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Charleville has had a long association with Cobb and Co. Before the turn
of the century the company shifted its building operation from Bathurst
to Charleville. The main reason being that the dry climate was more suitable
for the seasoning of the timber used in the construction of the coaches.
Vehicles built on the coast soon started to fall apart as the timber dried
out in the arid climate. The factory which was situated on the corner of
Wills and Watson Streets employed some 40 people including blacksmiths,
wheelwrights, carpenters and painters. The building was destroyed by fire
on the 24th December, 1980. A stone cairn stands on the site today. The
local Mulga Tourist Association decided to purchase a replica of the larger
14 passenger coaches. It was built by Harvey Carter, a Motor dealer, a Real
Estate agent, and horsedrawn vehicle enthusiast of Gympie, who had previously
purchased the contents of the old Cobb & Co factory before the fire. This
is the Coach pictured. It was painted white with red trim and was the colour
used on the last Charleville coaches. The driver is Mr. Ken Reid of Charleville
who owned the two Percheron Greys in the traces. A custom built set of harness
for four-in hand had been kindly donated by Neil and Jan Lowe. |
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