The Emmaville community is mourning the loss of Roy Colin Wells, who has passed away aged 102. Roy will be remembered as a proud World War Two veteran, loving family man, and one of the region’s most respected elders.
Born in Emmaville, Roy worked in the tin mines before enlisting in the Australian Army. He served from 1941 to 1946 and was deployed to the Solomon Islands. After the war, he returned home and worked in a wide range of roles — fencer, wool classer, rabbit trapper, fox shooter, and miner.
Roy and his wife Edna, affectionately referred to as “Northern Tablelands Royalty,” were familiar and much-loved faces in the region. In 2022, Roy officially opened the Military Room at the Emmaville Mining Museum alongside then-State MP Adam Marshall — an important and priceless display of hundreds of pieces of local war memorabilia.
Roy celebrated his 100th birthday in March 2023, surrounded by family and friends from far and wide. He was the loving husband of Edna, cherished father and father-in-law Colin & Edwina, Allan & Karen, Lois & Terry, Sandra & Mick, Sue & Doug and Debbie & Dave, and beloved Pop to 22 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren.
Roy’s funeral service will be held on Monday 14th July at 11:00 am at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Emmaville, followed by interment at the Emmaville Lawn Cemetery. Members of the Glen Innes RSL Sub-Branch are especially invited to attend wearing service medals.
