Cobden History
The land around Cobden was first settled in 1840 by Scottish immigrant Dr Daniel Curdie.
He quickly selected a run and established “Tandarook” homestead. This was one of the earliest properties on the western plains, in the low lying hills surrounding the Curdies River.
The name itself came from two aboriginal words: ‘Tan’ meaning hill and ‘Darock” meaning native bread.
Cobden was surveyed in 1860 and was originally known as Lovely Banks. At this time blocks of land were selling for 8 pounds an acre.
The population grew considerably, with many new settlers being tradesmen and agriculturists.
In 1865, the town’s name was changed to Cobden after leading British Statesman and free trade advocate, Richard Cobden.
Early industry was diverse, but the dairy industry was particularly prosperous and the first centralised dairy factory was opened in Cobden during 1888.
A January 1922 issue of the Cobden Times reported how local aborigines regularly visited an isolated hill near the Tandarook run to obtain a local fungus known as blackfellows’ bread.
Perhaps they were of the Kuurn Kopan Noot tribe, who were thought to have lived in this area before European settlement.
