Bingara Our Town, Our People contains 40 remarkable true stories of the people and events that shaped one of Australia's most historic gold mining towns. These three are just a taste of what's waiting for you inside.
1. Grace Munro — The Woman Who Changed Rural Australia
She was the wife of a Keera Station grazier, but Grace Munro was anything but a quiet country wife. In a man's world, Grace founded the Country Women's Association following a 1922 Sydney conference — and then refused to let it be just a talking shop.
She established Bingara's first CWA rest house, giving rural women somewhere safe to stay overnight when they came to town. Then she looked at it and thought: we can do better. She knocked down the barriers — literally and figuratively — and had it upgraded into a hospital with maternity facilities. The model spread across the state.
Grace Munro was said to be "the equal of men." History agrees.
Read her full story in Bingara Our Town, Our People.
2. Reverend Solomon Clive Wiseman — A Name Written Into History Twice
When Rev. Solomon Wiseman arrived in Bingara in 1929, he carried quite a family legacy. His grandfather — also Solomon — was once called "the most romantic figure of his day." During the British-French Wars, the elder Solomon ran a trading ship… and quietly ferried spies for both sides. When caught, he was transported to NSW, where he went on to found Wiseman Ferry — and his famous Wiseman Ferry Inn still stands today.
The grandson brought a different kind of legacy to Bingara: decades of quiet, devoted service to his congregation and the whole town. He was buried here in 1956, and a local hall still carries his name.
Two Solomons. Two extraordinary lives. One family. Find out more in Bingara Our Town, Our People.
3. Flying Officer Norman Fader — Bingara's Quiet War Hero
Norman Fader was born in Bingara, the son of the family who built the town's Emporium general store in 1908 — a building still standing today. By 1944, Norman was standing in Government House, receiving the Air Force Cross for "exceptional flying in an undefended aircraft."
He'd been piloting Empire and Catalina flying boats over New Guinea — unarmed, and under threat from Japanese aircraft. Bingara military historian Ron Irlam described his courage in detail that will stop you in your tracks.
The full story of Norman's wartime service is one you won't forget — it's all in Bingara Our Town, Our People.
These three stories are just a glimpse of the 40 extraordinary true accounts waiting for you in this book. From gold rush pioneers to war heroes, from founding mothers to double agents — Bingara's history is richer than you might imagine.
👉 Buy Bingara Our Town, Our People online at Rodney's Relics
We can gift wrap and post to anyone in Australia — just use their address when checking out. Rodney absolutely guarantees returns/refunds for anyone unhappy with their purchase. Call our Bingara main street shop on 02 6724 1500 with any questions.