Rushby Casino
Vic Rushby had a secret. During the week he was the ‘mild-mannered’ manager of Rushby Shoes, while on the weekend he unleashed his superhero powers on Old Bar…
Tales from Old Bar Airstrip “Mystery Island”
In September 1936, Australian film star Brian Abbott, leading lady Jean Laidley and a crew of 30 set off for Lord Howe Island on the SS Morinda to film the movie ‘Mystery Island’…
Old Bar Airstrip
Nancy-Bird Walton, Jean Batten, Captain Charles Ulm, Captain Les Holden – the list of pilots who used the Old Bar Airstrip is a who’s who of aviation pioneers…
Taree Old Bar Surf Life Saving Club
On New Year’s Day 1928 a meeting was held to discuss the formation of a surf club at Old Bar. A week earlier on Boxing Day there had been almost 4000 beachgoers…
Badgers to Boogie Woogie, 31 David Street, Old Bar
For over a century, tourists have frequented the seaside village of Old Bar. The building on the corner of David and Clerke Streets was, and still is, central to the ‘vibe’ of the town…
Old Bar Public School
In November 2019, Old Bar Public School celebrated the completion of their new building. As students proudly showed off their modern learning place…
Ladies’ Old Bar Surf Club
In September 1930, a proposal to form a Ladies’ Surf Bathing Club at Old Bar in conjunction with the Old Bar Surf Club was eagerly adopted and five weeks later the club house was complete…
‘Joker’ the cattle dog
‘Horrie the War Dog’ is a well-known Australian novel documenting the true story of Private Moody and his dog during World War II. But did you know that Old Bar had its own war dog? His name was Joker…
The Wrecking of the Urana
It was just after 9pm on the night of 31 August 1937 when the Postmaster at Old Bar noticed the impending disaster – ship’s lights looming out of the fog and heading towards submerged rocks just off shore. The Urana, a steamer carrying 100 tons of coal from Newcastle en route to the Macleay River,…
Nancy-Bird Walton (1915 – 2009)
Nancy Bird flew into the history pages in 1935 when, at the age of 19, she became the first woman to hold a commercial flying licence in Australia. She was a pioneer in aviation and used this passion to help and inspire others. Nancy was born in Kew, NSW in 1915. After attending school in…