Taking the Cake

In addition to bringing us roads, we have the Romans to thank for the humble fruit cake. When Mrs Maunder’s Boiled Fruit Cake placed second at the 1975 Wee Waa Show, she was unwittingly contributing to the legacy of an ancient cake that is so dense that it’s sometimes referred to as ‘doorstop.’ The fruit […]

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Carved in Maple

World War I (1914–1918) stands as Australia’s most devastating conflict when it comes to loss of life and injuries. With a population of less than five million, a staggering 416,809 men signed up to fight. Sadly, over 60,000 of them never made it home, and another 156,000 were wounded, gassed, or captured. Volunteering for someone […]

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The Russian Pedlar

Originally from Russia, Albert Abram Coppleson (1865-1948) was never one to shy away from a challenge. After leaving home at sixteen, walking to Hamburg, then travelling to London, he met Polish-born Woolf Ruta Cohen. In search of adventure, the pair made their way to New South Wales. Spending his first few years in the colony […]

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A Family Affair

In the early 1900s, on the Greek Island of Kythera, a little boy watched as his father, Minas Comino unloaded sacks of veggies onto a wharf. In the terrifying moment that he watched his father fall, he had witnessed the heart attack that turned his whole world upside down. Born in 1897, Andrew Comino became […]

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Echoes of Elegance

Held on Tuesday 14 July 1914, Narrabri’s Hospital Ball brought together residents from throughout North West NSW, amidst the escalating tensions in Europe and increasing financial strain on the hospital. Mrs. A. B. Bevan, the esteemed secretary of the Hospital Committee whose name is featured on this yellowed dance card, played a pivotal role in […]

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