Guide to Adaminaby New South Wales Australia

Adaminaby is a town of about 300 people on the Snowy Mountains Highway, 50 km north-west of Cooma, at just over 1,000 metres. It is the nearest town to the northern end of Lake Eucumbene and to the Selwyn snowfields, and it has an unusual past: the whole town was moved here in the 1950s when the original site was flooded for the Snowy Mountains Scheme.

Known For

• The Big Trout
• The Snowy Scheme Museum
• The town that was moved for Lake Eucumbene

Things To Do in Adaminaby

The Big Trout

The ten-metre fibreglass rainbow trout in the park on the main street was built in 1973 by local artist Andy Lomnici and is one of the best known of Australia’s big things. It reflects what brings many people here: Lake Eucumbene and the rivers around it are among the top trout waters in the country.

Snowy Scheme Museum

Run by volunteers, the museum holds machinery, vehicles, photographs and personal stories from the building of the scheme. It is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 2pm, and at other times by appointment.

Lake Eucumbene

The lake is a short drive away, with boat ramps and fishing camps at Old Adaminaby, Anglers Reach and elsewhere. At Old Adaminaby, the remains of the drowned town show when the water is low.

Snow and High Plains

Selwyn Snow Resort at Mount Selwyn is about 45 km up the highway, past the ruins of Kiandra. In summer the same road gives access to the high plains of northern Kosciuszko National Park and to Yarrangobilly Caves.

Where To Stay

The town has a hotel, a motel, a caravan park and holiday cottages, and there are fishing lodges and cabins around the lake.

In winter it is a low-cost base for Selwyn; in the warmer months most guests are anglers.

Eat & Drink

The Snow Goose Hotel, built in 1957 when the town was moved, serves meals; it was offered for sale in 2026. There is also a bakery and cafe, a general store and fuel.

History

The first village, laid out in the 1860s and originally called Seymour, grew as a stop on the road to the Kiandra goldfield. The Snowy Mountains Scheme was officially launched near here on 17 October 1949. When Eucumbene Dam was built, the old town was in the way of the lake, and in 1956 and 1957 more than a hundred buildings, including churches, were carried on trucks to the new site nine kilometres away.

Getting to Adaminaby

Adaminaby is on the Snowy Mountains Highway, 50 km from Cooma and about 450 km from Sydney. The highway continues over the range to Talbingo and Tumut; carry chains in winter.