Back in the Day
The Town
In 1824, Hume and Hovell were the first Europeans to pass through the district and graziers soon followed, impressed by the abundance of fodder and water. The district was first settled by Europeans in the 1830s and known as Swampy Plains.
Khancoban was a sleepy hamlet until construction of the Snowy Mountains Hydro Electric Scheme began in 1949. Khancoban was built by the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Authority as a town to house workers on the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme and their families. During this time, the population reached its peak of around 2,000 people. Today, the town has a population of around 280. It is the headquarters of the Murray region of the scheme, which is owned and operated by Snowy Hydro Limited, overseeing the nearby Murray 1 and 2 power stations and Khancoban Pondage.
The Alpine Way was constructed to give access to the scheme’s engineering features, and was not completely sealed until the 1990s, which immediately gave Khancoban quicker access to Thredbo, Jindabyne, Cooma and Canberra and has since provided travellers with a scenic connection from NSW through to Victoria.
The Pickled Parrot
The name “The Pickled Parrot” is synonymous with Khancoban. It was the original name of the restaurant at the Alpine Inn and remains a part of our community as the refurbished General Store & Cafe - The Pickled Parrot Providore run be Dee & Cam.
The original sign (above) reminds us of our heritage and the good old days when The Pickled Parrot meant a good time. Now, it means a good time, great local produce, excellent coffee and terrific customer service.
The Pickled Parrot was named by Andrew & Annie Laycock after the King Parrots that scattered the lawns in front of the pub under the Silver Birch trees. The king parrots still frequent the town mostly around spring.
The Pickled Parrot was once the name of the restaurant of the famous Alpine Inn.
First Nations
Khancoban sits on the traditional country of the Ngarigo people. We acknolwedge the traditional owners of this land and pay our respects to elders past and present.
Ngarigo people maintain strong spiritual and cultural connections to the high country.
Many nations travelled from different directions over long distances to gather peacefully on the mountains for trade, ceremony, marriages, social events and to settle differences including the Ngunnawal, Ngyimpa, Walgalu and Wiradjuri.
Just some of the alternative spellings of Ngarigo include Ngarigu, Garego and Ngarego.