Khancoban

Khancoban (/kænˈkoʊbən/) is a small town in Snowy Valleys Council, New South Wales, Australia. The town is located 567 kilometres (352 mi) from the state capital, Sydney and 13 kilometres (8 mi) from the state border with Victoria, in the western foothills of the Snowy Mountains, near the upper reaches of the Murray River in the South West Slopes. At the 2021 census, Khancoban had a population of 319.^[1]

Khancoban New South Wales
Entrance to Khancoban
Khancoban
Coordinates	36°13′12″S 148°07′37″E
Population	319 (2021 census)[1]
Postcode(s)	2642
Elevation	337.0 m (1,106 ft)
Location	567 km (352 mi) SW of Sydney 453 km (281 mi) NE of Melbourne 151 km (94 mi) ESE of Albury 76 km (47 mi) S of Tumbarumba 20 km (12 mi) E of Corryong
LGA(s)	Snowy Valleys Council
County	Selwyn
State electorate(s)	Albury
Federal division(s)	Riverina
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall 20.5 °C 69 °F 7.0 °C 45 °F 963.5 mm 37.9 in

Khancoban Post Office opened on 7 November 1876.^[2]

Tourism

The town is a popular launching place for tourists exploring the Snowy Mountains area including Kosciuszko National Park. Khancoban is linked to Jindabyne and Cooma by the Alpine Way, a scenic route that takes travellers past the ski resort of Thredbo. The closest regional centre is Corryong, 20 kilometres (12 mi) to the west in Victoria.

Economy

Khancoban was constructed to house workers involved in the Snowy Mountains Scheme, Australia's largest engineering project, designed to provide hydro-electric power and water for irrigation to vast areas of the nation. The town is still mainly populated by workers employed by Snowy Hydro Limited working in places such as Murray 1 and Murray 2 Power Stations.

Climate

Khancoban historically has had a temperate oceanic (Cfb) climate with four distinct seasons, though with more recent data it now qualifies for a humid subtropical (Cfa) climate. It is characterised by its inland location and likewise windward position (west of the Snowy Mountains); with the summers having a high diurnal range with often chilly mornings, and generally low humidity and rainfall amount—although thunderstorm buildup with a northerly airstream can occasionally give way to much higher dew points.

Winters are chilly, overcast and very rainy, with occasional snowfalls, and a much narrower diurnal range due to frequent cloud cover. Autumns are mild and dry, with crisp nights. Springs are mild, albeit tepid by November, and damp with a high frequency of thunderstorms.

Climate data for Khancoban SMHEA (1961–1994); 337 m AMSL; 36.23° S, 148.14° E
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	41.7 (107.1)	41.7 (107.1)	37.6 (99.7)	34.4 (93.9)	26.4 (79.5)	20.0 (68.0)	19.5 (67.1)	23.3 (73.9)	28.3 (82.9)	30.8 (87.4)	38.5 (101.3)	39.1 (102.4)	41.7 (107.1)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	29.7 (85.5)	29.7 (85.5)	26.4 (79.5)	21.2 (70.2)	15.7 (60.3)	11.6 (52.9)	11.0 (51.8)	13.1 (55.6)	16.3 (61.3)	20.2 (68.4)	23.7 (74.7)	27.0 (80.6)	20.5 (68.9)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	12.8 (55.0)	13.0 (55.4)	10.4 (50.7)	7.0 (44.6)	4.2 (39.6)	1.8 (35.2)	1.3 (34.3)	2.6 (36.7)	4.4 (39.9)	6.8 (44.2)	8.9 (48.0)	11.3 (52.3)	7.0 (44.7)
Record low °C (°F)	1.8 (35.2)	3.5 (38.3)	−0.6 (30.9)	−2.4 (27.7)	−4.1 (24.6)	−8.0 (17.6)	−6.4 (20.5)	−5.6 (21.9)	−3.9 (25.0)	−1.8 (28.8)	−0.4 (31.3)	1.1 (34.0)	−8.0 (17.6)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	59.8 (2.35)	53.0 (2.09)	56.0 (2.20)	63.3 (2.49)	80.6 (3.17)	84.9 (3.34)	100.9 (3.97)	112.9 (4.44)	97.9 (3.85)	96.8 (3.81)	81.7 (3.22)	75.7 (2.98)	963.5 (37.91)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm)	7.4	7.1	7.1	9.0	11.9	14.7	15.9	16.0	14.5	12.4	10.7	9.2	135.9
Average afternoon relative humidity (%)	34	34	37	48	61	71	68	59	55	48	43	42	50
Mean monthly sunshine hours	303.8	268.4	257.3	210.0	145.7	99.0	108.5	136.4	177.0	235.6	261.0	269.7	2,472.4
Source: Australian Bureau of Meteorology; Khancoban SMHEA

Climate data for Khancoban AWS (1997–2022); 339 m AMSL; 36.23° S, 148.14° E
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	43.3 (109.9)	43.3 (109.9)	38.0 (100.4)	32.5 (90.5)	25.4 (77.7)	20.0 (68.0)	19.0 (66.2)	22.1 (71.8)	28.0 (82.4)	33.8 (92.8)	38.0 (100.4)	41.1 (106.0)	43.3 (109.9)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	31.7 (89.1)	30.3 (86.5)	27.0 (80.6)	21.7 (71.1)	16.0 (60.8)	12.2 (54.0)	11.7 (53.1)	13.6 (56.5)	17.2 (63.0)	21.0 (69.8)	25.0 (77.0)	28.4 (83.1)	21.3 (70.4)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	13.7 (56.7)	13.3 (55.9)	10.7 (51.3)	7.3 (45.1)	4.2 (39.6)	2.2 (36.0)	1.7 (35.1)	2.7 (36.9)	4.6 (40.3)	6.6 (43.9)	9.5 (49.1)	11.3 (52.3)	7.3 (45.2)
Record low °C (°F)	4.0 (39.2)	3.0 (37.4)	−2.0 (28.4)	−1.4 (29.5)	−4.0 (24.8)	−4.2 (24.4)	−4.6 (23.7)	−5.0 (23.0)	−7.0 (19.4)	−1.3 (29.7)	0.0 (32.0)	2.2 (36.0)	−7.0 (19.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	60.0 (2.36)	60.2 (2.37)	63.2 (2.49)	57.3 (2.26)	68.7 (2.70)	95.8 (3.77)	89.0 (3.50)	106.5 (4.19)	88.6 (3.49)	80.4 (3.17)	92.2 (3.63)	74.6 (2.94)	936.5 (36.87)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm)	7.7	7.9	8.5	8.8	14.6	19.6	20.2	18.3	14.2	11.8	11.1	9.3	152.0
Average afternoon relative humidity (%)	31	33	34	43	57	69	69	61	55	49	43	35	48
Source: Australian Bureau of Meteorology; Khancoban AWS

Gallery

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  Aerial photo
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  Khancoban Hotel
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  Community hall