Gustav Damman, c1895–1917, glass negative. Gift of Mr Stan Damman, 1994.

In 1853, newly arrived migrant Freeman Cobb (1830–78) and three fellow Americans launched the Cobb & Co delivery service from Melbourne to Port Melbourne. The following year heralded the arrival of the company’s first passenger service, which ran six days a week between Castlemaine, Bendigo and Melbourne. Budget-minded passengers purchased the cheapest seats, which were inside the dusty carriage. Under the management of another American, James Rutherford, Cobb & Co became the pre-eminent passenger service in the country, extending its reach across the state and into New South Wales and Queensland. The last Cobb & Co coach made its final trip on 14 August 1924.