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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).

 

 

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.

 

 

 

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Glen Innes