In the mid to late 1800’s the township of Barraba was nothing more than a camping place for the teamsters and their wagons, bullocks or horses and perhaps a delivery place for some services. Barraba is situated 90 kilometres north of Tamworth on the Manilla River. Although John Oxley had passed through the area in 1818, reporting his finds as land with enormous grazing potential, the township of Barraba was not surveyed until 1852.
During this time pioneer settlers from the lower Hunter Valley who were in search of extensive pastoral lands suitable for sheep and cattle raising settled in the Barraba area. Several of these settlers were of British origin but many were from Germany. Among the names were Garske, Mell, Schmidt, Steiger and of course the Simshausers.
Many settlers followed a similar pattern of being employed as shepherds or labourers on “Mt. Lindsay Station” or other similar runs, and after a few years acquired their own block. Some were from the same birthplace of near Frankfurt, some even were related and of course their lives criss-crossed often, according to records of births, deaths and marriages. This gives reason to believe that their plans may have been somewhat organized prior to leaving Germany.
A few historical features could be included to indicate the steady growth of Barraba in those early days.
- First Post Office service began in 1851 – being carried out in various town stores.
- Education began at Barraba in rented premises in 1861.
- The Commercial Hotel first began as Markham’s Hotel in 1878, a brick building being built about 1890.
- St. Lawrence’s Church of England first building built about 1876. As it became too small for the increasing population a second church was built 1908/1909.
- Commercial Banking Co. of Sydney was the first bank in Barraba. In 1876 transactions were carried out in rented premises. A brick bank building was built in 1898 but later demolished and replaced in 1925 by a two-storey building.
- In 1881 the Court House was erected.
- The first hospital building was built in 1892. It is still standing, though it has been altered, renovated and added to many times.
- The Catholic Church of St. John the Evangelist was completed in 1906.
- The railway first came to Barraba in 1908. A branch line from Tamworth was well patronised in the early years and until 1949 the train ran six days per week.
- The Barraba Memorial Clock was erected in 1924 to commemorate those who enlisted and those killed in WWI.
(Ref: M. Crowley)
Barraba today is a noted wool growing district with several well known Merino sheep studs being conducted. Beef cattle grazing is also a major industry, along with wheat farming and other crops. The town, with a population of 2,700, provides all modern amenities, efficient hospital, community health and up-to-date education facilities. Until recently, asbestos mining at Woodsreef had been carried out as a major industry.