time for a coaching station. Being new, offering seven bedrooms with fireplaces, an indoor kitchen and social room, a water pump well just outside the bedrooms, and of course a blacksmith next door, for Cobb & Co the Carrington would have been perfect for its patrons,” Mr Graham said.

Queensland Museum CEO, Dr Jim Thompson, said it was exciting to see a coin honouring the Cobb & Co coach service.

“Queensland Museum Cobb & Co, Toowoomba, home to the National Carriage Collection, is full of stories that showcase the legacy of Cobb & Co and its pivotal role in Australian transportation history. We are delighted this commemorative coin honours Australia’s pioneering spirit and resilience, as well as the vital role coaches played in connecting communities,” Dr Thompson said.

Cobb & Co Festival organiser, Paul Masson, said the new coin was a fitting tribute to this unique period of Australia’s social history.

“We’re thrilled that the Royal Australian Mint is releasing a commemorative $1 coin to celebrate the Centenary of the last Cobb & Co run in Australia. It will be a real collector’s item with festival goers who attend the Cobb & Co events during August in outback Queensland,” Mr Masson said.

“So many Australians across different generations have a connection with Cobb & Co’s rich history, and this limited-edition coin will give them a tangible keepsake that will continue to grow in value, as well as celebrating the 100-year milestone.”

The 2024 $1 Uncirculated Coin – Cobb & Co – Centenary of the Last Coach Service in Australia is $17.50 and is available for purchase through the following channels:

– EQL ballot

– Mint Contact Centre on 1300 652 020 from 8.30am Thursday 1 August 2024

– From participating authorised distributors

Registration for the EQL ballot opened at 8.30am today (31 July) and closes at 8.30am tomorrow (1 August). The draw will take place immediately following the ballot and successful entrants notified by email. To register for the ballot, visit the Mint at www.ramint.gov.au.

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