Local News – Page 19 – Glen Innes News

Sep

05

2025

ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND at Australian Standing Stones

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…

Sep

05

2025

By Annette Bain

Local Co-op Boosts Home Schooling Experience

Local NewsAnnemarie Sansom, Glen Innes Home Schooling Co-op, Lama Butler, Mandy Peacock

“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…

Sep

04

2025

By Megan Redfern

Friendly Faces, Helping Hands

Local NewsBridgerton Charity Ball, Friendly Faces, Glen Innes Town Hall, Helping Hands, Kelly Foran, Rosecroft

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…

Sep

03

2025

By Megan Redfern

Being Different

Local NewsArk House Publishing, Glen Innes Mens Shed Car Boot and Markets, Glen Innes Showgrounds, Ron Webel, St Josephs Primary School

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…

Sep

01

2025

By Newsroom

Anne Vosper Declared Elected to Council

Council, Local NewsAnne Vosper, Glen Innes Severn Council

Anne Vosper has officially been declared elected to the Glen Innes Severn Council, following a countback process overseen by the NSW Electoral Commission. The Returning Officer declared her elected on Monday, 1 September 2025, after the countback was uncontested—only one application was received to participate. Under New South Wales electoral law, when a councillor resigns mid-term and was elected through proportional representation, a countback is used to fill the vacancy rather than holding a full by-election. The process re-examines ballot papers from the previous ordinary election to determine which candidate among those not elected previously is next in line, based…

Sep

01

2025

By Annette Bain

Celebrating Judy Vivers’ 60 Years of Service

Local NewsAustralian Red Cross, Crofters Cottage, Jo Cameron, Judy Vivers, Margaret Kiehne, Nita Leamon, Tig Hughes

Friends, family and Red Cross members packed into the cosy Crofters Cottage on Friday 15 August to celebrate Mrs Judy Vivers and her sixty years of service to the Australian Red Cross. Margaret Kiehne, President of the Glen Innes Red Cross branch, warmly welcomed everyone and read out a letter of appreciation and congratulations to Mrs Vivers from Charles Burkitt, President of Australian Red Cross which included these words: “On behalf of Australian Red Cross Society, thank you for your unwavering support and dedication over the past sixty years. It’s thanks to people like you that Australian Red Cross can…

Aug

31

2025

By Eve Chappell

Our Local History – Shearing

Local NewsDaniel McIntyre, Deepwater, Graham Robertson Cunningham, John Edward Dean, Land of the Beardies Museum, Our Local History

Local shearing sheds are again echoing to the scuttling sound of hooves on boards, whirr of the electric gear and clank of presses – a far cry from the days of the sheds echoing to the click of the blades (hand shears) as the shearer took the full length of the blade for the cut and the ‘knockers’ met. The record for a day’s blade shearing is 321 merinos in seven hours 40 minutes by Jackie Howe at ‘Alice Downs’, Blackall in Queensland in 1892. However, in 1907 Deepwater local gun shearer John Edward Dean shore 274 sheep in a…

Aug

30

2025

By Annette Bain

In Conversation with Sweetie Pie’s Nicole and Zaylie Hyde

Local NewsIn Conversation, Nicole Hyde, Sweetie Pie's Bake Shop, Zaylie Hyde

At the recent 2025 Glen Innes Business Awards, the prestigious Business of the Year Award was won by Sweetie Pie’s Bake Shop, which also won the Hospitality Award. Opened in 2021, this popular bakery is well-loved by locals and visitors for its renowned array of savoury and sweet treats. Sweetie Pie’s is owned and operated by Pastry Chef Nicole Hyde and her wife Zaylie Hyde who is the Business Manager. According to Nicole “Glen Innes weather is a pie maker’s dream. The weather is perfect. In summer it is very hot in the kitchen, but being from the Central Coast,…

Aug

29

2025

By Marlene Lewis

New Disability Jobs Program Promises Local Boost in Glen Innes

Local NewsAimBig Employment, Anna Watt, APM Employment Services, BEST Employment, Disability Employment Services, Inclusive Employment Australia, Joblink Plus, Michael Anghie, Ron Maxwell, Verto Pty Ltd

From 1 November 2025, the Federal Government will launch a new employment assistance program called Inclusive Employment Australia (IEA), replacing the current Disability Employment Services (DES). In the New England region, including Glen Innes, the new program will be delivered by BEST Employment, VERTO Ltd, and APM Employment Services. APM already provides DES in Glen Innes and will continue under IEA. APM CEO Michael Anghie said, “Our deep understanding of the Glen Innes labour market — and our long-standing links with local businesses and community groups — means we’re well placed to match job seekers with the right opportunities.” AimBig,…

Aug

29

2025

By David Lewis

New Report Stresses Importance of Local News Coverage

Local NewsGlen Innes News

A new report into regional news audiences has confirmed what communities like Glen Innes already know: local journalism isn’t just about headlines — it’s about connection, trust and community wellbeing. The Engaged Journalism in the Heartland report, led by researchers from the University of Canberra and RMIT University, surveyed almost 8,000 people nationwide and interviewed hundreds more across regional Australia. The findings provide a detailed picture of how country people consume their news, what’s missing from coverage, and why local outlets remain essential despite the pressures facing the industry. "local journalism isn’t just about headlines — it’s about connection, trust…