Posts Tagged ‘tenterfield’
Armidale; then to Tenterfield by train in 1887
The Maitland Mercury & Hunter River General Advertiser, Tuesday 21 June 1887
A Journey due North.
Armidale to Tenterfield.
(By Bruni in the Australasian.)
Armidale, the oldest and most important town on the New England plateau, is a place of considerable importance. It is the principal business centre of an extensive pastoral and agricultural district, of which it is considered the capital, and is the residence of a Church of England and of a Roman Catholic bishop. I find it is much smaller in size than I anticipated, and with no appearance of rapid advancement, but it has an air of quiet respectability befitting the leading town of a large and steadily-improving district. The oldest part of the town is situated close by the bank of the rivulet that runs by the place, and consists of a group of extremely quaint old-fashioned wooden houses, huddled together as if for mutual protection. The principal portion of the town is situated on some gently-rising ground on the western bank of the stream. The houses are built in a much more modern style than those of the first settlement, but here and there one meets with one of those homely square brick dwellings, with small windows, low ceilings, high shingled roofs, and attic-windows, that are so frequently seen in all the older towns of the parent colony. Though having no pretensions to architectural beauty, they are generally roomy, comfortable places to live in, and I have frequently found them inhabited by the children, grand-children, or even more remote descendants of the pioneers who erected them. They are solidly built, and though presenting often a somewhat weather-beaten appearance, will yet last longer than the more pretentious run-em-ups of later days. It is quite a noticeable feature in rural life in New South Wales that families should remain on the land taken up by their fathers in the early days of the colony. Sons and daughters may marry and go out into the world but there ever remains a representative of the family at the old home. This is quite different to what one finds in Victoria, where change seems to be the order of the day. Though the country is still so young it is a very rare thing to find a rural property still remaining in the hands of the original settler or his family. Even the farms that have been reclaimed from the stubborn forest change hands as readily as so many chattels. This may denote progress, but I am old-fashioned, and prefer the mode of life which obtains in these pleasant but somewhat sleepy old towns of New South Wales.
At the first view of Armidale one immediately perceives that the climate is entirely different to that of the country lying between Newcastle and Tamworth. The air is sharp and bracing, but with nothing unpleasant in it. In winter the climate is said to be very severe, but in spring, summer, and autumn it is admitted by everyone to be most delightful. A better holiday ground for the sunburnt residents of Queensland and the hot plains of north-western New South Wales it would be hard to find, and when the rail is carried over the short gap between Wallangarra and Tenterfield, New England will doubtless be a favourite place with those who are anxious to escape from the terrors of a Central Australian summer. The streets of the older portion of Armidale are narrow and irregular, but a marked improvement is shown in the newer portion of the town. No attempt has been made to beautify the place by planting trees in the streets, though nowhere have I seen the elm with such a splendid mass of foliage as in the gardens of Armidale. They were just touched by the first frosts of winter when I saw them, and the contrast between the yellow of the outside leaves and the dark-green of the rest of the foliage was very fine. English fruit trees grow well in this district, and so, I believe, would all English flowers, but one sees very few of them. There is a notable absence of cottage gardens, though pocket-handkerchief allotments were not the fashion when the town was laid out. Indeed, in Armidale a cottage garden may be said to be the exception and not the rule, and few of the larger houses have gardens. This is one of the peculiarities of the place that is at once noticed by a visitor. The business portion of the town is of small extent, and to judge by the appearance of the shops, the trade done is a very quiet one. The most attractive feature of the place is the pleasant villas that surround the town, and these have a very pretty appearance, peeping through the foliage of the forest that hems the town round. The little valley in which Armidale is situated is bordered by lines of low hills, composed of a poor white-coloured soil, with frequent outcrop of rock. The forest that clothes the hills is of a very poor description, stunted in growth, and useless except for firewood. These barren hills give one a poor opinion of the surrounding country, but almost immediately beyond them is a large extent of fertile land, scattered over which are many farms, the comfortable homesteads on which indicate well-to-do proprietors.
In the centre of the town is a large square, which has been planted with ornamental trees. Surrounding it are all the leading places of worship. I was shown the cathedrals of the Church of England and Roman Catholic Church. Had I not been told they were cathedrals I would have taken them for well-built, unpretending village churches. The Government buildings are extensive, and each department has a large staff ; Armidale being a Government as well as a business centre for the New England district. There is a large hospital just outside the town on a fine site. The public schools are of considerable size, and are attended by a numerous troop of sturdy, rosy-cheeked, young Englanders. The railway station is situated a considerable distance out from the north-western corner of the town, and, magnet like, is drawing the town towards it. A good deal of building is going on, the material used being invariably brick. A better building material could not be found than the bricks made in Armidale ; they are dark in colour, and almost as hard as flint. My stay in Armidale was a brief one, but I saw much that pleased me. Nature had done much to make this an attractive summer residence for the dwellers in tropical and semi-tropical Australia. The air is pure and invigorating, and nowhere have I seen anything so closely resembling the lovely turquoise blue of the Tasmanian skies as in Armidale. Even in winter the cold is not unpleasant, though the frosts are sharp and frequently last till late in the forenoon. Often in winter one may sit on the leaside of a house and enjoy the genial warmth of the sun, while on the shady side the air will be freezing. On such occasions the different sides of the street have widely different climates. It is a remarkably healthy district, and there is no tonic that I know of like the air of this elevated plateau. To judge by the substantial repasts prepared to satisfy the heroic appetites of their guests, this fact had been forced upon the attention of the local hotelkeepers.
Resuming my northward way, I left Armidale by a goods train after an early breakfast on a bright frosty morning. The train travelled at a marvellously slow rate, and I was thus enabled to have a good view of the country we passed through. About a couple of miles out of town I was shown the fine mansion lately built by Mr F. White. It is on a very pretty site, and overlooks the little valley, which is here of much greater extent than at Armidale. The train for a few miles passes through low hills on which a thin layer of cold poor soil produces only a forest of stunted, worthless trees. Then a welcome change took place, the light coloured stiff clay gave place to a rich chocolate soil, and the country was dotted over with pleasant looking and substantially built homesteads. Stock feeding is much practised about here and every little steading was surrounded by numerous large and well built stacks. I noticed that many of the farm horses in the fields we passed by were rugged, a sure sign of cold climate, and of care on the part of the stock owners. Much of the forest near Eversleigh would be greatly improved by ring-barking, but the practice is not in favour with the residents. Though we were now approaching the highest part of the tableland traversed by the railway, the views were never extensive, and only disclosed a series of low wooded hills in every direction. The formation was now granite, and the cuttings along the line were very heavy. This portion of the railway must have cost a large sum per mile, and for a considerable distance it runs through an almost uninhabited country, in which the natural resources are apparently very small. The line appears to follow the summit of the mountain range ; sometimes the fall is to the east, and then, again, it is to the west. On more than one occasion I saw the fall of the country east and west from the line at the one spot. At Black Mountain we had reached an elevation of a little over 4300ft. ; there was a bright sunshine, but the air was sharp and cold. Like the greater portion of the tableland, there was a large quantity of young timber springing up through the forest. From the appearance of the patches that have been ringbarked, clearing this country will be a very difficult operation, as, owing to the climate, the native trees have a strong vitality. Beyond Black Mountain the country is flat and swampy, and at Guyra the train runs by a very large marsh named “The Mother of Ducks,” but the ducks had deserted their mother at the time I passed. The formation about here is basalt, and if the surface were drained it would make excellent. grazing ground. At Ben Lomond we were 4471ft. above the sea, the highest point reached by any railway in Australia. The station is a pretty one, with comfortable quarters for the railway officials. The hamlet is small, the most noticeable building being a diminutive wooden church. To my surprise I saw a calico poster announcing the fact that there was to be a large sale of business and villa allotments on a day in December last. In a cutting beyond the highest point I noticed that the formation was still basalt. The descent beyond Ben Lomond is rapid, the train running down a narrow valley, and at times I got a view of a forest country extending a long way to the north, with blue mountains outlined against the sky. As we went on, the little mountain glen opened out into a large valley, and I got a fine view of the country to the northward. There were plenty of both cattle and sheep on the hillsides, and the grass was everywhere abundant. The lower we ran down the valley the more extensive became the flats, which were composed of the finest black soil. The temperature rapidly became higher as we descended the valley, and orchards, maize-fields, and small farm-steadings were frequently met with. The prevailing grass all over this country was kangaroo grass. Beyond a place named Glencoe we got into granite country again, and at Stonehenge passed an immense number of granite boulders standing high above the surface of the ground. The granite country lasted till we reached Glen Innes, where I anticipated there would be a halt for refreshments. To my intense disgust, there was a long wait, but nothing eatable or drinkable was to be obtained, and this is a country where the appetite is sharpened by the fresh mountain air.
Glen Innes is a small town, but a very “live” one. It is fully alive to the advantages of railway communication with the coast, and the inhabitants seem thoroughly in earnest in their determination that their town shall be the point of departure of the line to the coast and of that for Inverell. I intended stopping at this interesting town on my return journey, but unfortunately had not the time to spare. The soil around Glen Innes is remarkably good, and some of the very best is contained in the Furrucabad estate, lately purchased and cut up into farms by a syndicate. Though granite rock crops out all over the district, the soil is of the blackest and richest I saw in New England. The agricultural resources of the district surrounding Glen Innes are very great. After passing through a large area of rich-soil country, we come into a poorer soil on which there are very few habitations to be seen. The cuttings are numerous, and some of them very deep and long. We were rising again beyond Deepwater, and the incline was so steep at times that the engine could only just keep the train moving. On the summit of the range called the Bolivia Mountains a halt was made to let the brakes down, a precaution we soon found was absolutely necessary. If the hills were steep on the southern side, they seemed to be much more so on the northern side. The train plunged down among a series of wild rocky hills. The sudden curves on this part of the descent showed the necessity for strong brake power. In some respects this place resembles the famous Zigzag on the Blue Mountains, but to my mind is much more beautiful. The hills are wilder and the view more extensive, while below is seen a most charming valley, in which the groups of bright-foliaged apple-trees have a very fine effect. On reaching the valley I found it consisted of a wide extent of rich black soil, on which there was a heavy sward of grass. Here I saw a good many well-bred cattle all of which were in excellent condition. From below, the prospect of the mountain side, with the bold sweeping curves of the railway, was almost as attractive as that from the summit. Soon after leaving the Bolivia station night closed in, and the remainder of the journey was performed in the dark. The train reached Tenterfield a little after 7 o’clock, having taken 10 hours to perform a journey of 121 miles. The line from Newcastle to Tenterfield is 381 miles long, and there are no less than 66 stations on the way, an average of a station to every 5-2/3 of miles. During this long ride I was surprised to see so much good soil, the greater portion of which is as yet unimproved. It is a splendid country, and appears capable of producing all descriptions of agricultural produce in unlimited quantities. To me, the most attractive portion of the journey was the run across the New England tableland. With its immense area of splendid soil and glorious climate it has capabilities that are as yet undreamt of by the inhabitants. When the railway is completed to Sydney, and the carriage tariff arranged on a scale that will encourage traffic, there will be a great awakening all through this important district. In many respects the country resembles the plateau that extends eastward from Ballarat, but it is more than a hundred times larger. For growing all the fruits of a temperate clime, for dairy produce, for agriculture, and for grazing, I know of no district of equal size that can compare with New England, when the great natural resources of the land are fully developed.
Death Of Mr. E. C. Sommerlad
Monday 8 September 1952, The Sydney Morning Herald
Mr. Ernest Christian Sommerlad, M.L.C., leader of the N.S.W. provincial Press for 25 years, died at his home at Lindfield on Saturday night. He was 66.
Mr. Sommerlad was past president, past secretary and life member of the N.S.W. Country Press Association, chairman and managing director of Country Press, Ltd., and chairman of directors of the N.S.W. section of the Australian United Press, Ltd.
He was born in Tenterfield, the youngest in a family of 12, and left school at the age of 11 to work on the family farm. He came to Sydney when 21 to train for the Methodist Ministry. He went to Fiji as a missionary in 1911, but ill-health forced his resignation from the Church.
Mr. Sommerlad became a reporter on the “Inverell Argus,” and in 1919 went to Glen Innes to take charge of the “Examiner.” In the next ten years he amalgamated a number of district papers and formed Northern Newspapers Pty. Ltd. He was chairman and managing director of the company from its inception.
In 1929 Mr. Sommerlad was appointed general manager of Country Press Ltd., the Sydney office of the N.S.W. country newspapers. Later he became managing director and chairman.
M.L.C. FOR 20 YEARS
Mr. Sommerlad had been a member of the Legislative Council for 20 years. He was one of the founders of the Australian Country Party.
He was awarded the C.B.E. for his work as chairman of the publicity committee of the 1939 sesqui-centenary celebration.
He is survived by his wife, two daughters, Mrs. Joy Udy and Miss Heather Sommerlad, and two sons, E. Lloyd and David.
A service will be held at Lindfield Methodist Church at 11 a.m. to-morrow, before cremation at Northern Suburbs Crematorium.
The Postal System in the Interior (or Don’t Ever Complain of The Slow Internet Again)
Saturday 6 November 1852, The Maitland Mercury & Hunter River General Advertiser
Sydney News
THE POSTAL SYSTEM IN THE INTERIOR.
(From a Correspondent of the Empire.)
That more complaints have been made during the past season, on account of irregular deliveries of letters and newspapers sent by post, is no new theme, but none have entered particularly into the various causes which have occasioned these irregularities. They may be classified as under –
The impaired slate of the highways. Successive floods. Country postmasters' negligence. Remissness of mail contractors.
These have all been assigned singly, severally, or altogether, as incontrovertible reasons why the most unexampled uncertainty prevailed as to the time when her Majesty’s mails would be delivered at their proper places, or whether indeed they would be ever delivered at all.
On the first head, there can be no difference of opinion, that the public roads are annually becoming worse. . By one defect, the want of drainage, they are now so cut up by torrents of water pouring down from the higher grounds that scarcely saddle horses can get over in numerous places, where the trenches are excavated a yard deep, and draymen stand aghast by the sides of the gaping ditches. It is feared that the Internal Communication Committee will have still a harder task before them, ere they can get the public roads in a passable condition for the public accommodation. In fact three fourths of the northern roads are so bad that it is almost impossible that they can get much worse. On the second head, successive flooding of the rivers, much might be said.
This excuse in general for delays ought not to he admitted in the same way as bad roads. The roads cannot be readily or easily repaired, but the delays at flooded rivers ought to be provided for by the Postmaster General or by the Executive Government.
On the Northern Road, we have the Hunter at Singleton and at Aberdeen : why not keep boats there to be ready for emergencies ? Next we are pulled up on our travels inland, by the deep and narrow Peel. A bridge could be laid over this frequently flooded stream at no great expense, sufficient for the conveyance of men and horses at all times and on all occasions, if not drays. When we have waded safely through the Peel, the mighty McDonald, prime source of the Namoi, pulls us up at Bicknell’s. A boat ! a boat ! twenty pounds for a boat.’ has been shouted many a time by travellers in greater haste by far than the post man – but all in vain. A bridge which would span the Peel could not reach more than half-way over the McDonald, so -boat, ahoy ! if you please, Messieurs the Ministry, and we will cheerfully pay sixpence for our passage, yea, a shilling, it you will be quick only, and don’t keep us waiting. The ugly hole at Salisbury, and crossing at Gostwyck on the same creek, could be avoided by sending the mails via Kentucky and Mr. McCrossin’s Inn, on the Rocky River – by-the-bye, a road much nearer, and far better, and with no dangerous interruptions at all until arrival at Armidale, the capital of New England. From thence northward to Warwick and Brisbane the natural impedimenta are small indeed. The miserable, boggy, Boyd’s Creek, at Beardy Plains, and the large Yarrowford (the Sovereign), could be bridged at little cost. In fact from Maitland to Moreton Bay, there are found only four great obstructions from casual floods, and these stand first in the list, viz. : The Hunter’s two crossings, the Peel, and the McDonald. All nations have provided means of communication from head quarters to all parts of their dominions. The Peruvians had their bridges of hide, and, in the Himalaya Mountains, conveyance across furious torrents by means of ropes are said to have been constructed. The Chinese made bridges over gulfs from mountain to mountain. But we Australians are the most lukewarm set of folks on the face of the earth ; and like the squatters, are only famous for grumbling, suffering, and doing nothing towards obtaining redress of our grievances; aye ready to cry, what are the Legislative Council doing ? but do not bestir ourselves to strengthen the hands of our representatives ; so do a precious deal less, and matters drag on, or may stick altogether if they please, and men just wonder what detains the mails and there’s the conclusion – the expression of wonder and a sort of guttural growling byway of mental relief, like a steam-boiler escape valve.
Country postmasters are generally a very respectable body of men. There may be exceptions, extra fines, in all senses of the term ; but it is difficult to please every body – impossible; so more blame is laid to their doors than can be called just or fair on the whole. Without entering into the subject of responsibilities required of them to despatch the mailbags when the contractors fail in their duties, from what they consider perilous adventure, with permission, gentlemen, let us advert to one very common subject of complaint – the non-delivery or too frequent loss of newspapers to country subscribers. In most instances you ought to be exculpated ; the fault usually lies not with you.
Whatever chaffing may be found in the contents or insides of these newspapers amongst themselves, it amounts to nothing compared to the chafing the outsides sustain against one another, when shaken, jolted, rubbed, squeezed, jammed, rough-ridden upon the backs of hard trotting brutes of horses, from Tamworth to Tenterfield, and from thence to Gayndah, or some such outlandish place, at the rate of eight miles an hour; the postboys whistling along, unthinking of the messes they are making ; nor care they a straw about it, their sole anxiety resting on doing their given distance in given times. The consequences may be anticipated.
So much chafing has reduced the frail thin covers, and their superscriptions to chaff, and considerable portions of the newspapers in addition. The distinctions of meum and tuum have become indistinguishable. The Herald fails to announce its rightful owner, nor can the Empire recognise its true subjects. The People’s Advocate cannot advocate its own cause ; and the Freeman’s Journal may be free to any one. A subscriber to the Advocate, residing on the Darling Downs, reported that he had received five papers in three months, and another expressed his satisfaction that he had better luck than many of his neighbours by getting half the numbers of the Maitland Mercury, when others obtained about one-fourth. Many persons must ride twenty, thirty, fifty miles, and back again, in the bush, to their nearest post-offices for letters, &c. A newspaper in the far interior is a god-send, to let the solitaries domiciled there understand what the world is doing, and what are the prices of wool, tallow, sheep, and bullocks, flour, sugar, tea, salt, soap, and labour. Bushmen are not famous for possessing the virtue of patience. When told that there has been no post – no papers for the last month, they anathematise all concerned, from the Printer’s Devil to the Postmaster-General-wish them in warmer quarters than shall be at present expressed, but may be understood, and gallop away, swearing, the vagabonds, that they will give up their newspapers henceforth and for evermore, and many keep their words.
The remedial means in this case are very simple. Besides the usual address on the cover, let the names and residences of the parties interested be written upon the newspapers themselves, in the same way as are done with papers to and from Britain, and there will be little cause of complaint on the score of missing newspapers in future.
Storm, Anniversary Day holiday in Tenterfield
Tuesday 7 February 1865, The Maitland Mercury & Hunter River General Advertiser
One of the most violent and terrific hailstorms, accompanied with thunder and lightning, ever known in Tenterfield, commonly named a “southerly buster,” occurred here on Thursday, 26th instant. It commenced about 3pm, and lasted twenty-five minutes. Some of the hail stones were of an enormous size, measuring 4 inches, 5¼ inches, and 6¼ inches in circumference. The corn is in blossom, and is almost stripped of its leaves, and in many instances destroyed. Potato stalks previously had a vigorous appearance, but were levelled to the ground, and mangled in such a manner that you would find it difficult to know what they are like. The above disaster will cause a serious injury to the free selectors and other inhabitants whose sole dependence is their crops; and bad the storm fallen more westerly, the damage would have been far greater to behold. Windows were smashed in every part of the township, and hardly a house escaped the fury of the storm.
Anniversary Day[1] was kept up as a general holiday. A respectable pic-nic [sic][2] party, consisting of Mr. George Willson’s family and a few friends, in all about thirty persons, left in the morning for Glenlyon, about 8 miles from the township, and returned in the evening, when a subscription was opened to pay for fireworks, in all about £12 expended, in order to pass off the evening merrily, which was kept until a late hour. At the Royal Hotel, a German subscription-ball was announced ; about fifty persons attended, and they all danced merrily until five o’clock in the morning. The refreshments consisted of coffee and cake laid out in the German style.
POLICE COURT, 26TH JAN – Patrick Whelan was fined £3 for assaulting B. A. Kemp, butcher, who was in the street and on horseback at the time. Whelan was intoxicated.
Bridge will be completed on the 5th proximo. Tenterfield, Jan. 28
—–
[1] “Anniversary Day”, now known as Australia Day
[2] Pic-nic, hyphenated. Perhaps due to being written as “picque-nique” in the original French.
News from around New England
Tuesday 25 May 1869, The Maitland Mercury & Hunter River General Advertiser
(Abridged from the Armidale Papers, May 22)
About an inch of rain has fallen at Armidale, since our last issue. It has benefitted the wheat sown, and the grass, but much more is needed for breaking up new ground. Of late there have been several heavy frosts -Express.
We are glad to learn that the health of Mr. Weaver, P.M., continues to improve since he went down the country -Express.
On Saturday last intelligence reached Armidale that a little boy named Peter Daly, the son of a shepherd on Mr. Marks’ Gara run, who was in charge of a flock of sheep, had got separated from them on the previous day, and been lost in the bush. It was stated that nearly all the hands had been out on Gara, as also Mr. Hargrave’s station adjoining (Hillgrove), in search of him, but that up to Saturday night all were unsuccessful. On Sunday a number of persons started from Armidale on the same errand, but their attempts likewise proved unavailing. On Monday a messenger brought in the news that the child had been discovered on Sunday night, at the hut of a shepherd on Mrs. McIntyre’s run, in not much worse condition than when he started. The little fellow must have crossed the Gyra river twice during his wanderings -Telegraph.
Much dissatisfaction is expressed at Armidale in consequence of Jeremiah Meehan having escaped the infliction of capital punishment for the murder of James McCormack -Express
On Thursday Mr. Tourle, of Ballala, was thrown from his horse, and had his shoulder dislocated -Express.
The question of whether there shall be a ploughing match at Armidale is still undecided. -Express
A meeting of the Armidale and New England Railway League was held on Monday evening, when it was resolved to send a congratulatory message to the hon. Colonial Secretary upon the occasion of opening the railway to Muswellbrook on Wednesday. The message was accordingly sent, and the following answer was received: – “The Colonial Secretary to the Armidale and New England Railway League. The Ministry heartily thank the League for their congratulations, and sincerely reciprocate the hope expressed in their telegram that ere long the opening of a railway to Armidale may gratify the inhabitants of the great and important district of New England. The demonstration to-day was indeed worthy of the Upper Hunter and of its truly public-spirited inhabitants. It was not only highly gratifying to the Ministry, but to his Excellency Lord Belmore and the Countess. The Colonial Secretary thinks this an appropriate opportunity to say that in the course of a few weeks he will visit New England.”
At a meeting of the Armidale Borough Council, on Tuesday evening, after some discussion, the Town Clerk, Mr. Lamb, was re-instated in his office.
A public meeting has been held at Tenterfield for the purpose of taking steps to establish a local journal in that town. It was resolved to open a subscription list, with a view of giving a bonus to the person who would start a paper in the town, and about £40 was subscribed towards that object.
Road works
Tuesday 26 June 1866, The Maitland Mercury & Hunter River General Advertiser
Nearly all the works under the department of minor. roads in the Clarence and Richmond district have been arranged for. Tenders have been invited for a bridge over the Saltwater River, on the Casino Road, and it is proposed to let metalling of approaches to Casino Ford, and some clearing through Bargo Brush. On the Tenterfield Road the improvement of Currabubla Hill, and the Sandy Hill, and several small works near Fairfield and Tenterfield have been let ; also the repairs to bridges near Wyon and at Tenterfield. On the Tenterfield and Glen Innes Road, the cutting and metalling at Bolivia has been let, also some metalling near Tenterfield. On the Grafton and Armidale Road, works have been let to amount of available funds, at Blaxland’s Swamp, Urara Bridge, approaches to Blick’s River Bridge, and at Shea’s Scrub ; also, clearing and culverts between Hillgrove and Armidale. On the road from Armidale to Glen Innes, arrangements for the works are in progress. Arrangements are being made for the commencement of works on the Newton Boyd Road. In the Kempsey and Port Macquarie district all the works have been arranged for except the bridge over Hyndman’s Creek, for which no tenders have been received. On the road from Singleton to Cassilis, all the works are let and in progress, and the screwing up of Nundle Bridge has been ordered.-Herald’s Summary, June 23.
The Minister for Justice at Tenterfield
Monday 5 September 1898, The Sydney Morning Herald
ADDRESS ON THE POLITICAL SITUATION.
TENTERFIELD, Sunday.
The Hon. C. A Lee (Minister for Justice) addressed the electors at the School of Arts last night. There was a large attendance. After referring to the circumstances leading to his acceptance on the office of Minister for Justice, which, he said, had not necessitated sinking any of the principles upon which he had been returned at last general election, and referring to the unanimity that existed between himself and his colleagues on the federal issue and the general policy of the Government, he dwelt at great length on the federal resolutions now before Parliament, and said he did not wish to discuss the details of the amendments, but would show that the conciliatory exposition of them by the Premier would satisfy the other colonies that they were on a sound and fair basis, and were introduced in a manner which would enable the other colonies to honourably consider them. This proper start augured well for Australian union, which the Government would endeavour in every legitimate way to bring about. Any alleged fears as to the Premier’s sincerity had been silenced by his present action, and if the public had any doubts as to the federal composition of the Cabinet his (Mr. Lee’s) appointment as representative of the important Northern constituency where the desire for federation was pronounced should entirely remove them. He dwelt strongly upon the favourable attitude of the Premier of Queensland, and said he looked to that colony as the principal factor at this juncture in speedily accomplishing federation, and the favourable way the other colonies had received the resolutions justified the belief that the desire for union had not decreased. The meeting unanimously passed a resolution endorsing Mr. Lee’s acceptance of a portfolio, and pledging itself to support his re-election.
No opposition to Mr Lee’s candidature is mentioned.
Mail coach capsized
Tuesday 9 August 1910, The Sydney Morning Herald
CASINO, Monday.
On Sunday morning the Coach from Casino to Tenterfield met with an accident, which delayed it four and a half hours. The coach had a big load-of mail matter and three passengers, besides the ordinary driver (Brereton) and a relief driver. When. coming down the foot of Sandiland’s Range, a very steep and twisting road, the brake gave way. The coach ran on at a good speed, and the swaying caused the coach to turn over. None of the passengers were injured. The two drivers, however, were pinned under the coach. Assistance was obtained from the Sandiland’s Hotel and the drivers were extricated., Brereton had one of his feet burt, badly, and his nose cut. The other driver was severely shaken, but proceeded to Tabulam with Mr. Brown, of the Sandilands Hotel, who took the coach on. Brereton stayed at Sandilands.
Special Mining Wardens appointed
Tuesday 9 August 1910, The Sydney Morning Herald
Some time ago a number of special mining wardens were appointed to take charge of districts where it is impracticable for the resident police magistrates to attend to the duties of that office. The constitution of the districts in of a temporary nature, some being of considerable extent. Glen Innes, for instance, embraces Drake, Inverell, Tenterfield, Armidale, Hillgrove, and other northern mining localities. In the meantime, one of the wardens, Mr. W. Perry, will have his headquarters at Glen Innes, Mr. A. B. C. Barker, at Bathurst. Mr George James, at Cootamundra, and Mr. O. R. Williams, at Goulburn. They will commence duty in their new appointments on August 15. The scheme, if successful, will probably be further extended. So far it is experimental. Cobar and Broken Hill are not included in it, as, owing to their position, apart from other fields, it is not considered necessary to have special wardens.
Tin mining near Armidale
Tuesday 3 September 1872, The Maitland Mercury & Hunter River General Advertiser
(From the Armidale Express, Aug. 31.)
It is reported in Armidale that two gentlemen resident here have supplied the cash to lease 1400 acres of mineral land on Strathbogie, near Tenterfield. It is stated that Mr. Elliott, late R. C. Schoolmaster, was the discoverer. We understand there has been a new discovery of mineral land some 90 miles to the west of Inverell.
The reputation of Kangaroo Hills as a tin country has been very fluctuating, and some have earned disparagement so far as to report it a ” duffer.” Nevertheless it has not been altogether disregarded, as a prospector in the present week brought thence to Armidale some specimens of supposed tin ore, which he showed to Mr J Moore. This gentleman, liking their appearance, carried them to Mr Herzog’s to have them tested. Mr H. being from home, Mr M. got a lad to prepare the furnace, and he then took a specimen of four ozs., which be melted-it was his first attempt-and obtained two ozs. of good tin and 12 or 13 globules of a yellow metal These he subsequently showed to Dr. Spasshatt and Mr. Wright, at Messrs. Richardson and Co.’s store, and both these gentlemen having submitted them to a chemical test, pronounced them copper. We saw one flattened out to the size of a threepenny piece. The metal appeared to be very pure. Mr. Moore has taken up a considerable area of the indicated locality.
On Tuesday we saw upwards of a cwt. of extraordinary fine specimens of lode tin ore from the Truro claim, at Cope’s Creek. They were in the possession of Mr. R. S. Jenkins, one of the partners in the claim. On the evening of the same day, packed in two canvas bags, they were forwarded to Sydney, as samples of the ore-producing capabilities of the claim. Some of the specimens contained a layer of pure tin within a crust of cement, and one piece, said to be from the wall of the reef, about three inches in thickness and from eight to nine square, was as much as one could manage to lift about with one hand. It appears to be only within the last few days that the lode was found, though it has been sought for over several months. It was discovered, we understand, in making a final prospect, and what it has yielded some four feet below the surface is said to be as rich as the best products of the Glen.
Old news from Armidale and New England 