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The origin of Sweeney’s Arts and Crafts


Keryn and Rugga hard at work at Sweeney’s. Photo TWH

Sweeney’s Arts and Craft Cottage at Glengarry is a lovely, quaint space filled with wondrous crafts, trinkets, and delightful surprises.

It is a haven of colourful enchantments in the form of art, gems, burnt wooden bowls, delicious jams and pickles plus many other delights.

The history of Sweeney’s captures the true community essence of the opal fields that surrounds the magical cottage.

John (Hap) Armstrong and Ray Sweeney met in Warilla, New South Wales, when Ray was a taxi driver in the 70’s.

They moved to Glengarry in 1981 and took out a mining lease and built their camp opposite the Glengarry Hilton.

Hap moved back to Albion Park in late 1984, and it is not certain whether he gave or sold his share of the camp to Ray Sweeney.

Apart from being a taxi driver in his time, Sweeney was also a shearer and a miner, a thorough gentlemen, and well respected in the community.

After a battle with cancer, Sweeney passed away in 1995, bequeathing his camp for community use.

Sweeney’s Art and Craft was the brainchild of Una Ballard, who along with Denise Martin and Sue Hardman called a meeting in January 1997, with 10 ladies in attendance.

Pedro Van Emmerik (executor of Ray Sweeney’s will) had offered Una and the Arts and Craft ladies use of Sweeney’s camp for their craft days.


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