A blast from the past

For many years, the late Jan Hulbert photographed and collected paper clippings about the people and events that have shaped our town and district. From photos of local football teams in 1901, the opening of the new Reading Railway Bridge to recent ANZAC Day marches, Jan’s personal collection is both sentimental and significant. It documents people, places and events that are long gone or forever changed.

Like most amateur local historians, Jan’s left many photos without descriptions or dates. “There are hundreds of people in these photos, some we can identify and some we can’t,” says Neville Maloney, who has ‘inherited’ the horde of historical goodies from the Hulbert family with the goal of putting names to faces.

“We are having a get-together evening –Who is who and when was that? – at The Moller Pavilion in Bangalow Showground to identify places, people and dates of the photos collected by Jan,” he says. “Anyone interested is welcome to come along for a drink, finger food snacks and of course, tales of the old days.”

The group is also seeking suggestions on the preservation and storage of the collection from those in the know. There are also plans afoot to digitise this treasure trove of local history.

Due to the approximate heritage of the photos, the group is particularly interested in hearing from those who lived in Bangalow and surrounds during the 1970s and 1980s, to help identify some of the individuals who appear in Jan’s archive.

“Come along and help identify who and what are in the photos. And if you have photos of your own and you are not sure who is in them or if they could be of interest as historical photos of Bangalow and the surrounding area bring them along so we can make a copy for our records,” says Nev.

Who is who and when was that? will be held Monday 12 June from 6pm at The Moller Pavilion in the Bangalow Showgrounds, with refreshments provided.

The Bangalow Herald