Nursing Excellence 1991

Featured Image: Courtesy of ‘The Way We Were’; A Pictorial History of the Scone District 1901 – 2001 by Anne McMullin, Kath Farrell and Audrey Entwisle; Federation Publication No. 4; Published by Scone and Upper Hunter Historical Society Inc. 2001

I’m remiss. Several times on this website I’ve paid tribute to erudition and excellence in our medical colleagues over time. I’m thinking of Dr Walter Pye MBE, Dr Toby Barton OAM, Dr David Warden OAM and Dr William John Houston Paradice OAM. I may have been instrumental in helping to secure Federal recognition in two cases? I should not have forgotten the superlative members of the Nursing Profession who also enrich and secure our lives in so many ways. I think it is fair to say they are frequently overlooked when the plaudits are distributed? I hope and trust this modest encomium goes some way towards redressing this deficiency?

Moonan Mummers & Upper Hunter Arts Festival 1992

Featured Image: Courtesy of ‘The Way We Were’; A Pictorial History of the Scone District 1901 – 2001 by Anne McMullin, Kath Farrell and Audrey Entwisle; Federation Publication No. 4; Published by Scone and Upper Hunter Historical Society Inc. 2001

It’s often a great leveller and somewhat diminishing to cast back and acknowledge highly significant individuals (and events) who contribute in so many positive ways to the communities they ‘inhabit’. There can be few such exemplars as cogent as the ‘Moonan Mummers’ and the Upper Hunter Arts Festival? Roger Humphries BDS delivered highly skilled dental services in Scone as well as co-authoring a tripartite tome ‘The Inn, The Dentists and The School’ with Mace Bain and Gillian Blandford Hayes. He and his spouse Mary were also ardent supporters of ADFAS in Scone. Anita and Alex Cullen, like Roger (Leeds, England), were overseas ‘imports’; in their case from the outer isles of Scotland. It would be difficult to enumerate the total Cullen contributions. Both the Scott (x 2) and Mailer families are icons of the area. Although never my genre Peter Scott’s ‘Jazz by the River’ in Moonan was another ‘cultural must’. I could go on ad infinitum but I think I’ll leave it there?

Scone & Aberdeen Women Thoroughbred Racing Pioneers

Featured Image: Courtesy of ‘The Way We Were’; A Pictorial History of the Scone District 1901 – 2001 by Anne McMullin, Kath Farrell and Audrey Entwisle; Federation Publication No. 4; Published by Scone and Upper Hunter Historical Society Inc. 2001

“Some are born great; some achieve greatness; and some have greatness thrust upon them”

There is no doubt that both Betty Shepherd and Carol Bowen paved the way for other women to excel in the until-then male dominated world of thoroughbred racing. Betty achieved national renown through her prodigious deeds with the legendary ‘Trevors’ in 1966 claiming many ‘first-ever’ titles. Carol’s foray was a generation later but no less ground-breaking.

Both Carol and Betty shared much in common; including supporting punting partners and husbands! Each rode their charges in track-work and were highly skilled in their own right. Today there are many more female jockeys, trainers and strappers enjoying the fruits of success in the highly competitive world of racing. Well done emancipation pioneers Carol and Betty!

Scone Race Club Meeting @ White Park 21^st August 1993

Featured Image: Courtesy of ‘The Way We Were’; A Pictorial History of the Scone District 1901 – 2001 by Anne McMullin, Kath Farrell and Audrey Entwisle; Federation Publication No. 4; Published by Scone and Upper Hunter Historical Society Inc. 2001

This was among the last race meetings before closure of the White Park Track in October 1994. We paid tribute to Mrs Grace Fahey who had been a wonderful servant and employee of the Scone Race Club for 20 years. Mrs Fahey was appointed both before and during my tenure as President of the Scone Race Club. She was as reliable as clockwork, as honest as the day is long and forever courteous. I would call her ‘ideal’. I do not recall any absentee request? We provided Mrs Fahey with her own eyrie just inside the main gate into White Park. It was a renovated outside dunny; but there was never any complaint!

The result of the first race could not have been better scripted. A horse ‘Blue Sound’ trained by Tommy Ollerton, ridden by his apprentice son Malcolm and owned by local accountant Keith MacCallum was victorious. It is unlikely this scenario would or could be repeated today? Although prizemoney has escalated exponentially the costs and other expenses associated with racehorse ownership have risen in harmony. In 2020 the vast majority of registered racehorses have a multitude of owners to meet these greatly enhanced fees and charges.

Scone Chamber of Commerce 1993

Featured Image: Courtesy of ‘The Way We Were’; A Pictorial History of the Scone District 1901 – 2001 by Anne McMullin, Kath Farrell and Audrey Entwisle; Federation Publication No. 4; Published by Scone and Upper Hunter Historical Society Inc. 2001

“Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great; some achieve greatness; and some have greatness thrust upon them”; William Shakespeare; ‘Malvolio’ in Twelth Night

This was a quite ‘disparate’ cadre of people with differing origins and backgrounds. However something they have all shared is success in civilian life across a wide range of disciplines. Peter is from a scion grazing family. Helen has achieved high accolades and rewards in racing administration and related activities. Graham, Merton and Paul all established outstanding retail and wholesale outlets in Scone. The three ‘professionals’ are lawyer Ross Cole, now a leading light with Darley/Godolphin and Accountants Chris Sam and Noel Leckie. The latter became an iconic President of the Scone Race Club.

Vic Brown & Lone Pine 1995

Featured Image: Courtesy of ‘The Way We Were’; A Pictorial History of the Scone District 1901 – 2001 by Anne McMullin, Kath Farrell and Audrey Entwisle; Federation Publication No. 4; Published by Scone and Upper Hunter Historical Society Inc. 2001

WWI veteran Vic Brown was a veritable local legend.  It’s significant that he is accompanied in the image above by Mrs Janet Barton (plus John Brooks). I believe Vic was a great help to Janet in her garden at ‘Geraldton’; where Sarah and I now reside. Sarah is doing a wonderful job having ‘inherited’ the pristine parkland. I’m relegated to occasional but not always tractable labourer and willing hand mower. I’m forbidden to use the sit-on mower. I’ve been known to wreck things. The latter is not good at shaving rocks; and I’m too heavy anyway!

Waltzing Matilda @ Scone Grammar School 1995

Featured Image: Courtesy of ‘The Way We Were’; A Pictorial History of the Scone District 1901 – 2001 by Anne McMullin, Kath Farrell and Audrey Entwisle; Federation Publication No. 4; Published by Scone and Upper Hunter Historical Society Inc. 2001

David Magoffin established himself as the historical and musical guru of the true origins of Australia’s unofficial National Anthem. Did he know that Banjo Paterson had been a regular visitor to Scone 100 years ago? He first came to play Polo against the locals in 1892.

See: https://sconevetdynasty.com.au/banjo-polo-and-scone/

Scone Advocate Editors 1995

Featured Image: Courtesy of ‘The Way We Were’; A Pictorial History of the Scone District 1901 – 2001 by Anne McMullin, Kath Farrell and Audrey Entwisle; Federation Publication No. 4; Published by Scone and Upper Hunter Historical Society Inc. 2001

This is an elite camarilla of talent; now confined to the scrap-heap of history with the very recent ‘failure’ (after c. 140 years) of the Scone Advocate as a print newspaper. ‘Them were indeed the days’?

Scone Chamber of Commerce & Industry Heritage Committee 1994

Featured Image: Courtesy of ‘The Way We Were’; A Pictorial History of the Scone District 1901 – 2001 by Anne McMullin, Kath Farrell and Audrey Entwisle; Federation Publication No. 4; Published by Scone and Upper Hunter Historical Society Inc. 2001

Was this the forerunner of the Scone CBD Revitalisation Committee? Take note of the volunteer labour working on the day! It may be that their commendable creation and estimable energy will be sacrificed when the new plan for Kelly Street revitalisation and enhancement is activated?

Scone Horse Week Committee 1994

Featured Image: Courtesy of ‘The Way We Were’; A Pictorial History of the Scone District 1901 – 2001 by Anne McMullin, Kath Farrell and Audrey Entwisle; Federation Publication No. 4; Published by Scone and Upper Hunter Historical Society Inc. 2001

Probably not many of the committee realised that EMMA ROBINSON is/was the daughter of legendary Irish National Hunt Jockey WILLIE ROBINSON? Willie achieved great fame in the UK and Ireland as the rider of ‘Mill House’; ‘Arkle’s’ great rival in the day?

Willie Robinson

See: ‘A great human being’ – Mill House’s rider Willie Robinson dies at the age of 86 | Horse Racing News | Racing Post

The Scone Horse Week concept emerged from the already established Scone Thoroughbred Week in the late 1970s. The latter was based on two days Scone Thoroughbred Sales (Monday/Tuesday) and two days Scone Cup Races (Wednesday/Thursday) begun initially in 1947. This model was extraordinarily successful and continues today albeit the sales have diminished in stature and were not held at Scone in COVID-contaminated 2020.

The Horse Week Committee was arguably at its zenith in 1994 with a very wide and influential cross section of the community intimately involved. I believe it is much more difficult today to attract a truly viable volunteer committee?