Cobden Story

This plaque is located on the front wall of Ritchies Supermarket, 24 Curdie St.

In 1840, Scot Dr Daniel Curdie arrived in the Tandarook area to begin the story of Cobden from a British perspective.
Two clans of the traditional owners of the land, the Djargurd wurrung people, developed a respectful relationship with Dr Curdie as their
numbers dramatically declined.
First called Lovely Banks, the settlement was later named Cobden in honour of British champion of free trade, Richard Cobden – see details in the Rotary Club’s Cobden Connection rotunda on the corner of Peter and Neylon streets.
The COBDEN STORY proudly tells of families, individuals, organisations and businesses that have been an integral part of the town’s history. You’ll find storyboards on walls and stands along many of the town’s pavements and walking tracks.
Maps can be found at the Visitor Centre and other businesses, or online at cobden.org.au/csmap.pdf or via the QR code below.
We hope you will find something interesting on every board. You might read about people you know, pieces of Cobden history you’ve forgotten or did not know, even some humour in some of the stories.
Many storyboards await your attention. Perhaps read a paragraph a day, check the photographs or just scan the QR codes for future reference. Yes, you may find some errors, maybe some fibs – if so, please send an email to cobdenstory@cobden.org.au, or let the Visitor Centre know and we’ll amend them next time.
We gratefully thank all friends of the Cobden Story project including the businesses that provided technical skills and advice – and we acknowledge the many organisations and individuals who contributed written material and images. Our major information sources and supporters have included:

• The Infiltrators: A History of the Heytesbury 1840-1920
• Jack S Fletcher (Shire of Heytesbury 1985)
• And We Who Followed: A History of the Heytesbury 1921-1987. Jack S Fletcher (Shire of Heytesbury 1987)
• Early Cobden – Cobden Today: Kaye Thornton 1955
• Cobden – A Time-line 1838-1994: Cobden and District Historical Society
• Our Cobden and District 1840-1920 Marilyn Rantall, Shirley Blain, Alan Hart, Alma MacDonald (Cobden and District Historical Society 1995)
• Western District Families: westerndistrictfamilies.com/tag/cooke/
• Newspaper articles and photographs courtesy Western District News (Camperdown), Warrnambool Standard and Trove
• Members of Cobden and District Historical Society, Grayland St, Cobden
• Historical documents published by numerous community organisations
• Cobden Technical School Inquiry Learning class (2012) – with Margot Horan, Jess Niblett (teachers) and Alma MacDonald (historian)
• Coordination/editorial: Kelvin White; Digital designs: Barbara Cowley
• Production by Star Printing, GreenCon, Davis Engineering, Cobden Tools and Trailers, Frank Martin

While working on this project, our adage has always been: “There is a story on every corner.”
Well, the Cobden Story has many more pages (and corners) to turn. Watch this space!