Greetings All on this beautiful Australia Day!
I feel truly blessed and humbled to be posting this message from our home in the beautiful town of Tenterfield in the Far north of tghe New England Tablelands.
Today I got to spend the day in the town that we have recently called ‘home’. Tenterfield truly is the Birthplace of OUR Nation. Sir Henry Parkes delivered his Federation speech in this town, right down the street from where I live! The Tenterfield School of Arts has restored the room in which that famous speech was delivered, along with lots of other memorabilia.
Most of you will remember this town, not as our Birthplace, but as the town of the Tenterfield Saddler. Peter Allen sang of his father that ‘worked on High Street and live on Manners’. As luck (or bad luck) happens at that same time my own grandfather was the saddler in Glen Innes, which is only 1 hour south of here. Just think. Had he been 1 hour north I’d be famous now!!!! Maybe even be able to sing!!!! Hmmmmm……stretching the imagination now Jacqui!
On another note, not quite so noble!, Capt. Thunderbolt made this town his ‘home’. You can visit his cave hideout, see where he kept his horses, right near the town. No wonder no one ever found him!!!!! That place is amazing!!!! If you visit the area be sure to visit this site just north of Tenterfield on the Mt. Lindsay Highway. (along with the Tank Traps from WW1 – more of those important gadgets in a future post) I’ve read lots of fascinating stories of Capt. T. since arriving here. Just how did he venture from here south to Muswellbrook in very rugged territory and very arduous conditions. It snows here!!!!! No wonder his life ended at 34 ish.
Enough of the history lesson. I hope that everyone has had an amazing Australia Day and that we take the time and opportunity to reflect on the fact that we live in one sensational country. Let’s all take care of this beautiful country in which we live, more importantly, each other.
Blessings always.
