Good land, close to town, for only a few pounds per acre

The late Gordon and Clarice Doyle were passionate supporters of Narrabri and equally passionate local historians.

Mr Doyle, a direct descendant of the Narrabri pioneering family, was known for his encyclopaedic knowledge of the district’s history and collected many documents and artefacts to illustrate the areas’ heritage.

Much was passed on to the Old Gaol Museum, but a further important piece of memorabilia was handed down from Mr Doyle via his son Peter Doyle this week.

A folded up poster was discovered in a drawer in Gordon and Clarice Doyle’s family home in Cooma Road when family members were clearing out the house as part of the winding up of the estate after both passed away.

Peter identified the poster as having historical value and took it to Sydney to be restored and framed so that the Doyle family could donate it to the Historical Society for the Museum collection.

The Government poster showed land, labelled The Tibbereenah Estate, that was to become available on and after January 16, 1911.

The poster advised that 64 Closer Settlement Farms were available between the railway line and the Namoi River as well as 26, eight to ten acre blocks in Dangar Village.

The poster shows each parcel in subdivision format with a description of the land, its area and the price per acre.

Peter and Wendy Doyle were in Narrabri to attend the St Francis Xavier’s school reunion on Saturday.

On Monday, Peter, Wendy and Pat Yandell (nee Doyle) attended the Old Gaol and Museum to donate the poster to Narrabri Historical Society president Gordon Cain.

Peter inherited his parents’ keen interest in history. He recalls that he attended the inaugural meeting of the Narrabri Historical Society while a primary school student.

Peter’s grandfather, George Cuell had a farm that began roughly opposite what is nowadays the Narrabri Lawn Cemetery and ran through to and along the Coonabrabran Road.

He speculates that his grandfather probably collected the poster in anticipation of buying one of the farms in the Tibbereenah Estate without ever doing so.

George’s daughter, Chic Kirkpatrick recently told Peter that prior to acquiring his farm “Live and Linger”, her father had a job delivering mail around Narrabri West on horseback.

The subdivision map of Tibbereenah Estate will be of interest to local landowners and is now hanging in the Museum.