On Monday, current Gunnedah mayor Jamie Chaffey and Rotary West president Nataniel Gomes unveiled a plaque at the Hunter Street cemetery detailing the service of Thomas Breen, a native of County Kerry in Ireland.

The plaque has been placed in front of the grave of Thomas Breen erected by his wife Emily after his untimely death in 1887 at the age of 48. Emily left the district in 1900 and the grave and its once impressive headstone had fallen into a state of disrepair.

The Rotary club took on the task of restoring the grave and erecting the information board after being approached by the Gunnedah and District Historical Society.

The work began in earnest back in March only to be shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. The volunteers were finally able to continue their project, utilising the various talents among their members and putting in countless hours of their time.

The grave of Gunnedah's first mayor is now hardly recognisable with the information on the board detailing his background provided by the historical society.

Cr Chaffey praised the work of the many volunteers in Gunnedah who contribute so much to the community through groups such as Rotary and the Historical Society.

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Thomas Breen was a very colourful character who came to Gunnedah in 1878 as the licensee of the Imperial Hotel in Barber Street. After the Municipality of Gunnedah was declared in 1885, he was elected mayor of the first council in a majority of three over John Pritchard.

The council, however, was wracked by division and within three months Alderman Breen had been voted out of office.

Three of the originally appointed aldermen had also resigned leaving him without the support he needed when stock and station agent Alfred Bacon was appointed mayor at the first general election on February 16, 1886.

The bitter factional dispute continued, however, and the feisty Irishman, Thomas Breen was involved in a scuffle at a council meeting with Alderman Robert Brock in May that year.

Before coming to Gunnedah, Mr Breen had worked as a gold escort trooper in the dangerous bush ranging days of Australia's early gold discoveries.

He died suddenly while having tea at the Imperial Hotel on June 10,1887. His wife Emily ran the hotel for a few more years before leaving the district in 1900 soon after the death of her son Arthur from consumption (tuberculosis). Another son, Sylvester, died from epilepsy in 1902 at the age of 21. Emily Breen died on February 9, 1938 at the age of 89.

The historical society said it was grateful to the Rotary club for taking on the project and achieving such a fine result for the town's heritage.