General News
7 August, 2025
‘Terry Nangle Sound Shell’ to honour local music legacy
The late Terry Nangle (Toss) will be recognised publicly with Gilgandra Shire Council (GSC) progressing plans to honour the local musician.
After being approached by community members Phillip Batten and Maxine Elsom in December 2024, GSC endorsed the memorial naming of the ‘Terry Nangle Sound Shell’ in the Gilgandra Cultural Precinct (Coo-ee Park).
The structure known colloquially as the ‘sound shell’ is actually titled ‘Rotary Amphitheatre’. It was constructed as a joint project in 2000 between GSC and the local Rotary Club. At the July 2025 council meeting, options were presented to councillors to install appropriate signage, a commemorative brass plaque and for a painted mural to form the elements of the sound shell’s dedication to Mr Nangle.
The commemorative plaque is estimated to cost $2000 and will feature a portrait and a message acknowledging service and impact.
Council resolved to allocate this amount in the 2025/26 budget, as it was not previously funded. In addition, a mural celebrating themes of music, song, and dance will be painted on the internal wall of the sound shell. The mural, estimated at $5500, will be funded through a variation of the Stronger Country Communities Fund Round five – Castlereagh River Beautification and Public Art Project.
That program, which has $63,389.16 remaining unspent, will accommodate the mural by reducing the scope of landscaping works around rest shelters along Windmill Walk. Council noted that the mural complements existing artwork and helps activate the space in a meaningful way.
A well-known local musician herself, Maxine Elsom said Phillip Batten came to her with an idea that Toss should be acknowledged publicly.
“We thought that since the sound shell was now more regularly used, for annual events such as Under the Gums, it would be appropriate to name it after Terry to honour his musical legacy. We are excited to see this memorial tribute to Toss and hopefully the signage for the shell will be up during the Under the Gums event this year – and be able to be officially acknowledged at that event by his children,” said Maxine.
