Artwork memorialises long-gone 'Tin Town' settlement in western NSW
Standing tall on two large monolithic slates in Western NSW are the names of 31 families who once lived in a long-gone town camp outside Coonamble.
In western New South Wales, a town is paying tribute to the families who once resided in an Aboriginal fringe settlement known as Tin Town through the unveiling of commemorative slates. These large, monolithic slates bear the names of 31 families who lived in the town camp near Warrena Creek outside Coonamble. May Welsh, one of the last residents to move out, expressed her gratitude for the memorial, saying it meant a lot to her and her family.
The slates are part of the Coonamble Regional Art Trail, which aims to celebrate the region's natural beauty and Indigenous history. Coonamble Regional Art Trail project coordinator Andrew Hull emphasized that the slates will serve as a historical marker, ensuring the story of Tin Town is not forgotten. Tin Town was established in the 1940s, with the name derived from the materials used to construct homes from corrugated iron and tin.
The settlement was decommissioned in the late 1970s and subsequently bulldozed. Former residents, including Welsh and her descendants, gathered to mark the unveiling of the slates, hoping the memorial will encourage younger generations to learn about the settlement. The slates are just one of several projects featured in the Coonamble Regional Art Trail, which includes other artworks in nearby towns such as Gulargambone and Quambone.
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