Bredbo, located around 30km north of Cooma on the Monaro Highway, has always been a service centre for surrounding properties. In early 1889, when the railway line reached the village, there were only eight houses in Bredbo; after that the village flourished. Gold was discovered near Bredbo, the main field being Cowra Creek. One of the earliest settlers in the Bredbo district, John Cosgrove of Billilingera, was believed to be the largest landholder in southern New South Wales at that time.
Today, though the railway line is no longer in operation, there are about 200 residents in the village of Bredbo; the community is small but thriving.

Capital of the Snowy Mountains

Cooma is the largest town in the Snowy Mountains region. The village of Cooma was first surveyed in 1849, and has developed into a thriving community of over 8,500 people. A very good sealed road system allows easy access to Sydney and to Melbourne. Cooma is only one hour from the ski resorts of the Snowy Mountains, one hour from Canberra, and one and a half hours from the closest beach on the South Coast.

Michelago was established as the supply centre for surrounding graining properties during the 1830s and continued to develop when the railway came in 1887.

At the top of the Brown Mountain, the Nimmitabel settlement dates from the 1830s. Located south of Cooma, en route to Bombala (and Melbourne) and the South Coast, the community is a popular stopping place for travellers year-round – during winter heading to the snowfields, during summer heading to the beach.

The village of Numeralla stands at the junction of the Badja and Umeralla Rivers. The area was originally part of early station holdings. Numeralla was proclaimed a village in 1885.