A push is on to rekindle interest in establishing a centre to honour one of Narrandera’s most prominent figures from the past – Monsignor Patrick Hartigan, who was born in 1878.
Better known under the pen name of John O’Brien, the legendary, internationally recognised pioneer poet, who died in 1952, was a parish priest in the town for 27 years.
Australian champion bush poet Noel Stallard took on the role of John O’Brien for 22 years in the annual John O’Brien Festival.
Mr Stallard previously made a failed attempt to establish a centre to honour the poet-priest.
Now in his eighties, Mr Stallard (from Brisbane) is looking for someone else to take over the reins in a bid to create a centre.
Mr Stallard believes it would create a tourist attraction which could help boost the town’s economy.
“I’d like to remind and encourage Narrandera people that they have something unique in the poet John O’Brien and a centre that captures his times through his poetry is the tourist attraction businesses are craving for,” he said.
“The hope I have is that someone will also see the need to have a John O’Brien Centre in Narrandera.
“It is towns like Narrandera that need to take the risk to develop a tourist attraction for the someone, or something that is exclusively theirs – for Narrandera that someone is John O’Brien.
“He wrote most of his poetry in Narrandera and left a poetry legacy that will live through the generations to come.
“Ann and I are now in our eighties and will not be launching any new efforts for this project as Narrandera rejected the efforts of our Incorporation, but maybe if a local were to champion the cause it may have some success.”
After playing John O’Brien for 10 years, Mr Stallard put forward a proposal to Narrandera Shire Council to build a centre.
“The faction in the Narrandera Council at the time of our project was determined not to approve this project even when the cost of the project was to come from philanthropists and not the people of Narrandera,” he said.
They approved our formation of an Incorporation in 2005 to raise funds for a centre and approved our displays for the centre.
“In 2014 the council had signalled that they were to spend funds on renovating the visitors centre.
“We knew if this happened our project was dead in the water, so we requested 12 months to raise the necessary funds, with the understanding if we got the funds we would get the go ahead from the council for the project and if we did not get the funds then they would go ahead with the renovations.”
Mr Stallard said he told Council that the group would receive the funds from a government body which contacts philanthropists for projects such as theirs, however there would be no point approaching this government body if council would refuse the project.
He said council rejected the proposal with the belief that the group would be unable to raise the necessary funds.
“When council rejected our request to procure the necessary funds in 2014 it closed the door to the project,” Mr Stallard said.
“In 2015 we terminated the incorporated body.
“It is only now in 2022 that renovations to the visitors centre are happening.”
A former teacher, Mr Stallard is in demand for writing and performance workshops, festival and function performances.
A renowned poet, his awards include Australian Performance Champion in 2003, Queensland Champion 2004 and three Golden Damper Awards from Tamworth, the prestigious Judith Hosier Award for Outstanding Contribution to Bush Poetry and 2012 Book of the Year in the Australian Bush Laureate Awards.
In 2019, Mr Stallard was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service To literature.
This article appeared in the Narrandera Argus, 12 May 2022.
