Tenterfield – Peter Allen country

The late George Woolnough, worked on High Street, lived on Manners. 52 years he sat on his veranda, making his saddles. So sang Peter Allen in his ode to the place of his birth. Peter Allen wrote some great songs and I listened to plenty on his greatest hits album in the old days. Tenterfield Saddler was a favourite and it was a thrill to
visit Tenterfield and actually see the landmarks referenced in the song. The saddlery still stands and there’s a photo of George on a board describing the saddlery’s history.

Peter Allen doesn’t get much of a mention that we could see, other than the Peter Allen Motor Inn (naturally we stayed there). Henry Parkes, who gave a speech recommending Australia federate in 1889 in Tenterfield gets a far bigger run.

As a substantial country town, Tenterfield’s got no shortage of big old pubs. Unfortunately Boxing Day meant a few were shut. I managed the briefest of pub crawls after a quick at the Tenterfield Bowling Club. The TBC was a bit of a find. $3 schooners of cold, clean and fresh Tooheys Old is an 80s price. $12 t-bones (the Thursday special) went down a treat as well. You could do worse.

The Royal is a classic from the outside. Unusual interior decorating. Basically they’ve turned it into a stockman’s hut. Quite strange given the exterior. Big barn of a place – more so when empty. The Bergin’s Telegraph Hotel was pumping. $5 pints between 4 and 8 every day might explain why. Another big hotel that warrants further exploring. A task for another day.