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Glenreagh Memorial Museum

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Glenreagh, NSW
Glenreagh Memorial Museum

Open First Saturday of each Month. This page is for people who are interested in the history of the Glenreagh. Gold coin donation for entry

15/09/2026

In 1980, there were only two classes at Glenreagh Public School. This is the Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 class that had Mr Bruce Robinson as their teacher. Mr Robinson was also the principal at Glenreagh at that time. The students in this class were, from left to right: Front row - Karen Drysdale, Terri Begley, Melissa Webster, Michelle Wells, Karryne Vaughan, Janice McPherson, Kerry Leitch, Leonie Woodward, Annette Little, Maria Stewart; Middle row - Daniel Berry, David Dart, Jason Ellem, Christopher Shipman, Bradley Schaeffer, Sharon Shipman, Jason Bursle, Dallas Bursle, Shannon Dow, Gary Robinson, Richard Ellem; Back row - Larry McPherson, Adele Woodward, Margaret McPherson, Heidi Schulz, Glenda Simpson, Catherine Little, Cheryl Carten, Rebecca Webb, Ricky Schaeffer. AccNr02023

14/09/2026

Here is a photo from 1980, featuring the children who were in Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 at Glenreagh Public School. The teacher of this class was Mrs Wilma Towells. The children in this class were, from left to right : Front row - Lorraine Orton, Natasha Bursle, Esther Froesch, Tania Schaeffer, Cindy Shipman, Bernadette Kilden, Rachael Lawson, Debbie York; Back row - Jason Little, Stewart Webb, John Shipman, Ken York, Adrian Drysdale, Michael Ellem, Matthew Leitch. AccNr02022

13/09/2026

The tennis courts at Glenreagh had many years of constant use, through social games, club competitions and teaching the young ones the art of the sport. This photo has no details of the occasion of this game, but is most likely a regular weekend club competition game against teams from other areas. Several players are entering the club house, while two men stand outside talking, and a lady and man are in the front right corner. Do you recognise anyone who is in this photo? Did you notice the two tennis racquets placed with their handles through the wire net fencing, beside the court entry gate? This was a common practise for many to place their racquets when not in use. AccNr00909

12/09/2026

Today's photo is another from the Lorraine Grace/Nethie Davis collection and features four generations in this photo. While it wasn't taken around this area, four of those in the photo lived in and were raised here. On the left is Nethie Davis (nee Pont) and her mother Gertrude Weller (nee Pont). Mark Frauenfelder, in the middle, is the grandson of Nethie and great grandson of Gertie. Next to Mark is his mother, Lorraine, better known as Bubby, and her sister Rita. These ladies are the daughters of Nethie and grandchildren of Gertie. The last photo is the original photo. AccNr01019

11/09/2026

This is the next of our photos believed to be from the Nana Glen district, where the subject of the photos are unknown. This child, and pony, is believed to the same child and pony seen in previous photos, AccNr01032, AccNr01036, and AccNr01043. If you look closely you can also see that the pony is distracted by the horse behind, which is eating from a hessian nose bag. Given the thicker coat that the pony has, it is most likely that the photo was taken in the cooler months of the year. In the background, the tree trunks that are spread throughout the paddock, would seem to indicate that these trees have been ringbarked, while there are also quite a few tree stumps on the hill too. If you recognise this child, please let us know so we can label these photos. AccNr01046

10/09/2026

This is yet another view of the road and bridge that spans the Orara River in Glenreagh, after serious damage was done to during the 1950s floods. This one is taken from the western side of the river, on the Glenreagh side. If you look a little more closely at the bridge, you will see that panels on the side of the bridge were pushed out by the force of the water rushing through it. You can also see, on the eastern side of the river, evidence of the large amount of soil that was washed away from the abutment of the bridge. On both the eastern and western side of the bridge you can also see where the bridge has no approaches to it, as this also has been washed away, however, on the western side, which is on the right, you can see the rocks that were used as the base for the approach stacked up to the bridge deck. The river height level indicator, seen in the middle of the photo, that gave the height of floodwaters, was written in feet, and the highest number on this is 32 feet. That meant that the river level was well above this, to have caused the damage that it did. A report, from one who was there at the time, said the river level was over the handrail. A piece of railing, lies on the bank, on the left side of the photo. At the far left end of the bridge, a person can be seen leaning on the rail, and to the left, there appears to be another person wearing a light coloured shirt, standing in the paddock, to the right of the telephone pole. On the left hand side of the photo, you can see some buildings, some of which would have been the fettlers homes that were on the eastern side of the North Coast railway line, another wooden building can be seen near the bushy tree. The structure, seen running from the left of the photo to the tree, was part of the rail network from the timber mill to the Glenreagh-Dorrigo line. On the right hand side of the photo, several buildings can be seen in the distance on the southern side of the Glenreagh-Dorrigo line. AccNr00075

09/09/2026

Today's photo is of Lil and Alex Shipman. Lil was the daughter of William and Gertrude (nee Pont) Weller . Alex was the son of Horace and Elsie (nee Gill) Shipman. They were married in Glenreagh in early 1949. Lil's grandmother, Charlotte Pont (nee Shipman), and Alex's grandfather, William Shipman, were brother and sister, with both having moved to the area from the Wollongong area. There were many families today who share these common ancestors. Alex passed away in 2012 and Lil in 2019. Both are buried at the Glenreagh Cemetery. Photo is from the Lil Shipman collection. AccNr01059

Their wedding was reported in the newspapers and this is the article that can be found on Trove ... https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/194891063
'Daily Examiner (Grafton, NSW : 1915 - 1954), Tuesday 1 February 1949, page 4
PRETTY WEDDING AT GLENREAGH
A pretty wedding solemnised in Christ Church. Glenreagh, was that of Lilian Gertrude, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Weller, and Horace Alexander Cecil, son of Mr. and Mrs. H.G. Shipman.
The bridal gown of white all-over lace over taffeta, was offset by the pale blue organdi picture frocks and hats worn by the bridesmaids. The bride carried a bouquet of Madonna lilies and frangipanni, and the bridesmaids, Victorian posies of pink baby roses and carnations.
The bridesmaids were Miss Zettie Darwin and Miss Enid Shipman, sister of the bride groom. The best man was Mr. Barry Smith and Mr. Frank Tatton was groomsman.
The service was performed by Rev. Miller. The church was decorated with ribbon grass, baby roses and Madonna lilies. Mr. W. L. Meek was organist, and the vocalist was Mrs L. Green. The reception was held at the School of Arts, where the guests were received by the bride's
mother, who wore a frock of navy linen patterned with large white flowers. It was styled with a flared skirt. She added a shoulder posy of pink carnations. Mrs. Weller was assisted by the mother of the bridegroom, who was frocked in black crepe relieved by a shoulder spray of roses and carnations.
The honeymoon was spent touring the North Coast and Tablelands. For travelling, the bride chose a blue crepe frock finished with coffee coloured lace. She added black acces sories and an attractive picture hat. A kitchen tea was tendered the bride a week before the wed ding by her friends.

08/09/2026

These people came together on the 11th October 2003, to watch the official opening of the new Glenreagh Post Office. Can you help name them? Clockwise from left to right, we have identified - RIta Shipman (black shirt with flowers), ? (tweed jacket/grey hair), ? (light brown hair/ hidden), ? (glasses/fair isle jumper), Greg Cooper (straw hat/yellow shirt), Trevor Elks (grey hair/glasses), ? (straw hat/white trousers), Dorothy Elks (red jacket/black pants), ? (grey 3/4 jacker/black pants), Bill Towells (white shirts/shorts), Norman Green (?) (grey hair/against fence), Wilma Towells (grey pants), ? (black hair/leaning against fence), Robyn Goodenough (?) (white top/black pants), June McPherson (grey hair, black jumper), John Gwynne (balding/blue shirt/grey pants), Dorothy Teale (pink shirt/whitish skirt), Julie Gwynne (white shirt/light blue pants), ? (small child), ? (shaved head/sunglasses/white shirt), Unice McPherson (seated on chair). AccNr00680

07/09/2026

Who remembers what Shannon Park looked like before the first renovation? While paths had been formed with rock edging and garden beds and shrubs planted, the area was due for its first overhaul. This happened in August 2003 when the band of volunteers took on the task. AccNr00902

06/09/2026

This is Laura and Sid Hooson, taken on the occasion of their 60th wedding anniversary. To celebrate this momentous occasion of their lives that was held in October 1976, they were joined by family and friends at the Glenreagh School of Arts. AccNr01058

The following article about this celebration was published in the Bananacoast Opinion, on 27th October, 1976.
'Glenreagh couple married 60 years
Glenreagh couple Sid and Laura Hooson have recently celebrated 60 years of marriage. The diamond wedding anniversary celebra-tions were attended by 170 friends and re-latives, including the original bridesmaid, Mrs. Harriet McPherson, sister of Mrs. Hooson. The gathering was held at the Glenreagh Hall and chaired by life-time friend Mr. Harry Ellem, who proposed the toast to the couple. Mr. Hooson, 83, and Mrs. Hooson, 81, have had seven children (two deceased) 21 grand children and 13 great grandchildren. They were married at the Glenreagh Church of England on October 18 1916. Mr. Hooson was born in England and first came to Australia in 1910 on a ship called the Nurrang. His first job was at Warren. Later he returned to Sydney and then to Graf-ton where he worked on the Grafton-Glenreagh railway line. In 1916 he married Laura Green, eldest girl of a family of 14, and brought a property at Talla-wudjah Creek where they have lived ever since. Mr. Hooson was presented with the King's Silver Jubilee Medal in 1935.
He was a councillor with Dorrigo shire for 24 years and president for several terms, as well as holding a great number of official positions includ-ing director of the South Grafton abattoirs, director of the Grafton Dairy Company and a member of the pastures protection board. He was also a member of the Clarence River County Council, representing Dorrigo, and involved in many other local organisations.'
This article can be found on Trove - https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/254819594

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Glenreagh, NSW
2450

Telephone

+61266492001

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