Adaminaby
A great place to visit, a better place to live
Adaminaby and its smaller sister townships of old Adaminaby and Anglers Reach are set among the rolling high plains in the NSW Snowy Mountains region, with Kosciuszko National Park on our doorstep.
The area has a unique history. The very first stone of the Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Scheme was turned in the 'old town' of Adaminaby in 1949.
The scheme saw Adaminaby 'move' across the Great Dividing Range to its present site on the Snowy Mountains Hwy.
Nowadays, Adaminaby and Lake Eucumbene offer residents and visitors a special high country lifestyle.
Enjoy horse riding, fishing, bushwalking and snow sports in the spectacular Kosciuszko National Park; the beauty of early morning frosts and azure skies; clean air and clear night skies.
Vital Statistics
- Population of Adaminaby 339 - from 2021 Census. (Adaminaby Stats at ABS)
- Altitude 1,017 m
- Average Rainfall 690mm
- Population of township 226, surrounding area 314 (2011 Census)
- Located on the Snowy Mountains Hwy, Snowy River Shire NSW
- Home of the 'Big Trout'
- En route to Selwyn Snowfields and the northern end of Kosciuszko National Park
- Close to Lake Eucumbene and trout rivers
Adaminaby brochure Community news
Community
'People are friendly.'
'Where we were before, I didn't even know our neighbours.'
Living in a small town is a world away from suburbia. We stop when we shop, to greet the neighbours and catch up on the news.
Our kids ride their bikes around town to visit their friends, walk to the local school or swimming pool and go yabbying and fishing.
What to expect
Weather
Come prepared for cold weather at any time of year... and enjoy it.
Wear plenty of layers and enjoy the crisp air. Or curl up on the sofa before the fire, with hot chocolate and toasted marshmallows, and watch the snow swirling outside your window.
Shops & Services
Adaminaby has petrol/diesel supplies, a small supermarket, postal agency, bakery, pub, club, ski hire and takeaway food. There's a great op shop for unique gifts, replacing lost beenies and dressing up for the kids' disco in the school holidays.
We're a tourist-friendly town, but a small one. Some stores operate later hours in holiday periods, especially during the snow season. Many businesses are owner operated, and we do need sleep and R&R. Don't expect 24/7 service; if you are arriving late, plan ahead on essentials like petrol, accommodation and food.
Creativity
Artists, writers and photographers find endless inspiration in the Snowy Mountains and surrounding areas. Adaminaby is an ideal base: a quiet and unhurried location close to rivers, bushland, farms, Lake Eucumbene and the mountains.
On the quiet side...
In the snow season, Adaminaby doesn't get huge crowds & traffic jams or need extra police. The town retains its character and its friendly style.
The pub and bowling club, local clubs, churches, school and playgroup are all focal points for people to get together. So are the big annual events (race day, Easter Fair) and of course, the swimming pool in summer.
Flora & fauna
When was the last time your children met an echidna or a wombat at their school?
It's part of everyday life here to see kangaroos, wallabies, eagles; and in winter, currawongs and flame robins. Blue wrens and many other native birds make this region their home.
Wildflowers abound in Kosciuszko National Park over summer. But you don't have to go that far: the roadsides and Adaminaby Common feature billy buttons, everlasting daisies and native bluebells.
See snowgums (aka black sallees and white sallees), alpine ash forests, bacon and egg bush and many more. Tantangara is home to the elegant weeping snowgum.
Climate
There's always the chance of a winter snowfall in our own backyards. And the ski slopes are only 35 minutes from home.
Summers are mostly pleasant. We do get the odd cold snap, and maybe even a few snowflakes in summer - this is the Snowy Mountains!
Precipitation on average is spread fairly evenly across the year, but actual monthly rainfalls & total annual rainfall can vary considerably from one year to the next. Cold climate gardening is a challenge, with a short growing season and the risk of frost in late spring or even summer.
If you love the mountains, why not live here?
Explore the in's and out's of moving to the Adaminaby - Lake Eucumbene area.
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Where can my children go for school or preschool?
+The local Adaminaby Public School covers Kindy - Year 6. There is a school bus for out-of-towners.
There are several primary schools in Cooma, including public schools, a Catholic school, a Steiner school and an independent Christian school. A school bus runs between Adaminaby & Cooma along the Snowy Mountains Hwy, and from Shannons Flat to Cooma.
Monaro High School, The Alpine School (Steiner), Snowy Mountains Christian School & St Patricks Parish School cater for high school students Y7-10. The High School, The Alpine School & TAFE cover Y11 & 12.
Distance education is available for families which meet distance requirements from the school bus route, or which have special needs.
Home schooling is another option for some or all years of our children's education.
There is a playgroup in Adaminaby & preschools in Cooma.
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What about high school?
+Closest secondary schools are in Cooma. A school bus runs to/from Adaminaby each schoolday.
There are both public and private boarding schools in NSW. Some offer an emphasis on agriculture. Your child need not board from y7: some families prefer to wait until y9 or y11. If you meet conditions for Assistance for Isolated Children, this can help greatly with costs.
Distance education and home schooling are other options. It's not unheard of for a class of year 6 graduates from Adaminaby PS to all go in different directions for y7.
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What about jobs?
+The big industries locally are tourism and agriculture. Nonwinter tourism is a growth area.
Some residents combine their farm/rural block with B&B, farmstay or snow season/fishing accommodation. There is scope to develop business ventures in this area that fit your mountain lifestyle, eg guided X-C ski tours.
Maybe you can BYO employment. If you work from home, why not do this in an idyllic mountain location? Can you move your small business here, & help generate local employment opportunities for others?
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How good are Internet services & mobile phone reception?
+It depends exactly where you are. Hilly/mountainous terrain is always a challenge. 4G needs line of sight; 5G reception is hampered by walls, trees etc.
Telstra still offers the best mobile phone coverage in rural areas, although other providers are improving.
Starlink has transformed Internet availability in many rural areas, including the Monaro. There are fixed wireless Internet services in Adaminaby & the lakeside villages. Outside the town, you'll probably need wireless broadband or satellite.
If you do decide to move here:
- research what's available at your chosen location before you buy
- beware of enthusiastic sales hype about plans & services which are not physically achievable in certain localities.
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Are there medical services nearby?
+Cooma (35 minutes' drive) has 2 large surgeries, a hospital, community health centre and visiting specialists, as well as physiotherapy, massage, chiropractic, natural therapies and dental services.
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How can I access TAFE & higher education?
+Cooma TAFE is the nearest TAFE campus.
Local children have gone on to university in Wagga, Canberra, Melbourne, Wollongong, Armidale, Sydney...
Cooma has a Country Universities Centre for students doing university subjects via distance education. It offers facilities such as high speed Internet and video conferencing. You can also study B Education or B Business Studies through the CUC, by a combination of distance and face to face learning.
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How much does housing or a block of land cost?
+Housing is more affordable than in the city. Over the ski season, short term (holiday) rents become high, as you would expect. Snowy 2.0 put pressure on accommodation in the region & drove prices up, but the peak has passed. Check with local real estate agents or browse their windows while you're visiting.
Blow-ins, locals & belonging in a small town
When my family first arrived in Adaminaby, some 'real' locals, born and raised in the Old Town, said to us:
'If you want to live here, then you're a local!'