Khancoban


A small, delightful country town on the western slopes of the Snowy Mountains. Khancoban was constructed to house workers involved in the Snowy Mountains Scheme.

Where is it?: Khancoban is 567 km south west of Sydney; 453 km north east of Melbourne; 151 km north of Albury; 20 km from Corryong; 77 km from Thredbo, 13 km from the Victoria border, in the foothills of the Snowy Mountains, near the upper reaches of the Murray River.

Khancoban is set in a valley which turns a myriad of dramatic colours in the autumn as willows, poplars, and other deciduous trees change their colours. It is set amid lush grazing land, fresh mountain air and mountain backdrops.

Surrounding area

The town is a popular launching place for tourists exploring the Snowy Mountains area including Kosciuszko National Park. Khancoban is linked to Jindabyne and Cooma by the Alpine Way, a scenic route that takes travellers past the ski resort of Thredbo.

Worth stopping for are the panoramic views from Scammells Spur and Olsen's Lookouts; Snowy Hydro's Murray 1 Visitors Centre; Geehi Rest Area with its inquisitive kangaroos and emus, and the Lady Hudson Rose Garden.


Khancoban Pondage features easy access for water sports, with a boat ramp, BBQs and swimming area.

There are four wheel drive tracks, camping and picnic areas, and abundant flora and fauna. Kosciuszko National Park with a variety of walking tracks is just on the doorstep.



Murray No.1 Hydro Power Station

Murray 1 Power Station: the second largest power station in the Snowy Mountains Scheme, it has an interesting visitor centre. It offers an exciting interactive experience with a wide range of displays, hands-on models and exhibits and a viewing gallery. Power station inspections are run daily at 11am and 2pm. The station has 10 turbines, each capable of producing enough electricity to supply over 95,000 houses.

Brief history: the area became known as Khancoban because the first settlers' huts were stone shelters built by convicts under the control of soldiers brought to Australia from England. 'Khan' meant 'dwelling place' or 'hut' in India, and as the convict overseers were named 'Coban', then the area became known as Coban's Khan, and later the soldiers changed this to Khancoban.

Khancoban was constructed to house workers involved in the Snowy Mountains Scheme, Australia's largest engineering project, designed to provide hydro-electric power and water for irrigation to vast areas of the nation. The town is still mainly populated by workers employed by Snowy Hydro Limited working in places such as Murray 1 and Murray 2 Hydro Power Stations.

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