Cootamundra, nicknamed Coota, is a town in the South West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia and within the Riverina. It is within the Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council. At the 2016 Census, Cootamundra had a population of 6,782. It is located on the Olympic Highway at the point where it crosses the Muttama Creek, between Junee and Cowra. Its railway station is on the Main Southern line, part of the Melbourne-to-Sydney line. Cootamundra is the birthplace of Sir Donald Bradman , an Australian cricketer universally regarded as the greatest batsman of all time. It is also known for being the site of Cootamundra Domestic Training Home for Aboriginal Girls, an institution housing Aboriginal girls who were forcibly taken from their families. It is also the home of the Cootamundra wattle. Every year there is a large "Wattle Time" Festival held at the time the wattle starts to bloom, with an art show and festivities. History The traditional owners of the area where present day Cootamundra exists are considered to be the Wiradjuri people, with the name "Cootamundra" probably deriving from the Wiradjuri language word guudhamang for "turtle". Cootamundra was incorporated as a township on 9 August 1861, and the first settlers bought their lots in early 1862. Like many other towns in the Riverina, it was originally populated by those attracted by the gold rush of the 1860s but became a quiet yet prosperous agricultural community after the local deposits were exhausted. However, the potential sale of a recently disused mine near Adelong may have piqued the curiosity of would-be prospectors. It is considered one of the oldest towns in Australia List of towns and cities in Australia by year of settlement. The town's rugby league team, the Cootamundra Bulldogs, competed in the Maher Cup. Timeline 1847 – Cootamundra Run, a large stock run, is the first colonist settlement in the area. 1861 – The site of Cootamundra is published in the NSW Government Gazette 1862 – Gold mining commences at the nearby 'Muttama Reef' mine. 1864 – The first church (Anglican) and post office are established 1874 — Convent for the Presentation Order of nuns opened by (Catholic) Bishop of Goulburn 1875 – The first school in the district opens. 1877 – Cootamundra's railway connection opens on 1 November. 1878 – Christ Church (Anglican) of England opens 1879 – St Columba's (Catholic) church opens 1884 – Cootamundra is gazetted