Iconic landmark (some history and a song)

Published on by bushboy

Dan’s Thursday Doors

The two-room building was constructed using hand-cut local blue granite and North Coast cedar. For many years it operated as a saddlery, until it was eventually sold to the Australian Joint Stock Bank in 1874. Due to the thick granite walls, which were more than 20 inches wide, Tenterfield Saddlery was seen as the perfect place to establish a bank.

The building would go on to have several other lives, including as a private home, before eventually returning to its original purpose as a workshop for saddles, bridles and other horse equipment when it was sold to the town saddler, Dan Egan. George Woolnough took over in 1908, and kept it running smoothly until his retirement in 1960. with two more saddlers following him after his retirement; E.C. Daly and T.D. Gibson.

The saddlery was known as a place for men to gather and share stories. Sometimes they would even bring their children, who would play with leather offcuts while they worked and chatted. George would often sit and listen to his visitors, enjoying the sense of community and keeping up with the local town gossip.  

During this period, iconic Aussie stars were known to grace the saddlery halls. These included singers such as Banjo Patterson, who would also visit other friends in the Tenterfield region such as W.H.Walker (the manager of Tenterfield Station) and the Hurtz family.

Banjo enjoyed spending time with the Hurtz’s daughter, Matilda, who would sit on his knee while he played the piano. He would go on to compose Waltzing Matilda in her honour – one of Australia’s most iconic songs.

The Tenterfield Saddler was first introduced into Aussie consciousness back in 1972 when singer-songwriter Peter Allen released his hit single of the same name. Allen dedicated the song to his late grandfather, George Woolnough

These days, the National Trust of Australia owns and operates the building. The saddlery remains in its original condition, and visitors are invited to explore the memorabilia housed all around the property, as well as purchasing handcrafted leather goods and Tenterfield Saddler merchandise.

Apart from a few restorations, the saddler has been preserved in its original condition. When wandering the rooms, it’s easy to spot 130-year-old tobacco stains on the roof and wooden floors patched with leather. Here, it really is like stepping back in time.

REF: https://thefarmermagazine.com.au/tenterfield-saddler/

21 thoughts on “Iconic landmark (some history and a song)”

  4. I love the history, Brian. The great post, Looking toward that door, you can almost hear the men talking about every subject under the sun. Thanks for the details and the song.

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    1. Thanks Dan. I thought I’d write a little bit about the building but when I started research the more I wanted to write. I found it fascinating. I have always liked the song

      Liked by 1 person

  7. Thank you Brian for this wonderful share of history, music and door. The building is indeed very sturdy built. I can see why it has had many lives and survived handsomely. Love the details on how “Waltzing Matilda” was inspired. Excellent share.

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  9. This is a wonderful place to think about: people coming together to tell their stories, to tell their lives. I couldn’t understand all the lyrics in the song, but what I think I understood sounded very sad. The whole thing about a saddler is, of course, not part of my experience, and that adds to the interest of it. The story-telling in the song is intrinsic to preservation. So valuable.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Glad you enjoyed the history Maureen.
      It does have a sad tinge in the songs lyrics with Peter Allen singing about his grandfather and his life as the Tenterfield Saddler.
      Story telling in song is part of our retaining the history of the past. The First Nation people here have been doing it for tens of thousands of years in song as well as dance

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