Glen Innes & District Historical Society

19/10/2026

LAND OF THE BEARDIES MUSEUM, GLEN INNES Standard & Triumph Cars!
Corner West Avenue & Ferguson St (Gwydir Highway west)

Saturday 24th October from 11am to about 2pm

Standard and Triumph Car Club of NSW cars on exhibition at rear of Museum.
Entry from Ferguson Street.

ADMISSION FREE About 30 vehicles to inspect, members of the Car Club will be there to talk about the cars and their history.
Pictures from their webpage gallery of photos.

17/10/2026

Our Local History: Glen Eden Boys Home.

The Glen Eden Boys Home, opened in April 1947, occupied the 6.9 hectares, bounded by Oxford, Oliver, Cross and Lawrance Streets.

It had been the site of the New England Boys Grammar School, and after that school closed in 1939, the Commonwealth Government leased the buildings for 18 months to accommodate expatriots from Portuguese Timor.

Later, students evacuated from Loreto Convent in Brisbane lived there for two years during World War 11.

The United Protestant Association bought the property, which included a two-story dormitory building, for £3,500 to accommodate up to 40 orphan boys, from five years to school leaving age.

‘All the boys over seven now at the homes on the Clarence will be coming to Glen Innes.’

Thomas Agst, General Manager of UPA had made an appeal to local people to do what they could to finance the home, and head office would pay the balance.

In 1953 the Principal, WH Hoskins said it cost the UPA approximately £5,000 a year to maintain the Home – including running costs of food, clothing, fuel etc., (This did not include building maintenance and repairs and some of the mainly wooden buildings dated from 1928.)
‘It costs £5 a week to keep one boy fed, housed and clothed’.

Our community was very supportive and there was a local Glen Eden Boys Home Welfare Committee.

Kwong Sings and Mackenzie donated crackers and the boys would build a huge bonfire and invite the town; Smeaton’s would send up pies and saveloys, boys would trade marbles for other boy’s meat pies; at show time Sharman’s Boxing Tent let the boys in free…

A gymnasium, workshop, playing fields, and tennis courts helped to keep the boys occupied.
The Citizens Youth Club used the main building until it burnt down in 1954.

After the Home closed in 1961, having been deemed ‘too isolated’, former New England Grammar School student Lindsay Bull, bought and subdivided the block, thus Lindsay Avenue received its name.

Some of the boy’s memories: Thora Parry was Matron - the boys were invited to her wedding;
her mother and sister Grace also worked there; ‘Crusty’ Prentice was Thora’s replacement;
staff included Margaret McLoughlin, Mrs Tickle, Jessie Boden, and ‘Pop’ Williams the gardener.

Several former residents have come to the Museum Research Centre for history of the home.
The After Care Officer for United Protestant Association in Sydney suggested we also give that contact to anyone asking, as they retain records there.

Our community can still help children in need by supporting the Glen Innes Highlands Lioness-Lions Club Hellies Christmas Drive.

17/10/2026

Land of the Beardies Museum on the corner of West Avenue and Ferguson Street. Open Daily 10am to 2pm. New Exhibition coming very soon 'NOSTALGIC NOVEMBER -THE ROSE FESTIVAL' curated by Annette Fearnley. Please phone 67321035 or email [email protected] if you have any photos or memorabilia you would like to share.

16/10/2026

There is always something new to see at The Land of the Beardies Museum!
Jenny Sloman and her team have just completed a nostalgic wide-ranging exhibition of 'Travel Through Time'. Here are just a few glimpses of the displays.
The Museum on the corner of West Avenue and Ferguson Street in Glen Innes is open daily from 10am to 2pm.

29/09/2026

Could we have the rest of these pupils identified, please?
email [email protected]

1960 1D – 2D Photo
Back L-R: John te Velde, Clive Marshall, Murray Austin, Noel Bush, Richard Dawson, _____6______,
_____7______, Terry Penn, Allan Ormandy
Centre: Bruce O’Hara, Sam Cave, ____3____, Terry Wartnaby, ____5_____, Owen Calthorpe, ? Ferris, Ricky Davey
Front: Barbara Duxbury, Roslyn Tarrant, Dorothy Hunold, ___4_____, Wendy Chapman, Beverley Brown, Joyce Keelan,
Annette Hodder, Doreen Tennant, Dorothy Woods.

25/09/2026

Vale John Mathew

It is with great sadness that we note the passing of John Mathew C*C

John was involved in the Australian Standing Stones from the very start, and held a deep sense of connection to the monument. In his own words, 'It was by chance that I was posted to Glen Innes as a school teacher with my family in the late 1970s. In retrospect, I believe it was sheer destiny that my transfer coincided with the construction of the Standing Stones array'.
- from Introduction in the 2012 publication compiled by John, The History of the Australian Standing Stones'.

John was on the original steering committee and was a member and secretary of the ASSMB throughout the years until just a few years ago.

He was elevated as an Honorary Lifetime Guardian in 2003 for his services, and it is John we have to thank for securing the concept of Excalibur and the incorporation of the Southern Cross design in the monument.

The Celtic Council of Australia honoured John throughout the years, most recently to the honour of C*C in 2022 in a moving ceremony held in the Crofter's Cottage.

As a teacher, John had a positive impact on the lives of many in Glen Innes, and the town will miss him dearly.

Cwsg mewn hedd, Rest in peace, John

Our thoughts and condolences are extended to his family and friends, particularly to his children Cerilea, Colwyn, Trefor and Peter.

In this picture, John is by the Rock of Remembrance on Tynwald Hill overlooking the monument, honouring the memory of his wife Desné who passed in 2019.

19/09/2026

Our Local History – BABY BOOMERS
The Baby Boomers, 1940s,50, 60s. What was our life like, particularly country children, how did we occupy ourselves?

No smartphones, Skype, TV, maybe not even electricity; having few friends, perhaps until High School, or maybe not even then, if we were isolated and still enrolled in the Blackfriars Correspondence School.

Maybe only infrequent trips to the nearest town. But what a thrill if this included seeing films at the Grand or Roxy theatres!
No telephone or perhaps a party line, or line open only for certain hours.

We did make our own play phones with a piece of string stretched between two tins.
We listened to the radio - Argonauts - talented professionals effortlessly educating us, giving advice on writing, art, craft, hobbies… Quiz Kids, Children’s Hour; and serials such as ‘Search for the Golden Boomerang’ and ‘Hopalong Cassidy’ ….

Adults tuned into When a Girl Marries, Dr Paul, The Lawsons, Blue Hill etc.)

Eagerly waiting for birthdays and Christmas to receive a book - one of the Ethel Turner, Billabong, Biggles, The Hardy Boys, Anne of Green Gables, Enid Blyton, Golden Books, or Little Women series; Milly-Molly-Mandy, Ameliaranne, Girl of the Limberlost…

The excitement of the Apex Children’s Library opening in 1954!

Summer nights would perhaps be spent sitting on the back veranda after tea playing dominos, ludo, snakes and ladders, jigsaws, checkers, cribbage, marbles, fiddle sticks, or knuckles.
The knuckles weren’t plastic but real bones we found and placed on ant heaps to be cleaned.

Metal Meccano or Ezy Bilt could occupy future engineers – as in this photo of boys at Glen Eden Boys Home in 1947. And one is far more interested in his ‘Australian History’ book.

Dolls were often homemade of calico or wood, or of malleable celluloid which soon developed dented features. We made our own cubby houses and show bags often contained not rot gut sweets, but miniature bottles or packets of food so useful for playing shops.

It seemed to take ages for we girls to be allowed to transition to stockings from bobby sox to high heels from flatties, to be allowed to wear make-up.

What were we given to ‘make it better’? Agarol, Milk of Magnesia, California Syrup of Figs, Gentian Violet, Woods Great Peppermint Cure, Caster Oil (the accompanying orange juice never helped!) Mycazol for Tinea……

And how our parents desperately feared for us when hearing even a whisper of an outbreak of such diseases as diphtheria, smallpox, or polio - until immunization was available.

03/09/2026

Our Local History: Musician Chris Young

International performer, Vaudeville artist, pianist, St Patricks church organist, composer, accompanist, part of the famous “Marvellous Carricks” troupe of entertainers and discoverer of world-renowned talent etc., international performer, Christopher Reid Young was a local Glen Innes resident for about fifteen years in the 1940s and 50s and where he gave unstintingly of his time and talents.

It was said that his principal aim in life was to bring enjoyment to his fellow beings.

An earlier performance with the Carricks in Adelaide caused reporter C J Dennis of “Sentimental Bloke” fame to write “ Chris Young, the comic relief unlike most of his ilk, succeeded in being distinctly comic.”

At the same time another publication pointedly remarked……
“ Mr Young’s comic songs are of unusual merit. He is refined in his humour. There is nothing approaching vulgarity in his selection, and they are all the more entertaining.”

After he died in Sydney the Examiner mentioned in his obituary June 2, 1954 that an indication of his brilliance was the fact that he had been an accompanist for Australia’s most famous prima donna, Dame Nellie Melba.

As well, he played a large part in fostering the talents of another famous Australian… “While on a tour of Queensland in 1911 Mr. Young was stopped in the street at Maryborough by a man who asked him to go with him and hear his daughter sing.

He accompanied the stranger the hotel where he heard a girl of 15or 16 who had a most beautiful voice.

Mr. Young was so impressed with the girl’s voice that he advised the father to take her to Sydney and approach somebody connected with the J C Williamson Company. This the father did.
That teenage daughter was Gladys Moncrieff….”

When the Glen Innes Rotary Club appealed for a song of New England to typify “this great northern area” and Mrs Erskine Smith composed the words Chris Young set them to music.
Baritone George Kerr recorded the song at 2NZ and it was played on that station one Sunday morning in

The programme of musical and variety entertainment in his days was likely to include such local luminaries as Dr Fred Buddee, Bessie Hutton, Ollie Doust, George Kerr, Noella Cornish, Fay Fuller, Mrs Warlters, Eric, Abe and Nancy Keating, Peter O’Brien, Jim Cotsell, Marjorie Schmidt, Norman Sligo, Mrs CGK Judge, Mr. JR Fraser, HLS Havyatt,

03/09/2026

30/08/2026

Our Local History – Milner’s Building

* This first appeared in Issue 42 of Glen Innes News

Milner’s Building opposite the Post Office is presently for sale as accountants Roberts and Morrow have relocated further south in Grey Street.

The original owner, licensee of the Royal Hotel, John Milner, also ran a dairy on his property Vesuvius just north of Glen Innes.

The two-storey brick rendered Federation style structure, designed by architect Frederick J Madigan was built by Arthur Butt in 1903 on the site Dennis Hogan’s Commercial Hotel which had been destroyed by fire.

(Now, sadly, Milner’s original ornamental wrought iron upstairs veranda and original facade are long gone.)

Butt was also responsible for the Severn Shire Chambers in Bourke Street, (now School of Arts & Music), private wards at the hospital, Beardy Bridge, and alterations to the Grey street School of Arts (now Community Centre), Post Office and Great Central Hotel.

Milner’s tenants have included such disparate businesses as an Oyster Saloon, bakery, White Rose Café, hairdressers, boot repairer, tailor, even a Music Hall, and accountancy firm, Thomas Davis Kelly and Co.

Lieutenant George Henry Kelly had served in the 2/21 Australian Transport Platoon.

He was born in Parramatta in 1915 &, orphaned at an early age, he & his sister were cared for by the Burnside Homes in Parramatta - described as ‘children’s homes which had been founded in 1911 by philanthropist Sir James Burns. Burnside pioneered cottage care in Australia and was a functioning village.’

George remained there until he finished his education in 1930.
Shortly after being admitted as a Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, he enlisted at Paddington and trained at Greta and served from 1940 to1946 in the Middle East and Borneo for 2,173 days.

On his discharge he joined Glen Innes accountant John Windeyer as a partner.
[Correction! John Windeyer was a solicitor, not an accountant]

Still studying he advanced to ‘Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants’ in 1961.

After many years of extensive and dedicated community involvement George died at the age of 84, in 1999. He was survived by his sister Lois May of Adelaide.

From his obituary in The Glen Innes Examiner 11/11/1999 …‘He was involved in the formation of the Glen Innes Sub Branch of RSL and Glen Innes Legacy. Holding the position of Legacy treasurer for 31 years…’

He was Auditor of the Glen Eden Boys Home, Far West, Caledonians, Golf Club, Red Cross, a valued member of many other organisations including Apex, Lions, Presbyterian Church management committee and Choir…… keen golfer, lawn bowler and fisherman…