Our Local History – Page 3

Feb

13

2025

Our History – Weddings

Local NewsOur Local History

The theme of the Historical Society display in the Centenary pavilion at this year’s Glen Innes Show is Weddings and includes photographs, descriptions of the nuptials reported in the Glen Innes Examiner and Margaret Sarah May Fakes nee Lewis’ beautifully embellished wedding gown from our collection. Digitised editions of The Glen Innes Examiner up to 1954 are on the internet site Trove and has many reports of weddings - sometimes the gifts were listed, or what the guests were wearing. This was how the Martin - Kiehne wedding was reported on 22 January 1925 -100 years ago. “Two highly respected…

Jan

30

2025

By Eve Chappell

Our History – Flour Mills

Local NewsBen Lomond, Dundee, Land of the Beardies Museum, Our Local History, Stonehenge

Eating damper slathered with butter and dripping deliciously with golden syrup, (known as Cocky’s Joy) as part of the education programme led by Cheryl Muldoon is a treat enjoyed by some of the school groups visiting the Land of the Beardies Museum. Damper was a staple of early settlers’ diet - however it was nowhere near as edible as today – fresh butter being a rarity and certainly not made with today’s refined white flour! Early supplies of the basic rations - flour, salt, sugar & tea were reliant on slow bullock wagons & it took months to replenish stocks…

Jan

16

2025

By Eve Chappell

Our History – Communications

Local NewsGlen Innes Examiner, Glen Innes News, Our Local History

How did we receive our news? By bullock wagon from Morpeth or Grafton, crossed letters taking many months; by bush telegraph, on coaches likely be held up by Thunderbolt and the mailbags stolen; news of ‘The Old Country’ in the Illustrated London News; town cryers, bill posters, New England Times, Armidale Express, Maitland Mercury, Glen Innes Guardian, Glen Innes Examiner, Emmaville Argus, Deepwater Despatch, Castlerag Miner, Profile, telegrams, letter cards… The Glen Innes Examiner ceased hard copy publication on September 19, 2024, just short of the 150th anniversary. Ron Robinson then editor of the Examiner championed the formation of the…

Jan

02

2025

By Eve Chappell

Our History – Dr Fred Buddee

Local NewsDr Fred Buddee, Glen Innes Lions Club, Our Local History

In 1934 Dr Fred Buddee who held a Bachelor of Medicine, Master of Surgery, and was a Member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, bought Dr Gerard Gall’s medical practice. Fred and Margaret Buddee had six children Barbara, Wallis, Bill, (who followed his father into medicine), Margaret, Donald, and David. Their property, ‘Strawberry Hills’ of 500 acres was managed by Lloyd Rees. Dr Buddee took over Dalhousie Maternity Hospital in the late 1930s and added a three-bed ward in 1941 and from 1947 the hospital rented Dalhousie from him as their separate maternity unit. He was an alderman…

Dec

19

2024

By Eve Chappell

Our History – Christmas

Local NewsGlen Innes News, Our Local History

Christmas Past – A time when Christmas was not so commercialized. When churches were full, when gifts would be posted wrapped in recycled crumpled brown paper & tied with string and Amazon was but a word in the book title - ‘Swallows and Amazons’. And so many Christmas cards were exchanged – does anyone remember the Red Cross art union Christmas cards? When keeping in touch with distant friends & relatives at Christmas time was not so easy - long distance telephone calls, especially overseas, on Christmas Day had to be pre-booked and there was the dreaded interruption (seemingly far…

Dec

05

2024

By Eve Chappell

Our History – Matron Bewley

Local NewsGlen Innes Hospital, Land of the Beardies Museum, Our Local History

Driving up Williams Street from Church Street (the New England Highway) you will notice at the top, as you turn right at the corner that there is a sign ‘Bewley Lane’. It is just a very short lane. Does anyone know why that name has been so honoured? Most of the names of our streets, avenues, lanes etc can be traced to prominent people and almost every thoroughfare, no matter how short, has now been given a name, mainly to assist Emergency Services etc. Early on it was politicians, and other such notables, then mayors etc, who were so honoured…

Nov

21

2024

By Eve Chappell

Our History: The Town Hall

Local NewsChapel Theatre, Christmas In The Highlands, Glen Innes Arts Council, Glen Innes Town Hall, Our Local History, Red Cross

Our magnificent Town Hall is certainly the centrepiece for ‘Christmas in the Highlands’ on Friday November 29, and for the 23rd year it is the venue for the Red Cross Community Christmas Tree displays. The Hall has hosted performances by Dame Nellie Melba, Noella Cornish, school frolics, drill nights for the Volunteer Defence Corp, grand balls, weddings, troop home coming celebrations, Baby Shows, film nights, Macca, The Wiggles…. It provided the stage for Mrs Mackenzie’s early Musical Society shows and later the Glen Innes Arts Council, until 1984 when they produced My Fair Lady as the grand opening show in…

Nov

09

2024

By Eve Chappell

Wellingrove Was The First Site For Our Town – Our History

Local NewsOur Local History, Wellingrove

Glen Innes, in the area first known as Beardy Plains, was not the first choice for the town. It was originally intended that Wellingrove 24 kilometres to the northwest should be the first official administrative centre. George Polhill, owner of Wellingrove Station had requested that the town be built on his isolated property. A Court House was built, troopers were stationed there, and a store was opened by Mrs McMaster, etc. However, common-sense prevailed – Wellingrove was just too far away from the main thoroughfare - a north south rough winding track, known as the Great North Road - the…