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| Looking down the main
street of Glen Innes |
Glen Innes
Interesting historic township in the New England area of
New South Wales
Glen Innes is situated amidst rolling countryside on the
Northern Tablelands of NSW, 624 km north-east of Sydney and
1075 metres above sea-level. It has a current population of
6250 people. The local economy is based principally upon
agriculture and tourism.
The town is known for its fine parks which are especially
attractive in autumn. Glen Innes has numerous arts, craft
and collectables shops. Fishing, fossicking and horseriding
are also popular ways to enjoy the scenic environs.
The Nugumbal people who visited the area in the warmer
months. They are thought to have called it 'Eehrindi',
meaning wild raspberry. The first European in the area was
John Oxley, en route to Port Macquarie in 1818. By 1835, two
hairy convict stockmen, Chandler and Duval, assigned to
Captain Dumaresq, were the first whites working in the area
north of Armidale. They did much to open up the area to
settlement by advising and guiding prospective settlers to
new lands where they selected stations in the late 1830s.
For this reason the district was initially known as 'Beardy
Plains' or 'Land of the Beardies'.
The first to be guided by the 'Beardies' into the Glen
Innes area was Thomas Hewitt who, in 1838, took up the
Stonehenge station. Others rapidly followed and by 1840 the
land was settled. There was conflict between white and black
in the early days of settlement but it appears to have
ceased by about 1845.
The present site was laid out in 1851 and was named after
the station's former owner, Major Archibald Clunes Innes,
former commandant of the Port Macquarie penal settlement.
Glen Innes was gazetted in 1852 with the first land sales
taking place in 1854, the year the first post office opened.
The area became a noted sheep-raising and wheat-growing area
with the first flour mill opening in the 1850s.
Ben Lomond station, to the south, was held up by
bushranger 'Thunderbolt' (Fred Ward) in the late 1860s. As
the mail coach made slow headway up the Ben Lomond Range
(the highest point in northern New England), he found it an
easy target.
The discovery of tin at Vegetable Creek in 1872 caused a
boom for the town which lasted until the economic depression
of the 1890s. Over the years antimony, gold, bismuth,
manganese, silver, arsenic, molybdenite, emeralds and
sapphires were all commercially mined in the district and a
number of small towns sprang up around the operations.
Glen Innes became a municipality in 1872 and the
prosperity and growth witnessed the erection of some
substantial public buildings in the 1870s, including the
courthouse, hospital and town hall. The railway arrived in
1884. Timber milling became a substantial enterprise in the
1920s with commercial sapphire mining commencing in 1959 and
proving highly prosperous into the 1980s.
The town's annual celebrations include the Pastoral and
Agricultural Show in February, the Australian Celtic
Festival in May, 'Minerama' (the Gem and Mineral Festival)
in September, in which Australian gem collectors gather and
guided tours of local fossicking sites are organised, the
Australian Bush Music Festival in October, and the Land of
the Beardies Bush Festival in November, entailing a mardi
gras, carnival, motor show, exhibits and competitions.
The town markets are held on the second Sunday of the
month in Grey St and, in summer, on the third Sunday at Red
Range Sports Grounds.
Things to see:
Tourist Information Centre
The town's information centre is open seven days a week from
9.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m. and is located at 152 Church St (the
New England Highway), between Bourke and Meade Sts, tel:
(02) 6732 2397. Arts, crafts, souvenirs and sapphires are
all on sale with the coach and rest rooms open 24 hours a
day. Enquiries can be made here concerning details about
local fishing, fossicking, horseriding, bushwalking and farm
stays. There is also a heritage walk brochure.
Powerhouse Museum
A few doors south of the visitors' centre, the museum houses
the 1922 power generators which supplied Glen Innes with
electricity before the introduction of the grid system in
1956. There are information boards.
Town Walk - Grey Street
The information centre's heritage walk brochure explores
Grey St, between Ferguson and Wentworth Sts, with excursions
into Meade and Bourke Sts. It covers the buildings erected
between 1860 and 1930. Some of the highlights, concentrating
on the 19th century, are listed below. Where ascertainable
the buildings have been repainted in their original
19th-century colours with complementary lamp-style street
lighting.
The walk begins at the corner of Grey St and Ferguson St
(the Gwydir Highway) where you will find the town's oldest
inn, the Royal Hotel, built c. 1860, although it is much
altered.
Heading south on Grey St there is the courthouse,
designed by James Barnet and built in 1873-74 of basalt with
grey granite quoins. Bushranger Thunderbolt (Fred Ward) was
apparently tried, presumably in 1860, in the first
courthouse (built 1858). Aboriginal outlaw Black Tommy was
also tried here in 1876 and acquitted but, accused of murder
and horse-stealing, was shot to death by local constables 18
months later.
On the other side of the road is the Rural Lands
Protection Board building (c.1900).
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| The Post and Telegraph
Office with the War Memorial in the foreground
|
Town Walk - Meade Street
At the north-eastern corner of Meade and Grey Sts is the
two-storey masonry post office, designed by W.L. Vernon and
built in 1896 with arcaded porches, brick arches, terracotta
trim and decorative lettering in a sandstone inset panel.
Over the road is the two-storey rendered masonry of the
Great Central Hotel, a typical 19th-century country hotel
situated on the first town allotment to be sold, in 1854.
Diagonally opposite is the rendered brick Imperial Hotel
which dates from 1901. On the south-western corner is the
ANZ bank, built of rendered masonry in 1884 as the Bank of
NSW. It features a classical porch with pediment and
cast-iron balconies.
Turn left into Meade St and to the left is the old police
station, residence and sheriff's cottage, built 1876-1878.
Town Walk - Grey Street Continued
Return to Grey St and continue southwards. The
Edwardian-style Central Buildings, to the left, have an
interesting parapet. The Westpac bank building (erected as
the Australian Joint Stock Bank, 1884-85) is an Italianate
design with ionic columns, a slate roof, seven-bay elevation
and brick stables at the rear.
The florid late Victorian town hall has a typical
Victorian interior. The foundation stone was laid by Sir
Henry Parkes in 1875 though the initial building was not
completed until 1888.
Town Walk - Bourke Street
At Grey and Bourke is the National Bank building (built as
the CBC Bank - 1890), an Italianate design with iron
palisade fence and stables at the rear. Over the road is the
rendered brick School of Arts, built in 1887 to an
Italianate design and long in use as a community centre.
At Bourke St turn left to the old three-storey
stone-gristing mill, built in 1882 as the Utz Mill. Return
to Grey St then head west along Bourke to Chaffey's, a
two-storey brick building erected in 1883 for coach-builders
J.F. Chaffey & Son. The two-storey weatherboard building at
the rear may be older. On the other side of the road is the
Glen Innes Examiner, built of rendered brick with a parapet
in 1874 when the newspaper (still in operation) commenced
production.
Return to Grey St, heading south. The Mackenzie building
(1885 with later additions) is a two-storey rendered brick
design with an internal stairway still lit by the original
lanterns. Over the road is Kwong Sing and Co., the town's
oldest continuously operating retail business, still in the
original family's hands. This Late Victorian general store
was built in 1893 with later additions.
At the corner of Wentworth and Grey Sts is the Club
Hotel, a two-storey Edwardian hotel (1906) with colonnade
and timber columns and a balustraded parapet around the roof
with pediments, cast-iron lacework and other ornamentation.
|
| A water carrying dray
outside the Glen Innes and District Historical
Society Museum |
History House
At the corner of Ferguson St and West Ave is the Land of the
Beardies History House and Research Centre, a quality folk
museum located in the town's first hospital (1875). One of
the largest in NSW, it is set in extensive grounds which
include a reconstructed slab hut. The museum has a fine
collection of 19th-century relics. The whole is set out to
demonstrate the material culture of the colonial era. The
museum is open weekdays from 10.00 a.m. - 12.00 a.m. and
from 2.00 p.m. - 5.00 p.m. and on weekends from 2.00 p.m. -
5.00 p.m. and on public holidays from 9.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m.,
and at other times by appointment, tel: (02) 6732 1035.
Holy Trinity Anglican Church
At the corner of Meade St and West Ave is Holy Trinity
Anglican Church (1867), featuring a stained-glass window
depicting the crucifixion and World War II servicemen. The
tower was added in 1913.
Brickworks
In Thomas St the town's brickworks have been in continuous
operation since 1886. It is possible to arrange inspections.
Although no longer steam-powered the old equipment is still
in working order, tel: (018) 667 926.
Centennial Parklands and the Australian Standing
Stones
1.5 km east of the post office, via the Gwydir Highway
(Meade St), is the signposted turnoff to Centennial
Parklands where 1000 trees were planted in the late 1970s.
There are panoramic views of the town from Martins Lookout,
picnic, barbecue and toilet facilities, a replica crofter's
cottage which supplies refreshments, souvenirs and
information, and the Australian Standing Stones. The latter
is intended as a tribute to the Celtic peoples who
contributed to the development of Australia and who were
important in the early European history of the district. It
is based on the Ring of Brodgar, a megalithic stone circle
in the Orkneys. It has been given a distinctively Australian
flavour by the way the Southern Cross has been superimposed
on the design. Like the ancient stone arrangements it is
modelled on, it functions as a seasonal clock clearly
displaying both the summer and winter solstices. Further
information on the significance of the arrangement can be
obtained from the visitors' centre.
Beardy Waters
5.6 km east of town along the Gwydir Highway is Beardy
Waters, named after the two bearded stockmen who led the
first settlers into the area. There are barbecue and picnic
facilities and plenty of birdlife. You can also walk
upstream to the town weir.
Gibraltar Range National Park
Gibraltar Range National Park is an ideal place for
bushwalking. Located east via the Gwydir Highway, the park
is in high granite country, dominated by eucalypt forest.
There are large numbers of wildflowers in the warmer months
and a plenitude of wildlife. About 61 km from Glen Innes,
Boundary Falls Rd heads off to the left and will take you to
the falls of the same name. From there you can walk 1 km
downstream to the beautiful Lyrebird Falls. Just over a
kilometre beyond Boundary Creek Falls Rd another road heads
off the Gwydir Highway to the right, leading to Raspberry
Lookout where there are picnic tables and excellent views.
Another 6 km along the highway brings you to Mulligans Rd
on the right. This is the main access road into the park,
leading, after 10 km, to the Mulligans Hut Rest Area on the
western bank of Little Dandahra Creek where there are
campsites, showers, toilets, fireplaces and tables. There
are various swimming holes along the creek and, in the
school holidays, the rangers sometimes put on an evening
campfire program for visitors.
Five walking trails depart from Mulligans leading to the
beautiful Dandahra Falls, the Barra Nula Cascades, the
Atrichornis/Murrumbooee Cascades, Tree Fern Forest and The
Needles. The latter are six separate granite outcrops which,
according to Aboriginal lore, are six sisters turned to
stone by the curse of their pursuer.
There is also a picnic area just off the highway in
Mulligans Rd and two walking tracks depart from a point
about 3 km along the road. One heads south to Anvil Rock (4
km return). The other heads south-west to the spectacular
Dandahra Crags (5 km return). Ring (02) 6732 5133 for
further information on these parks.
Washpool National Park
3 km past the Mulligans Rd turnoff, Coombadjha Rd heads off
to the left into World Heritage listed Washpool National
Park, which includes the largest undisturbed rainforest in
NSW and the world's largest remaining undisturbed stand of
coachwood forest. The plateau upon which it stands rises to
1200 m above sea-level and the Washpool and Coombadjha
Creeks have carved gorges through the plateau.
Less than a kilometre along Coombadjha Rd a side road
heads off to the left to The Granite where there is a picnic
area and a 700-m walking track to a lookout which takes in
the south-eastern section of the park.
Coombadjha Rd leads past three clearings - the Bellbird
Rest Area, the Coachwood Picnic Area, and the Coombadjha
Creek Rest Area from whence there are two walks. The 1.1-km
Coombadjha Nature Stroll and the Washpool Walk (10 km
return).
Old Grafton Road
35 km east of Glen Innes the Old Grafton Rd heads south off
the Gwydir Highway and passes through some outstanding
mountain and riverside scenery, looping back to the highway
after 131 km (mostly unsealed). Until the present highway
opened this was the main access road to the coast. The
original bush track was cut by wool haulers and
timbergetters in the early 1840s. With convict labour a
proper road was created in the 1860s and it was declared a
highway in 1876.
The road soon descends Big Hill in a series of hairpin
bends, offering some fine views to passengers. At the foot
of the mountain, 16 km from the highway, is the Mann River
Nature Reserve where there is a picnic area with
opportunities for bush camping, fishing, canoeing and
bushwalking.
About 64 km from the highway the traveller will come to a
20-metre tunnel which was carved through solid rock by
convicts when the road was constructed. It is the only one
of its type in Australia.
8 km on is the abandoned settlement of Dalmorton. All
that remains are some ruins in the paddocks where cattle
graze amidst the attractive scenery. A cleared area on the
right, one kilometre prior to crossing Jackass Creek, allows
cars to pull off the road and a walking track leads 500 m
into the bush where you can find relics from the goldmining
which occurred here in the late 19th and early 20th
centuries.
At Buccarumbi, 91 km from the highway, the remains of a
bridge ruined by flood sit beside the new bridge.
Another 11 km will take you past a 4WD road on the left,
signposted for Ramornie Forest Camping Area, which leads to
Nymboida National Park (see entry on Grafton).
Balancing Rock
12 km south on the New England Highway this enormous
pear-shaped boulder of granite balances precariously on a
30-cm fulcrum amidst a rock forest of unusual formations.
Located on private property it can only be viewed from the
roadside. There are picnic facilities 1 km north at
Stonehenge Recreational Reserve. The Stonehenge property was
the first to be taken up in the area (1838).
Glencoe
Glencoe is a small village 21 km south of Glen Innes on the
New England Highway. The Red Lion Tavern is a popular spot
for a drink, rest or overnight stay.
Bellevue Country Cottage is 3 km east of Glencoe on the
Mt Mitchell Rd. They specialise in locally made handcrafted
items including linen shirts, silver jewellery, woodwork,
wool embroidery, paintings, pottery, celtic silks and
tartans. They are open Wednesdays to Sundays from 10.00 a.m.
- 5.00 p.m. with morning and afternoon teas and group tours
welcome, tel: (02) 6733 3241.
Kings Plains National Park
45 km north-west of Glen Innes, off Kings Plains Rd, which
connects the locality of Wellingrove to Inverell, is Kings
Plains National Park, an area of rugged terrain, with rocky
ridges, woodland, heath and open forest. There are some rare
plants, as well as a large population of birds and mammals,
many of them coming to drink in the early morning and late
afternoon at the park's main feature, Kings Plains Creek,
which has rapids, waterfalls and large tranquil waterpools.
It is a good spot for bushwalking, exploring, picnicking,
camping and birdwatching. There are basic facilities.
Kings Plains Station
The Kings Plains Station (3100 acres) is owned by the Vivers
family who claim to have occupied the land since 1832. In
1910 an elaborate vine-covered homestead, known as 'The
Castle', was built on the property to recreate a piece of
Scotland in Australia. You can go on a guided tour of the
property, the 'Castle', the country garden and the historic
family cemetery. They are open from 10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m.
on Tuesdays and Thursdays, tel: (02) 6733 6807.
State Forests
There are a number of recreational areas located in the
local state forests - Gibraltar Range, London Bridge, Warra
and Glen Nevis. There is 2WD access to Perigine Point
Lookout in Gibraltar Range State Forest and the London
Bridge Forest Preserve. Other areas are 4WD only. Contact
the Glen Innes Information Centre for further information,
tel: (02) 6732 2397.
Farm Holidays
Boolabinda Holiday Homestead is 16 km north-west of Glen
Innes on Bullock Mountain Rd by Reddestone Creek, the most
productive sapphire-bearing creek in the area. The homestead
offers holiday accommodation, horseriding, fishing, swimming
and fossicking, with instructions on the process and
equipment for hire, tel: (02) 6732 2215.
The Willows is a 3500-acre property on the Severn River
with picnic and camping grounds on the river with barbecues,
toilets and shelters. There are also self-contained units.
It is ideal for fishing, bushwalking and birdwatching.
Guides will take you on walks, tell you about the Aboriginal
culture of the area and provide bush tucker and dance
displays, tel: (02) 6732 5960.
For further information on farmstays ring (02) 6732 2397.
Fishing
The fishing season runs from the October long weekend to the
June long weekend. The local waters are noted for their
trout, catfish, perch, cod and redfin. For further
information contact the local information centre, tel: (02)
6732 2397, or Alan Gash on (02) 6732 2204.
Fossicking
Sapphires, topaz, quartz, zircon, garnet and beryl are all
found in the district, which sports numerous fossicking
areas. Equipment and advice is available from local outlets
such as Gem Hunter's Haven on the Highway, tel: (02) 6732
4176. Crystal Cottage at 155 Church St has crystals,
minerals and polished stones for sale, tel: (02) 6732 1536,
and Reddestone Sapphires (152 New England Highway) have a
specialist cutter in attendance so you can view the cutting
and faceting process or make a purchase. They are open seven
days from 8.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.
Broadwalk
Business Brokers
Broadwalk Business
Brokers specialise in General Businesses for Sale, Caravan Parks for
Sale, Motels for Sale, Management Rights & Resorts for Sale, Farms for
Sale, Hotels for sale,Commercial & Industrial Properties for Sale.
Phone:
1300 136 559
Email:
enquiries@broadwalkbusinessbrokers.com.au
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We advise prospective purchasers that we take no
responsibility for the accuracy of any information in the business
provided by vendors or their professional advisers and that they should
make their own enquiries as to the accuracy of this information,
including obtaining independent legal and/or accounting advice
Glen Innes
