Discover Coonabarabran

Coonabarabran offers a range of themes to help you plan your stay: an exhibition featuring a Diprotodon skeleton and skull, traces of local history, and stargazing shows nearby. When comparing hotels in Coonabarabran, these differences can help you shape your time in the area around your interests.

Information and Exhibitions at the Visitor Information Centre

At the Coonabarabran Visitor Information Centre, staff and volunteers can advise you on things to do, places to stay and eat, and events in the Shire. The centre includes public facilities, park-like gardens and free barbecue areas. Service and facility details may change; check them before your visit if needed.

At the centre, the Australian Museum Diprotodon Exhibition displays the skeleton and skull of a Diprotodon, the largest marsupial that ever lived. Free guided tours of the exhibition are available for groups with advance booking. So, if you plan to take a tour, register your group in advance.

Crystal Kingdom offers a different natural history theme, with more than 500 examples of local minerals and fossils on display. Guided group tours are also available and require advance booking. As booking arrangements may change, check them before you travel. The difference in focus is clear: the Diprotodon exhibition centres on the skeleton and skull of a single animal, while Crystal Kingdom showcases a wider variety of minerals and fossils.

River Scenery and Stargazing

The Sky River Path, “Warrambul Warruwi”, is being developed along the Castlereagh River in Coonabarabran. Installed features include riverside seating, information signs, a sculpture and a mural. The project brings together different design elements along the river; the path is described as an ongoing project.

Nearby is Milroy Observatory, 10 kilometres from Coonabarabran. Stargazing shows are offered there every clear night. Unlike the exhibitions, this activity depends on the conditions that night: the shows take place when the sky is clear. Check booking and operating arrangements with the provider again before your trip.

Local History Between the Business District and Memorials

The central business district around John Street, between Cassilis Street and the Castlereagh River, reflects the effects of several economic booms in the 20th century. Local buildings and memorials offer different points of reference for this history. Coonabarabran Courthouse was built from local sandstone and completed in 1878; Christ Church Coonabarabran was completed in 1939.

Coonabarabran War Memorial Clock Tower is another local historical landmark. Major General Charles Frederick Cox unveiled the tower on 22 August 1928. The Woodpecker Gun commemorates those who served in the Second World War and is free to visit. The two memorials emphasise different aspects: the documented unveiling date of the clock tower and the commemorative purpose of the Woodpecker Gun.

McDonagh Coonabarabran Ltd illustrates another stage in the town’s development. The business was built in 1911; its original façade was altered with Art Deco details in the late 1920s. The construction date and later façade changes therefore mark two distinct phases in its design.

The history of the name Neilson Park is also set in a specific period: development at its current site began in June 1928. By 1935, the park had been renamed from River Park to Neilson Park. Along with the buildings and memorials, this park history adds a development dating back to the late 1920s to the story of the town.

For the broader travel overview: Warrumbungle Shire Council.