Surat Cobb and Co Changing Station was once the place where the lifeblood of industry and commerce flowed, the Cobb and Co Coaches. For 40 years passengers, goods and more travelled on these coaches which linked towns and brought mail to South East Queensland.
Surat holds an important place in histroy as the very last scheduled Cobb and Co coach travelled from Surat to Yuleba in 1924.
The building which once served as a changover station for travellers and horses, the Cobb and Co CHanging station complex is now a wonderful display of various exhibits, depicting the lifestyles of this bygone age and the importance of the coaches back when it would take days not hours to travel the same distances we do today.
It's kind of a combo deal - The Cobb & Co Store Museum, the Balonne River Gallery, a fresh water aquarium, library and Surat visitor information centre are all together in one complex.
Wander through the old Cobb & Co store and admire travelling exhibitions and work from local and regional artists before exploring the museum (Check out the view the replica 14-seater Cobb & Co coach) and visiting the aquarium, seeing Murray Cod up close and personal. See the magnificient floor to cieling mural which depicts the Balone River bank. Enjoy exhibitions of the town’s wool industry history, old Cobb’s Store and some quirky tales, pranks and unusual happenings.
Surat Cobb and Co Changing Station is a great family day out with plenty to do for kids and adults alike.
Image:
Cobb & Co. coach crossing the swollen Balonne River, Surat, 1914. The horses of the Cobb & Co. coach are being guided across the Balonne River bridge, the bridge sturcture can barely be seen in the spate of the floodwaters.