Overview – Cobb & Co Centenary Trail 2025
Words and Photos: Gregory Powell
Every five years the people of two Queensland towns, Surat and Yuleba, hold a Cobb and Co Festival. The year 2024 was particularly special. It marked the 100-year anniversary of the final official Cobb and Co mail run in August 1924. This centenary festival ran for over a week and involved the two towns and the 76 km Cobb and Co Way that stretches between them.
Centenary Parades – Celebrating 100 Years of Cobb & Co
On the main weekend, the festivities were based in Surat on the Saturday, while the fun continued at Yuleba on the Sunday. All the usual attractions of country festivals were plentiful. The crowning glory, which attracted most visitors, was the running of a reproduction horse drawn coach along the original route. It was accompanied by numerous animal-drawn vehicles such as bullocks, camels and ponies.
This event began as a grand parade at Surat and headed out along the original road. The road was closed to the public for the weekend. The cavalcade camped along the way overnight before entering Yuleba next morning, for another grand parade. The coaching company was formed on the Victorian goldfields in 1854, by four Americans including Freeman Cobb. The business spread to NSW in 1862 and to Queensland in 1865.
The Dusty Trail – Following the Cobb & Co Way
The coaching era can be experienced at any time, not only during festivals. Travellers can drive in the horseshoe prints of that last journey. It saw the end of an Australian pioneering icon. The road is only sealed for half of its length. So a feel for the past can be achieved on the dusty or muddy sections which are wide and in good condition. However, it is not recommended after heavy rain. The distance from Surat to Yuleba is about 76 km. If you stop to read all the information plaques and to inspect the old sections of corduroy road and to see the Native Wells, the trip could take all day, just as it did a century ago. Where to Camp: Conveniently, there is a great free camping area beside the Balonne River at Surat and a very scenic free camping area at Judds Lagoon near Yuleba.
The park also has a family-friendly bistro with affordable meals. This ensures dinner is sorted after long days exploring Dreamworld, Movie World, or Sea World. Cabins, villas, and caravan sites cater to families of all sizes. There are pet-friendly options too.
14-Seat Coach! – Surat Museum Highlights
In Surat, start at the museum in the Cobb and Co Coaching Station Complex which was once a Cobb and Co store. The complex has many facets, but the main attraction is the reproduction 14-seater Cobb and Co coach. Collect route brochures here. Where to Camp: Across the Balonne River is the free camping area with amenities but the town also has a caravan park. Just past the free camping area on the right is Frogmore Road which is the start of the Cobb and Co route.
Trackway Remains – Corduroy Road Heritage
Soon, the remains of a section of corduroy road can be seen. These surviving Cyprus pine logs were laid side by side. This allowed the coach to negotiate very sandy or muddy sections. At the Frogmore gate is the first of many council information plaques. These plaques relate a different aspect of coach travel along this route. Drive slowly and stop and take in the history on each plaque. Take a Break: The Native Wells Rest Area provides a convenient spot to rest, with picnic shelter and barbecues provided. Beside the car park are four small rock holes. These provided water for travelling Indigenous families.
Drivers Remembered – Yuleba’s Cobb & Co Heritage
Yuleba, on the Warrego Highway, marks the end of the journey. There is a small monument in the main street and a Cobb and Co commemorative wall in the park across the railway line. On the eastern side of town is the cemetery. Here you can pay respects to 39-year-old driver, Alf Jenson who died from pneumonia after long wet drives in 1911. Our heritage is still out there. We just need some exploration and imagination to find it.
