← Cobar Shire Council
Area profile

Area profile

A quick snapshot of Cobar Shire, drawn from official ABS estimates and the NSW Government's council data. Cobar sits at the junction of the Barrier Highway and the Kidman Way in far-western NSW, and the shire is one of the largest local government areas in the state — the council's own Community Strategic Plan describes it as covering about 45,609 km², roughly two-thirds the size of Tasmania. The council calls Cobar 'The Copper City', and says the shire's economy runs on mining (copper, lead, silver, zinc and gold) and the pastoral sector.

New to these terms? Read them in plain English
Local Government Area (LGA)
The official area a council governs.
Estimated Resident Population (ERP)
The official population count for an area.
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)
The national statistics agency behind population figures.
See the full explainer, with formulas →

The area at a glance

Population (ERP, 2023-24)
4,015ABS Estimated Resident Population, per OLG time-series data.
Area
45,575.4 km²OLG time-series figure. The council's Community Strategic Plan 2025-2035 states about 45,609 km² — either way, one of the largest LGAs in NSW.
Population density
~0.09 people per km²Roughly one resident for every 11 km² of shire.
Region
Orana / far-western NSW, at the junction of the Barrier Highway and the Kidman WayThe council is a member of the Far North West Joint Organisation and of the Association of Mining Related Councils.
Council classification
Large Rural (OLG group 10)
Main centres
Cobar (council seat), with the villages of Euabalong, Euabalong West, Nymagee, Mount Hope and CanbelegoThe council names those five village areas in its rating and waste arrangements. A selection of localities is listed below.
Local economy
Mining (copper, lead, silver, zinc, gold) and pastoralThe council's own Community Strategic Plan describes the shire as thriving "on prosperous mining industries (copper, lead, silver, zinc, gold) and pastoral sector". Mining is a distinct rating category on Cobar's rates notice, councillors sit on the Peak Gold Mine Consultative Committee, and the council's Local Housing Strategy cites "increased mining activity" among the drivers of housing demand. Tourism is anchored by the Great Cobar Museum, housed in the 1910 administration building of the Great Cobar Copper Mine.
Where the town's water comes from
Piped from the Bogan River at Nyngan by the Cobar Water BoardCobar has no reliable local surface water. The Cobar Water Supply Act 1963 created the Cobar Water Board, which built a 300mm pipeline from Nyngan in 1963 and a parallel 375mm line in 1983; the source is regulated water reaching Nyngan via the Albert Priest Channel from Warren. The Board is now a statutory body under the Water Management Act 2000, administered by the council.

Suburbs & postcodes

On the map

The shaded area is the official Local Government Area boundary.

The suburb list and postcodes are a selection of the localities in the Cobar Shire LGA. The shaded area on the map is the official Local Government Area boundary. Cobar Shire was established on 18 March 1884; the town sits in the state electorate of Barwon and the federal division of Parkes. The council's own Community Strategic Plan 2025-2035 records that "Cobar is the traditional land of the Ngiyampaa Wangaaypuwan people", who were in the area when pastoral runs were established in the 1860s and when copper was first found in 1870.

Sources — check it yourself

Figures are current as at the dates shown and may change — always confirm with the linked source. See the notice at the bottom of the page for full details and how to report a correction.