Glenreagh Railway Houses

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Half a mile south of the station (1971, State Archives)


Kim Smith states:


"I finally got to ask Dad about the houses south of the rail crossing. Fred said that Larcombe's lived in the first house to the south of the crossing. It was roughly opposite where Kookaburra Drive is. He mentioned where the bamboo is. Before Larcombe's lived there, it was the home of Newton's, who was either a fireman or driver on the Dorrigo line. McGregor's lived in the house that Roby's owned (33 Eastbank Road) near the Norfolk pine trees. As you know Andrew this house burnt down. McGregor was a guard. There was also another house further south about the same distance from Larcombe's as they were from the railway crossing. This house belonged to Barney Longbottom or Barney Helenberg. He wasn't sure of the last name. He also said that when the new line was being laid, there was an extra gang in Glenreagh that camped around the site where this house was. He thought that was about 1954ish. This was on the old Eastbank Road that went to Scrubby Gully. He also mentioned the McCarthur's sawmill on the cleared land south of Roby's. Just as an aside, I'm pretty sure that I've heard him talking about Longbottom's before, so it probably was probably Barney Longbottom."


John Woodward states:


"This house was jimmy Comber the Ganger 52ganger glenreagh not sure who was their before could have been a driver from the local loco depot it was 1967 when I went to Glenreagh"

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Another railway cottage at Glenreagh (photos in poor condition unfortunately) (1966, State Archives)





Greg Lee:


"Sold by Bill Howarth to Bob Larcombe. I never met Bill (though heard quite a lot about him), but I knew Bob very well when he was the Ganger of 5mm gang (mechanised maintenance hang ) Glenreagh. This house featured in my Eddie Tracey stories."


Kim Smith


"Bill Howarth moved to the house next to the railway crossing on the dump road. The house that is now owned (?) by GMR, it's near their depot."

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Glenreagh (again!) (1967, State Archives)

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Glenreagh railway cottage (this one still stands and is occupied on Sherwood Creek Rd), 1970 (State Archives)

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Glenreagh again - 1964 (State Archives)



John Woodward:


"This house at Glenreagh was privately owned I brought it it of Frank Ward a fettler at glenreagh gang 52 I sold it to Kenny Hill a driver based at South Grafton in. About 1973 It was near the Station Master residence next to the railway tennis court"