town, central New South Wales, Australia, in the Western Plains region. Cobar (the name is from an Aboriginal word meaning “red earth”) serves a pastoral district and has a sawmilling industry. It was once known for its gold and remains important for its copper. The copper mines, which operated from 1871 to 1952, were reopened in 1965 after an 81-mile (130-kilometre) water pipeline from the Bogan River was completed. The Barrier Highway runs through the town, and a rail line links Cobar to Sydney (354 miles 【570 km】 southeast). Pop. (2006) local government area, 4,918.