'Cobb and Co coach on the Sydney road', 1850s

Educational value

• This asset shows the standard of roads at the time - this is a major road leading to the country's largest city, as it appeared in the 1850s.
• It illustrates a Cobb and Co coach around the time Freeman Cobb began operations from Melbourne in 1853 to service the Victorian gold fields - the company developed successfully, even competing with rail for a considerable time, largely due to its efficiency, the breadth of its network, its ability to change horses regularly and the design of its coaches.
• It pictures a coach, probably of Australian design - Cobb and Co designed and built coaches specifically for Australian conditions.
• It shows the coach driver up front - drivers were well known for their skill and knowledge of the terrain; they could manage a rein for each horse and apply two brakes, one on either side of the driver's box; they worked at night and in all weathers; two passengers could be seated beside the driver, and could help open and close gates.
• It depicts a passenger beside the driver and at least two inside - coach travel was thoroughly uncomfortable for passengers, as the coaches had hard wooden seats (thinly padded with leather) and straw on the floor (for warmth); although the springs on Cobb and Co coaches were well known for their innovative suspension system, the condition of the dirt roads, without grading or bridges, made every trip unbearable; passengers were often instructed to shift sides to prevent the coach from capsizing, or told to get out and walk in hilly areas.
• It reveals at least two horses pulling the coach - the company specially bred strong, active horses for their teams and devised a five-horse formation for the eight-passenger coaches; the two horses at the back, called 'polers', were used for the heavy work, and the three at the front were for pace; the leader was centre front and did much of the steering; horses averaged a speed of about 6 to 7 miles per hour (about 10 to 11 kilometres) and horses were changed every 15 to 30 miles (24 to 48 kilometres).
• It shows some luggage on the tailgate and possibly a person sitting there on the cheapest seat available - part of the luggage shown may have included sacks of mail, as Cobb and Co carried the Royal Mail.
• It shows an example of the work of S T Gill that depicts colonial life in the mid-19th century - after becoming bankrupt in South Australia, Gill tried prospecting in Victoria but found he could make a better living working at his art; for 15 years he recorded the lives and occupations of people on the gold fields before spending eight years in Sydney; his many artworks provide an insight into the lives of the pioneers.

Year level

2; 3; 4; 5

Topics Postal services Australian history