Cowra

Western NSW

A scenic country town with an international outlook arising from its interesting war-time history.

B Grouping

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Location

Cowra is located in the Central West region of NSW, just over 300 km west of Sydney (approximately 4 hr drive) and 110 km (80 min drive) from Bathurst.

The town is situated on the banks of the Lachlan River and is close to Wyangala Dam, a popular destination for water sports, boating, fishing and canoeing.

How to get there

The closest airport is in Bathurst, which is an 85 min drive from Cowra, daily flights to Sydney with Regional Express (REX) are available.

NSW Trainlink provides daily services from Cowra to Bathurst and Lithgow, with on links to Sydney. There is also a local bus service.

Population

The population of Cowra is approximately 10,000 people, with the median age of residents 46 years. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 8.5% of the population.

Cowra is located within the Western NSW Primary Health Network this fact sheet provides an overview of community health.

Healthcare facilities

Cowra Health Service is a 34-bed hospital providing both acute and community based services, including a three-bed emergency department, 24 bed care ward, six bed maternity unit, four bed high dependency unit, day surgery unit, recovery unit, chemotherapy day unit, community based and outreach services, pharmacy, medical imaging and pathology.

There is an Ambulance Service of NSW station in Cowra.

Accredited GP practices

Kendal Street Medical Centre

Industry

The major industry sectors employing residents within the Cowra local government area are: aged care residential services, sheep farming, local government administration, primary education and retail.

Education

There are five schools in Cowra:

Cowra College, a campus of TAFE Western offers vocational and general education programs.

Childcare

In Cowra there are numerous childcare options for young families including family day care, long day care, after school care and vacation care.

Shopping

Cowra has a vibrant and expanding retail and commercial centre that includes Woolworths, Coles, Aldi, Target, Bunnings and Mitre 10 as well as a range of specialty stores. The town boasts the services and facilities you would expect to find in a larger town.

Places of worship

In Cowra there are places of worship for a range of Christian denominations including Anglican, Baptist, Uniting, Catholic and Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The nearest mosque is in Young, a 50 minute drive from Cowra.

Points of interest

Cowra has many boutique wineries and good restaurants. The Japanese War Cemetery, Cowra Japanese Garden and Cultural Centre commemorate the largest prisoner of war breakout in modern military history. An annual event is the Cowra Festival of International Understanding.