On Easter Saturday in 1938 the Mount Panorama Circuit at Bathurst, in the Central West of NSW, was first used for motor racing. The inaugural event was part of the district’s 150 years of European settlement celebrations. The inaugural race was an Australian TT motorcycle race, two days later the Australian Grand Prix cars competed. […]
In 1923, George Kringas (formerly Krigkas) migrated from the Peloponnese to Australia in search of a better life. Just one year later he opened his Greek café named the Rose Marie in Orange. From the early twentieth century, Greek entrepreneurs like George established cafes that were a mix of the late nineteenth century British-style oyster-bar […]
On 9 November 1988 the Tamworth PowerStation Museum was opened on the site where, one hundred years earlier, the steam engines that ran the town’s first electric street lights were located and housed. The museum’s opening marked and commemorated the centenary of the introduction of the town’s electric light system – which was the first […]
Kathleen Lyttleton-Taylor’s (nee Regan) gift of eighteen stunning pieces of historic silverware, made to the Tamworth Regional Gallery in 1963, includes the works of twelve accomplished Australian silversmiths. These makers originate from three different Australian states and backgrounds, which gives the collection mixed stylistic and personal influence. The work of William Edwards of Melbourne; Evan […]
Made in 1919, a gift of over 100 paintings and works on paper led to the establishment of Tamworth’s first public art gallery. Known collectively as the Salvana Collection these works were donated by Australian artist John Salvana (1873-1956). Principally a painter, Salvana was best known for his ‘bush scenes’ or impressionistic landscapes of rural […]
Canon Gerrard Baker, Vicar at West Tamworth’s Anglican Church from 1930-1966, was a keen amateur film maker. His respectable standing in the community allowed him to document many local events, including visits made by dignitaries such as Indira Gandhi and Prince Charles. He had an arrangement with the local pharmacy – Cohen’s Chemist – to […]
Officially opened on October 6 1908, Broken Hill’s council-owned abattoir was built to provide better sanitation than that provided by existing private or backyard slaughterhouses. In September 1909, keen to show his constituents that the public money was well-spent, Mayor Alderman Long toured the facility with The Barrier Miner’s photographer, James Wooler. Wooler captured the […]
When Alma Cowie awoke on the morning of 1 January 1915 she planned to spend a relaxed day picnicking. What unfolded instead was an unexplained act of armed violence that left four people dead and seven wounded. On the edge of the Broken Hill township, a gun-battle unfolded in efforts to arrest the perpetrators. These […]
Travelling boxing troupes and tent boxing were popular in Australia’s country towns during the first half of the twentieth century, and Broken Hill was no exception. The Broken Hill Trades Hall’s permanent boxing ring was known as the Stadium and promoters regularly toured out-of-town fighters. Contributing to boxing’s popularity at Broken Hill was its Cornish […]
Following WWI and WWII the NSW government allocated land to select returned soldiers, as part of post-war repatriation and reconstruction programs. For those eligible to receive soldier settlement land, and where the number of applications exceeded the number of blocks available, a ballot was conducted. The wooden ballot-box and marbles shown here were used by […]
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.