Monday February 14, 1966, saw the advent of Australian Decimal Currency - we had been well prepared with the Dollar Bill advertising campaign and the song to the catchy tune of 'Click Go the Shears'.
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'In come the dollars and in come the cents
To replace the pounds and the shillings and the pence
Be prepared folks when the coins begin to mix
On the 14th of February 1966'.
Some of the previously proposed names for this Australian currency had included the austral, oz, boomer, digger, emu, koala, roo, zac, kwid, dinkum royal...
Three of the six Bank Managers- Ron Atkinson of the Commonwealth, Ken Dunn of the Rural and Tom Clement of the Commercial Bank were quoted as agreeing the changeover had been 'hectic, but it went smoothly and with good humour'.
Banks had been closed since the previous Wednesday in order to be quite prepared for this change and at least the Commonwealth staff had not been permitted leave since the previous July and would not be allowed any until April, in order that all be on duty for the changeover, with a comprehensive knowledge of the new system.
What else was happening in Glen Innes in this momentous month?
Shops marked items in both currencies and advertised Centsational Savings! Arthur Brown was the headmaster of the High School where £172,000 worth of buildings to house science, manual arts, and art classes were nearing completion.
Captains of the school were Ian Lockwood and Kaye Fletcher; Vice Captains Graeme McLeod and Jennifer Whan; and Prefects - Jim Atkinson, Robert Collins, Bill O'Halloran, Tony Pearce, Colin Price, Russell Walker, Frances Frew, Diane Johnson, Elizabeth Leamon, Barbara McLeod, Janet Montgomery and Robyn Varley.
A new Services Club was being built costing £240,000, a Bowling Club House for £53,000, there was a new Motor registry Office in Wentworth street is (now the Youth Booth) and the Municipal Saleyards had been erected.
Closed in 1956 the old hospital still lay vacant -it was to become the repository of the history of Glen Innes and District as The Land of the Beardies Museum.
