Stepping Back in Time || Our community leaders

Not many of today's councillors looking like this, with perhaps a couple of exceptions?

Our local population then was less than 5,000, but with nine councillors, whereas today we still have nine councillors on our Tamworth Regional Council representing a much wider area with a population exceeding 50,000, after our council elections four months ago.

An obvious discrepancy is the all-male gathering in the photo, compared to today's representation of three female councillors.

We have had one female Mayor (June Greer - 1986) of our 38 Council leaders since 1876.

And what of the background of these gentlemen in the photo, representing our community 137 years ago?

More like it:

1. Daniel Veness (Town Clerk). He was the son of Mayor Charles Veness (middle - bottom row). Daniel was our second Town Clerk (First full-time - annual salary 100 pounds), serving for 15 years (1877-1891), before becoming Bathurst Town Clerk. His brother Albert was Glen Innes Town Clerk for 45 years.

2. William Tribe, who came to Tamworth from Maitland in 1866, helping to draw up a petition in 1869 to establish our first Borough Council. He became a solicitor in 1872, with an office in the Exchange building, near today's clock-tower in Peel St. William served as Mayor on five occasions - 1885, 1886, 1887, 1906 and 1907. He was Vice-President of the Tamworth AFL Football Club from 1884, initiated The Oval development (now Bicentennial Park), had involvement in the Musical Society, and served on our first Fire Brigade Board from 1887. In 1913 he moved to Sydney.

3. William Budge, who came to Australia in 1843 at age 19, later moving to Barraba, and then was the owner and licensee (1881-1884) of the 'Carriers Arms' Hotel (renamed the 'Albion') opposite the Locomotive Hotel . He established his 'Albion Mill' timber-mill in the mid-1890's at the southern corner of Belmore and Barnes Street, later relocating on the S/W side of Peel Street, between Brisbane and Bourke Street. He died in 1897, eight years after this photo was taken.

4. William J. Smith, was born in Melbourne in 1846, arriving with his wife and brother Alfred in late 1875 or early 1876. He established a thriving tannery and boot factory business in today's Johnston Street which employed around 40 men. He also had property at Loomberah and Woolbrook. As a Tamworth Alderman, his great interest in electricity saw him push to form a Lighting Committee, which eventually led to the introduction of street lighting in 1888. William Smith took over as our seventh Mayor, serving in 1890/91.

5. Oliver Upjohn was born in England in 1858 and came to Australia as a 10 year old, where his father had already established a watchmaker business in 1855. He worked with his father until 1868, returning to England, then coming back in 1873 to work as a watchmaker and jeweller in Murrurundi. He moved to Tamworth in 1877, establishing his business opposite today's Coles Supermarket in Peel Street. In 1888 he also opened a Music Warehouse. Within his community involvement was membership of the first Tamworth Gun Club, Tamworth Farmers Society and Tamworth Masonic Lodge, as well as being a Director of the Tamworth Gas Company formed in 1881, and President of the Tamworth AFL Football Club in 1888. He passed away at age 50 in 1898.

1. Richard Bourne was born at Seaham in the lower Hunter Valley in 1843. He worked as a storekeeper for the Australian Agricultural Company at Port Stephens, then worked in Scone and Murrurundi before moving to Tamworth in 1876, where he opened a store diagonally opposite the present Family Hotel. By 1855 he had relocated to what is now part of the Shopping World carpark. He was very involved with Freemasonry and the Anglican Church, serving for many years as Sunday School Superintendent for the latter. He supported the start of Technical Education in Tamworth from 1898.

2. Henry Lye came to Tamworth as a 15 year old in 1856. Around 1873 he started a hay/maize produce business, and was later a butcher. His 'Jerusalem' farm along today's King George V Avenue had an extensive orchard. He built his 'Lemon Tree Cottage' house within today's Paradise Caravan Park. Henry topped the poll at our first Borough Council elections in 1876 and was offered the position of Mayor, but declined it, P.G.King taking up the Mayoral position. He died in 1894.

3. Charles Veness is the Mayor in this 1889 photo. He arrived in Sydney from England in 1852, and made his way to Tamworth where he pitched his tent "approximately where Marius Street is today". He married in 1854, earning a living as a builder. By 1870 he was also a general tax consultant. He served as Secretary of several organisations, including the Show Society and Tamworth Hospital, and as Mayor had the honour of presiding over Tamworth being the first town in the Southern Hemisphere to have its streets lit by a Council owned and operated electricity generating plant. His son Daniel (top left in the photo) was the Town Clerk in this Council. Charles' three brothers figured prominently in the development of Manilla. He died in 1906.

4. John Denning was born in Goulburn in 1841, coming to Tamworth from Maitland as a 25 year old. He set up a saddlery business around today's 288 Peel Street, later in 1847 opening a second saddlery business at 417 Peel Street. Denning lived on the Bourke/Marius St corner, his cow-paddock extending along Marius Street to the site of the present Tamworth Hotel. He was very prominent in the Wesleyan Church and later the Methodist Church. He became our ninth Mayor, serving for a single term in 1893. Denning was the longest serving director of the Tamworth Building Society (1876-1926), and served as President of the Mechanics Institute. For many years part of Rawson Avenue was known as Denning Lane.

5. James Piper was born in Kent in 1825, coming to Australia around 1853. He operated stores in Sydney, then Brisbane and later Dungog, before arriving in Tamworth in 1873. He bought Nathan Cohen's soap-and-candle works and also nearby land to establish a skin-buying depot. His businesses were located in today's Piper Street, later named after him at his suggestion. His home was at 7 Dean Street, on the corner of Piper St. He played a leading role in the Tamworth Branch of the Order of Good Templars and the Wesleyan Church, and was one of the initiators of the district's first butter factory at Nemingha. Piper served two terms as Mayor - in 1884 and 1888, being an Alderman for over 18 years. He died in 1897 at age 72. His wife had turned the gold key at the original Powerstation to turn on our first electric street lighting in 1888. Of his 10 children, only two had a close association with Tamworth. One son ,Charles, became Tamworth Mayor in 1912/13.

Times have changed. What will historians be writing about our present Tamworth Regional Councillors in another 133 years time? Stick around to find out!

These local history articles appear in the Northern Daily Leader every Wednesday. Spread the word.

Mike Cashman - Tamworth Historical Society

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