The first post-war Church of England Ball was held at the Glen Innes Town Hall on the 26th April 1946 and has been held annually ever since. The Sesquicentenary Ball in 2008 marks the sixty-second occasion. It remains a highlight in the social life of the community and features the presentation of young ladies and their partners to invited dignitaries. The event is one of beauty and celebration, professionally presented. Months of preparation precede the night and involves a dedicated band of people. The Ball is held nowadays at the Glen Innes & District Services Club owing to changes of rules and regulations. This occurred in the 1990’s.
With the change of venue came changed protocol. Presented couples were no longer invited up onto the stage to sit at the official table. Instead a table was laid for the debutants and their partners. One memory associated with the purchase of tickets was the queueing up in Grey Street at an early hour on a cold, frosty June morning in order to claim ‘the best seats in the house’. After 37 years of training the participants many hundreds in number Mrs Leta Kempton retired in 2002.
To add to the eventful year of May 1946, the Rev. Hunter Barratt was made a Canon of the Armidale Cathedral. Also in 1946 the Rev H.S. Hannaford as assistant curate was welcomed to the Parish, with his wife and family and they stayed until the Rev. J. L.G. Sullivan and his wife came to Glen Innes in 1948.
In April 1948, tenders were called for the erection of a dwelling in the Church grounds on the corner of Meade Street and Mann’s Lane. B. L. Freak’s tender for £1 687/10 shillings was accepted to build the house that was used as the curatage.
The health of the Rev. Sullivan was not good and in December 1948 he was transferred to Armidale and the Rev. John Dent was appointed deacon to assist in the Parish. When the Rev. Dent left Glen Innes, the Rev. Milton McGregor was appointed Deacon on November 20th, 1950.
The Rev. Canon Barratt’s long ministry terminated in 1951. He and his wife had served the Parish for some 18 years. Their cremated ashes were interred on the southern side of the Church at their passing and simple marble tablets were placed in their memory.