Help Tell the Story of Our Shire’s Heritage

Published on 08 August 2025

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Narrabri Shire Council is calling on the community to help shape a new picture of our past.

As part of its current Heritage Study, Council is inviting residents to nominate people, places, and items across the Shire that they believe are important to the story of our community. These could include well-known landmarks, natural features, sites linked to early settlement or key events, places of personal or collective memory, or simply somewhere beautiful that deserves recognition.

This project is funded by the NSW Government, with Council having received $25,000 from the NSW Heritage Grants Program. Council has engaged heritage consultant Ray Christison to lead the project and assess nominated places.

The study will involve:

  • Community engagement with historical societies, local Aboriginal Land Councils, town and village committees, the Country Women’s Association, and other community groups;
  • Preparation of a Thematic History of the Shire;
  • Identification, inspection, and assessment of significant heritage places; and
  • Development of a draft LEP Heritage Schedule and a Community-Based Heritage Study Report.

Currently, 44 items across the Shire are listed in Council’s Local Environmental Plan (LEP) Heritage Schedule, including Gallipoli House in Narrabri, the Bellata Post Office, Boggabri War Memorial, and Wee Waa Court House.

Mayor Darrell Tiemens said this is a unique opportunity for the community to help shape how Narrabri Shire’s story is told into the future.

“Everyone has a connection to a place that means something, whether it’s a family homestead, a local landmark, or a landscape that holds memories. This is your chance to make sure those stories and places are recognised and preserved for generations to come.”

A nomination form is available on Council’s website or in hard copy from Council’s Administration Building and all Shire libraries. Nominations close Thursday, 30 October 2025.

Heritage Consultant Ray Christison will assess all submissions as part of the process to build a broader, more inclusive inventory of places that tell the story of our community.

For more information or to submit a nomination, visit www.narrabri.nsw.gov.au/heritage-study.

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