This week Cobar celebrated the re-opening of the Great Cobar Museum and Visitors Centre, capturing the history of the town and the interest of potential tourists. 

The $2.4 million project saw the museum closed for 18 months while construction was underway 

Cobar Tourism Manager Demi Smith said that the update was crucial in making the building accessible for everyone to enjoy. 

“Previously the bottom floor was back-of-house space, and the top floor was exhibition space. Now all the exhibitions are located on the bottom floor, including the visitors information centre,” Ms Smith said. 

The building, dating back to 1908 will hopefully live to see another century, with water proofing and preservation being another focus of the upgrades. 

“The building itself it a drawcard. It was the former administration building of the great Cobar mine that used to be located on the site, so it’s pretty iconic within itself,” she said. 

On the museum’s 50-year anniversary, the shire announced the plan for the restoration after years of trying and failing to secure funding to upgrade the building.  

Prior to the construction, it was a priority of the museum to keep the community involved with the future plans of the beloved landmark, hosting community counselling sessions to incorporate inspiration from the town.  

“We also did guided tours before we had to shut down so the community could see what the building was like before, then showed them what was coming in the new phase,” Ms Smith said.  

Since its re-opening, further investment into the attraction has been announced, allowing the museum to enter into Stage 2 of upgrades, which will include accessible landscaping and the rebuilding of the coach house – which is home to buses and buggies on the museum grounds.  

A display at the museum where pieces of Cobar's mining and agricultural history is exhibited. (Supplied)

“We’d love to see people visiting the site now. It is a completely revamped new site and we’re very excited for what the future holds,” Ms Smith said.  

Museum entry will be free for Cobar locals until January 2022