Centenary Presentation: Celebrating Cobb & Co.
Author Hazel Johnson delivered a compelling presentation during the Surat–Yuleba Cobb & Co. Festival, held from 16 to 26 August 2024. The event commemorated 100 years since the final horse-drawn coach journey operated by the world-renowned firm Cobb & Co., which ran from Surat to Yuleba.
The presentation was honoured by the presence of Her Excellency the Honourable Dr Jeannette Young AC PSM, Governor of Queensland; Professor Nimmo; and other distinguished guests.
Author Hazel Johnson delivered a compelling presentation during the Surat–Yuleba Cobb & Co. Festival, held from 16 to 26 August 2024. The event commemorated 100 years since the final horse-drawn coach journey operated by the world-renowned firm Cobb & Co., which ran from Surat to Yuleba.
The presentation was honoured by the presence of Her Excellency the Honourable Dr Jeannette Young AC PSM, Governor of Queensland; Professor Nimmo; and other distinguished guests.
Professor Nimmo, Her Excellency the Honourable Dr Jeannette Young AC PSM, Governor of Queensland, and Hazel Johnson, at the Presentation by author Hazel Johnson, Cobb & Co Changing Station, Surat, 23 August 2024.
Official Book Launch
Queensland Museum, Cobb + Co. Toowoomba
Along the tracks of Cobb and Co. - Cobb's Coach Drivers
1 December 2022
Queensland Museum, Cobb + Co. Toowoomba
Along the tracks of Cobb and Co. - Cobb's Coach Drivers
1 December 2022
Left to right - Dr Jim Thompson PSM (Queensland Museum Network CEO), Cr Geoff McDonald (Toowoomba Regional Council, Deputy Mayor), Mrs Hazel Johnson (Author), Mr John Osborne OAM (Volunteer Guide at Cobb+Co Museum, Toowoomba). Photo courtesy of John Elliott, photographer/writer.
About the author
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Hazel Johnson is a passionate teacher and history researcher devoted to preserving the stories of Australia’s pioneering past. Her journey into the acclaimed Along the tracks of Cobb and Co. series began with a tribute to a bygone era. When a local craftsman built a replica Cobb and Co. coach in Liston, New South Wales, Hazel assisted with the historical research—an experience that sparked a lifelong commitment to uncovering the records and voices of those who lived and worked along Australia’s coaching routes. |
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A secondary school teacher for more than forty years, Hazel brought to her historical work the same qualities that defined her classroom practice: patience, rigour, and deep respect for people and their stories. When she turned her full attention to researching Australia’s coaching era, she did so with an unwavering commitment to authenticity. Her work preserves original spelling, punctuation, and grammar from primary sources dating back to 1853, allowing the voices of the time to speak for themselves.
Today, Hazel is recognised as one of Australia’s foremost researchers on the Cobb & Co. era and is the author of eight books tracing the coaches, drivers, routes, and communities that helped carry a young nation forward. Together, the series forms a compelling archive of unyielding courage, hard work, and resilience.
Whether presenting at events or working full‑time as a historical researcher, Hazel brings Australia’s past to life with clarity, warmth, and a storyteller’s heart. Her work reflects a deep emotional connection to those who travelled the tracks before us—and invites readers to take a seat on Cobb’s box and embark on an unforgettable journey through a legacy that continues to echo across the Australian landscape.
Today, Hazel is recognised as one of Australia’s foremost researchers on the Cobb & Co. era and is the author of eight books tracing the coaches, drivers, routes, and communities that helped carry a young nation forward. Together, the series forms a compelling archive of unyielding courage, hard work, and resilience.
Whether presenting at events or working full‑time as a historical researcher, Hazel brings Australia’s past to life with clarity, warmth, and a storyteller’s heart. Her work reflects a deep emotional connection to those who travelled the tracks before us—and invites readers to take a seat on Cobb’s box and embark on an unforgettable journey through a legacy that continues to echo across the Australian landscape.
Special thanks to everyone who has assisted me in my journey of researching and compiling Australian history during the times of Cobb and Co., including David Johnson, Mr John Osborne OAM for his enthusiasm and support of my research, along with Mr John Elliot (Writer/Photographer), Mr David Bolton, Mr Steve Cooper (Manager, Operations at Cobb+Co Museum, Toowoomba), Mr Ray Green (Cobb & Co. enthusiast), Mr Bruce Rutherford (Descendent of James Rutherford), Mr Norm Rutherford (Descendent of James Rutherford), Mr. Christopher Morgan (Abercrombie House, Bathurst) and Mrs Mary Fletcher (Bathurst District Historical Society).
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Thank you for your support in uncovering, preserving, and sharing a vital chapter of Australia’s story. |