Glen Innes, New England North West — New South Wales

Glen Innes is a town in the northeastern part of New South Wales, within the Glen Innes Severn Shire Council. The place-name was attributed to Major Archibald Clunes Innes, former commandant of a penal settlement and one of the earliest major landowners of the area.

The town has several community events held all throughout the year. In fact, every second Sunday of the month, the town market is held along Grey Street. However, during the summer season, this event is moved to the Red Range Sports Grounds and is done every third Sundays.

Other annual events include the Pastoral and Agricultural Show held in February and the Australian Celtic Festival, which commemorates the town’s Scottish heritage, every May. There is also the 'Minerama' or the Gem and Mineral Festival organized every September, when the town and nearby mines are filled with gem collectors from all over the country. During October, the Australian Bush Music Festival is held while November is the time for the Land of the Beardies Bush Festival. Both events entail a lot of merrymaking and musical performances, with the additional mardi gras and carnival held during the latter.

During the rest of the year, Glen Innes still has a lot to offer in terms of tourist attractions. The town itself is replete with historic houses and buildings that serve as mute witnesses to the area’s settlement and subsequent growth.

Along Grey Street are several public buildings built in the later half of the 19th century. There’s the Royal Hotel at the corner of Ferguson Street, the courthouse, and the Rural Lands Protection Board building, built in 1900. Further along the street are the Westpac bank building, built in 1885 of Italianate style, and the Victorian town hall constructed in 1888.

The Land of the Beardies History House and Research Centre, located on the corner of Ferguson Street and West Avenue, is actually a museum showcasing items related to the 19th century life in Glen Innes. It even has a reconstructed slab hut within its premises.

Outdoor recreation can be enjoyed and experienced at the Centennial Parklands, where there are facilities for picnics and barbecues. The park is accessed through Meade Street and affords spectacular views of the town through its Martins Lookout. The area is also the location of the Australian Standing Stones, a landmark serving as tribute to the early Celtic settlers in the area. It consists of a total of 38 giant granite stones and is inspired by the Ring of Brodgar in Orkneys, Scotland.

Beyond the borders of the town are several national parks and state forests that are perfect settings for bushwalking, animal viewing, camping, and picnics. The Kings Plains National Park features several waterfalls and water pools feed by the Kings Plains Creek. It is accessed through the Kings Plains Road. The Washpool National Park, accessed through the Coombadjha Road, is mainly composed of the largest undisturbed rainforest in the state and an undisturbed stand of coachwood trees--features that make it a World Heritage site. A picnic area and walking track is provided for visitors. Bushwalking can also be done at the Gibraltar Range National Park, located east of the town.

Visitors should also watch out for the Balancing Rock, an attraction composed of a granite boulder situated on a fulcrum made out of unique rock formations. This attraction can be viewed along the New England Highway, 12 kilometers south of the town.

Visitors shouldn’t also leave Glen Innes without trying their hand at fossicking, with equipments readily rented from several establishments. Precious gems and crystals are also available for sale in some outlets.