The Land of the Beardies History House Museum is a name so long, it has two different brown signs. While the full name is what it is named, it is often known as one of the shortened names, History House, or Land of the Beardies.
The name ‘Land of the Beardies’ is adopted from a book of the same name about the history of the area. It was written by the editor of the Glen Innes Examiner newspaper, Ernest Christian Sommerlad in 1922.
The story is of two stockmen and former convicts, John Duval and William Chandler, who wore long beards. They saw the potential grazing country to the north of Armidale, and others that were looking for land to raise stock were recommended to apply to the beardies.
The museum building was the former Glen Innes District Hospital, opened in 1877. Nearly 80 years later, the building closed as a hospital, with the newer hospital complex next to it.