History Notes for 9th July 2025
History Notes
Recently I came across History Notes for February 2005 - twenty years ago. It seems to have been a year of Anniversaries - a bit like 2025.
The oldest paper - the Barraba Argus -was published in 1895 but disappeared a short time later when other newspapers began to appear. However, there are a few advertisements for the local hotels - the Commercial Hotel, the Central Hotel and Tattersall's Hotel which burnt down in 1898 and was replaced by the Royal Hotel which burnt down in the 1920s. In 1895 Charles Lillis was about to open a butchering business in the old school house in Cherry Street and the Jockey Club was planning to hold five races on Boxing Day.
Later anniversaries in the years ending in five (5) include the Bridge, Adams Lookout and Newton Gardens 50 years ago. The Bexley Hereford stud was dispersed in 1975 and of course our more elderly residents will remember that Mount Kaputar fire which burnt for many weeks - do you remember how red the sun was at that time.
The Historical Society's 60th anniversary is this month and I have a reference to the Bowling Club Anniversary which is also this year- could it be 90 years or am I dreaming?
Recently the Historical Society had a query about someone drowning on a Barraba district property. His name was Athol Cunningham who lived and died in Barraba in April, 1963. He was married with three children at the time of his death. This was not a lot of information and a check of records found little to help with the search. A newspaper research on the computer has revealed in the Canberra times that Athol (Cliff) Cunningham aged 28 years was found dead in a dam on the property of Mr. J.P. Smith, Barraba on 25th April, 1963. Apparently, Cunningham went duck shooting on Saturday night and when he failed to return in the morning police organized a search. Constable J. Coleman recovered Cunningham's body in 8 foot of water- a dead duck was found nearby.
He was Athol Cliff Cunningham, aged 28 years old, father of three children and appears to have lived in Barraba. He is probably buried elsewhere.