Mary was a cherished family doll for over a hundred years whose journey began with Alice Helen Rodgers (1894-1955). Alice was born at Red Range near Glen Innes, on Noogoorabul/Ngarabal country in northern NSW. Established in the 1850s, the small rural community was predominantly home to settlers who worked on local farms or at the […]
When the Glen Innes Brewery opened in 1882 with the latest machinery, it was described as sparing no expense. Word spread of the first brew exceeding the expectations of proprietors, J.A Spier and Thomas Craig Gillies (1855-1924), and it was soon predicted that ‘a great future is in store for the Glen Innes beer.’ However, […]
In 1934, Elsa Lowry (née Garrett) (1914-1991) expected to make 50,000 fishing flies a year in her small workshop in Katoomba, in central NSW. Each of her 500 varieties of fly were tied by hand and mimicked insects that fish loved to eat like ants, flies, dragonflies and crickets to ‘entice trout from …. secluded […]
When Arthur J. Dodd (1849-1923) arrived in Glen Innes, northern NSW, there was no telling the impact he would have over the next fifty years. Born in Kent, England, he set his sights on becoming a chemist as a young person and, in his early twenties, honed his skills as a sick bay attendant for […]
Experiment farms were born of a desire to figure out what agricultural practices worked best in any given region. The government hoped that funding farmers to test a range of crops and cultivation methods would result in the local industry generating higher yields and, in turn, higher revenue. Established in 1901, the Glen Innes Experiment […]
The rhythmic tap of heels on lino floors, the soft beeps of monitors, and the murmur of hushed voices – the Glen Innes hospital has been a place of care for more than 130 years. First established in 1887 after petitioning from the local community, the hospital has continued to grow from its humble beginnings […]
Exposed organs, popping eyeballs, and the lumpy, snaking texture of a brain might not be a sight you’d like to start the day with. However, for those in the medical profession, understanding what goes on under the skin is often essential to providing proper health care. Historically, doctors often used cadavers to provide insights into […]
Once a ‘sleepy hollow’, Glen Innes in northern NSW became a ‘scene of unparalleled excitement’ when tin was discovered in the district in the 1870s. There was a huge influx of miners and ‘hotels were thronged with eager and excited visitors from all parts of the world.’ ‘Shops of all descriptions sprang into existence.’ As […]
Handmade of high-quality fabrics and in the typical style of the period, this pleated grey bonnet was one of Martha Ann Cotterell’s (née Tarrant) (1825-1891) most prized possessions. Martha grew up in the middle of London, where she met Thomas Cotterell (1825-1903). On their wedding day in 1848, Martha was dressed to the latest fashion, […]
Thomas Nichols of Bonshaw, a small town on the border of NSW and Queensland, must have been a patient man. Crafted in 1917, this rope required a process that took him several weeks. Made from the skin of a bullock owned by Len Mott of Llangothlin, a town 150km south of Bonshaw, the first step […]
Museums & Galleries of NSW acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the lands that comprise the state now known as NSW.
We pay respect to them as First Nations people with a continuing connection to land, place, waters and community
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are advised that this site contains stories, images, voices, and video of people who have died.
Some material may contain terms that reflect common usage of the period in which it was written or recorded but may not be considered appropriate today. Such terms do not reflect the views of Museums and Galleries of NSW and are provided only to reflect historical context.