“Only in Taroom could a Reunion like this be pulled together in less than 2 months. It just wouldn’t have happened without the support of the whole community.”

-Leesa Bongers, Taroom Tales

I’ll never know just how many people helped out behind the scenes with donations of food, decorations, and assistance, or how many offers of help we received.  Nor will I know the full extent of local business support, many offering discounts and donations.  Every little bit helped make the 4-day event the success it was. 

Sponsors & Donations

Generous sponsorship and donations of all kinds enabled the event to take place at no cost to the returning ringers and cooks.  Excess funds after the event were donated to the Taroom SES and TDDA as a token of appreciation for their unwavering support and assistance.

Sponsorship provided memorabilia merchandise in the form of stubby coolers, enamel mugs and embroidered shirts for those returning to the Tin Hut.

Special Thanks

Special thanks to these who I am aware of:

• Major sponsors Bendigo Bank, Rob Watt and the Board for your generous support of this event and the Taroom community.
• The Close, Penny, and Curtis families, for private sponsorship and invaluable assistance behind the scenes.
• SES Volunteers – Robert Adcock, Ripper Ball, Kathy Gall, and Tanya Dwyer; for hooking in organising logistics of the Tin Hut trip and liaising with local Parks and Wildlife officer, Steve Vigar and Taroom rangers.
• Brett Roberts, District Manager Department of Environment Toowoomba, for understanding the historical and cultural significance, supporting the event, and expediting the necessary permit.
• Jake Clarris, Camp Cook, together with Craig Rose, Clarry Williams, Peter Hay, Graeme Presho, Wayne, Levi and Stacey Clarris and Gay-Leigh Bryan – camp cooks and caterers who went above and beyond from the kindness of their hearts, purely to bring pleasure to the returning ringers and cooks!
• Kaylene Brambrick, talented musician, generously entertained for hours at the Bowls Club, enriching the mood with non-stop music;
• Fred, Harry, Ben and Bill Stanford, for returning to your old stomping grounds and leading the bushwalk adventures;
• Avon and Carol Hamilton, for the heartfelt welcome and visitors gift, the horses in the yards and the friendly hospitality… if only we had more time to soak up the ambiance of Glenhaughton and your beautiful home!

Uncountable members of the community assisted behind the scenes, preparing lunches, decorating, setting up and catering. The offers of assistance from neighbouring property owners and willing helpers in preparation for the camping event were endless.  Businesses offered discounts and locals approached the organisers with donations of home-grown produce and cash to help cover costs.

Donations of ALL KINDS from the Taroom locals

For donations and help of all kind, thank you to ALL THE LOCALS, especially:

Robert Adams and Peta;

Fred and Lilibeth Bradshaw;

Karen Ball;

Adie and Kathleen Dingwall;

Loretta Stuart;

Sarah Parry-Okeden;

Don & Nadine Lethbridge;

Brian, Lynne and Stuart Hay;

James, Ash, Tom and Ruth Wagner;

BSC Cr Terri Boyce;

Colin Boyce MP, Member for Flynn;

Scotty Hawkins;

Amy Bliesner and team;

Kenny and Christine Bradshaw;

Laura Priebbenow, Taroom Tidings;

Doug Adams Newsagent and Twiddly Adcock;

Taroom Art Show;

Glenys Shearer, Taroom Museum;

Entire TDDA Committee, especially Melissa Hopkins and Kim Wheeler;

Vaughn Becker, (the very first to support and encourage the idea).

Organising Committee, the Backbone of the Reunion

The backbone of the entire event, I am so grateful to each of the organising committee for all you did to help bring this together. Nothing was too much trouble, and I loved every minute of the time spent working on everything Glenhaughton-related… and we aren’t done yet!  Heartfelt gratitude to the team who made the organisation of this whirl-wind event so enjoyable:

MEET THE TEAM – Organisers Glenhaughton Ringers Reunion

• Lex Smith (my dad);
• Bronc and Val Bradshaw;
• Jennifer and Dale Bradshaw;
• David Parry-Okeden

Those of us who were lucky enough to return to Glenhaughton and the Tin Hut with the ones who lived and worked on Glenhaughton in the 1950s and 60s were privileged to be there.  I am grateful for the memories made that will last a lifetime. 

For updates and links on everything Glenhaughton related, and for a sneak peek of my new Podcast Taroom Tales, Back in the Day, shoot over to my website (a work in progress):  www.taroomtales.com .  I’ll be chatting with the eldest Taroom locals about their earliest memories of this great town and the characters they’ve known along the way. If you enjoy a good yarn, I think you’re going to love this oral history project, supported by TDDA and Banana Shire Council. Full episodes will be released monthly, beginning January 2024.

Thank you Taroom… Merry Christmas to all!

I can’t thank the Taroom community and the many locals who have offered support and encouragement since I began this journey back in time with dad, almost a year ago. Many friendships have been renewed, and many new ones made along the way. I’m looking forward to spending a lot more time in the company of you all in 2024.

Merry Christmas to you and your families, and here’s cheers to another great year ahead!

Click on the SoundCloud or SPOTIFY link for a sneak peak at the TRAILER – Episode 1, a chat with my father Lex Smith on his earliest Taroom memories:

SPOTIFY link to Trailer Taroom Tales, Back in the Day – EP001