History Notes for 30th Aug 23

History Notes

We had a well attended meeting last week, lots of discussion especially about a few changes to the Dean Room. The storage boxes have mostly been sorted and some items have been found after being lost for some years.

On Wednesday we had a visit from a Rumsby descendant who found quite a bit of history in our files. We just have to find and play Henry Rumsby's tape as it might reveal some more stories!

This week we are having our September market a week early to coincide with the Art Exhibition. Last month's market was quite a successful day with a couple of extra stalls and this one is looking to be good as well. Watch out for the advertisements, both in the News and around town and come along and check them out- no charge to have a look!

While searching through the papers and books from storage, various interesting items have appeared including a list of building applications for our town. A few examples include the pottery room which was built by J.F.Myers in 1929 as a butcher shop for H.White Ltd on¼ acre.

Another interesting application in 1929 was to build a waiting room for the Golf Committee on the Barraba Common. It was built by John F.Myers using wood and iron on brick piers and was to be 28 feet by 18 feet. The beginning of the present-day golf club although I think it was moved in the ensuing years.

Finally, there are two articles re early Barraba. C. G. Williams, auctioneer, had lived in the district all his life and told the reporter "at first there was a bush public house and a rough store. Part of that old building still remains - Mrs Finkernagel's shop being built into it and rough slabs plainly visible at one end of the building"

The other article by an old resident, also an auctioneer, Frank Cheesbrough, who was running Walroodah Dairying Company and sending carts to supply the town with milk and butter. He remembered when his father bought Tareela Station in 1863. There were two small public houses built of wood, one store and no school.

These two articles are obviously from an old newspaper and copied out by Betty Crowley in her early history notes in the sixties and seventies. There are a few more including the Open Air Theatre and a Tea room for W.Pringle which has me puzzled as I thought he was a dentist. More next week.