An Open Day on Sunday 20 September from 9am to 4pm is a great opportunity for us to tour and consider adaptive re-use of the Power House at the rear of the Town Hall. ‘Adaptive reuse is the process of repurposing old buildings for new uses while retaining their historic features.’ To briefly shed some light on our power history: In 1884 the streets were illuminated by 25 gas lamps, but lighting these could be dangerous. Lamplighter Henry Wheeler suffered a broken wrist 1897 when he was thrown from the horse he was standing on to light the lamp on…
Due to unforeseen circumstances the printed edition of Glen Innes News is delayed. Issue 18 will, hopefully, be in the usual distribution outlets on Monday 15th.
Economic Development Strategy & Destination Management Plan Glen Innes Severn Council has once again brought in outside consultants – SC Lennon & Associates –fully funded, through a grant, to review and rewrite the town’s Economic Development Strategy and Destination Management Plan. The idea is to build on the last set of documents and produce something “visionary, practical and evidence-based”. According to Council, these two shiny new strategies will steer the region’s economic and tourism priorities for the next five years. In other words, another round of big-picture plans that may, or may not, translate into actual projects on the ground.…
A new Northern New England High Country Regional Drought Resilience Plan has been released, aiming to help communities across Glen Innes Severn and Tenterfield prepare for, withstand, and adapt to future droughts. Developed in partnership with the Department of Regional NSW and CSIRO, and funded under the Future Drought Fund, the Plan recognises that drought doesn’t just hit farmers – it also affects businesses, mental health, and the social fabric of towns. With climate change bringing hotter, drier and longer droughts, the Plan sets out a roadmap to strengthen resilience across five key areas: Community: The Plan calls for stronger…
The Glen Innes Huskies are preparing to launch their 2025 touch football season, with strong growth in player numbers and representative honours highlighting the sport’s rapid rise in the region. All events are held at Wilson Park in Glen Innes. Since affiliating with NSW Touch Football last year, the local competition has gained access to statewide representative pathways, referee and coaching development, and organised tournaments. Club president Gus Macrae said affiliation was essential to give local players exposure. “We could see the talent and potential of so many kids in our town – they were missing out and needed to…
The first of the Australian Standing Stones was raised on 7 September 1991, and the full array of 38 stones was completed in the following months. The monument was officially inaugurated on 1 February 1992. Each stone is made from local granite—three naturally occurring boulders and the rest quarried—with one-third of their height anchored below ground. The very first stone, the Alexander Stone, stands at the entrance to the Winter Solstice Sunrise Avenue. It is named after Peter Alexander, then Convenor of the Celtic Council of Australia, whose vision of a national monument honouring Australia’s Celtic heritage—sparked by the 1988…
“People do ask if you are crazy” says Lama Butler about the reaction of some people when they find out that she is home-schooling her children. Lama is one of the growing number of parents who home school in NSW. Latest figures from Home Schooling Data Reports relating to 2024 indicate that numbers rose from 7032 in 2020 to 12,762 in 2024. Home schooling can sound far from crazy though when you realise that there are lifestyle benefits such as an end to shambolic mornings spent making school lunches, finding homework projects, sports uniforms and notes to sign before rushing…
Negotiating the health system, especially in a city foreign to you can be very challenging. Kelly Foran from Friendly Faces, Helping Hands knows this first hand. She was in a position where not only was she struggling with health issues, but she was pregnant with a child who also faced health problems. She was travelling from Bingara to Sydney on a regular basis. She and her husband were under immense pressure. Out of this complex situation, in 2011, the Friendly Faces, Helping Hands foundation was established. Its aim - to assist others who might find themselves in a similar situation…
Being different can be difficult at any age but is particularly challenging for a child. That was the experience of Ron Webel, who as a child was bullied because of his serious stutter. It not only impeded his ability to communicate but left him feeling very lonely amongst his peers. Ron is known around Glen Innes for his work with children and aged care residents. He currently works as an education assistant and a bus driver at St. Josephs. But for a long time he has wanted to write a book about his experience growing up. He has now published…
St Joseph’s students have recently achieved success across academic and sporting competitions. On Monday 11 August, three teams from St Joseph’s travelled to Inverell to take part in Brain Olympia, joining a total of ten teams from Warialda, Guyra, Inverell and Glen Innes. The Pink and Orange teams from St Joseph’s were awarded equal first place, while the Yellow team finished in fourth. Both winning teams will now progress to the next stage of the competition in Gunnedah on 27 August. The school acknowledged the contribution of coach Mrs Little and the parents who supported the students on the day,…
