Introductory Note to the 'Armidale and District Historical Society Journal and Proceedings': No. 19, April, 1976

Abstract

The present issue is going to press at a time which enables the inclusion of information up to and including the time of the Annual General Meeting in April, 1976. Thus, although we can only announce the opening of the Walcha Wool Industry Hail (in May, 1976), we have been able to commemorate: the opening, in February 1976, of the New England Historical Resources Centre; the centenary in March 1976 of local government in Tamworth (the early history of which city is noticed in a number of contributions to this issue), and to report on the extending of the Armidale Folk Museum by the new complex at Hillgrove. It is also appropriate to record the 120th anniversary, on April 5th, 1976, and the 100th on April 15th, 1976 respectively, of the two most important regional source newspapers, 'The Armidale Express' and 'The Uralla Times', more recently known as 'The Tablelands Times'. The same milestone centennial anniversary was reached by 'The Inverell Times' on 19th December, 1975, while the Public Library of New South Wales which enshrines the unique national Mitchell Library, is this year celebrating the 150th anniversary of its foundation. Architectural centenaries to be noted are - the laying of the foundation stone in August, 1876, for the Horbury Hunt designed chapel at Ollera (see p. 44, infra); and the centenary of the birth of another American architect, Walter Burley Griffin, Federal Capital Director of Design and Construction, and planner of Sydney's Castlecrag. The former figure may be held to have been the most provocative architect in New England, the latter the most controversial in all Australian history.