General News
18 June, 2025
‘Two Lyns’ retire from show
They bonded over their love of painting, and together they have notched up 78 years as stewards in the Nyngan Show Art and Craft Pavilion.
Lyn Quinton and Lynn Hodge - commonly referred to as the “two Lyns” - officially retired from pavilion duties at the culmination of the recent Nyngan Show.
Lyn Quinton became involved in the show in her mid-20s, and took over as chief steward from Nancy Tucker in 1993.
“I fell in love with art when I was in high school and have been practising ever since. I started my involvement at the show by going out and helping whoever was there because they were getting on a little bit. I remember working with Betty Taylor and Jean Ross and Ruth Green in the early days,” she said.
Lynn Hodge began her Nyngan show involvement in 1992, after arriving from the Hunter Valley.
Born in Newcastle, she was raising her children the Hunter Valley when she started art classes with an aunt in Raymond Terrace.
“I was living in Cessnock in that time, and she said come up and come to class with me, so I did. And when I got up there the art teacher said to me why don’t you go to TAFE and do your art certificate? I was probably in my mid 30s at the time, anyway I’ve been practising art ever since.”
The pair met when Hodge moved to Nyngan with her partner Brian, and was looking for other creative people.
The Nyngan Historical Society had released the book “Nyngan on the Bogan 1883-1983” and it included some of Quinton’s illustrations, so she made contact and the pair met in the local park.
“The drawings were just signed L Quinton, so I didn’t even know if I was meeting a man or a woman!”
They joke about having so much in common aside from their first names.
Both have husbands called Brian, and they live in the same street. They also share a love of painting landscapes, and sharing their knowledge with others in the community.
Although Hodge isn’t originally from Nyngan, she had relations around the district and as a child would often visit.
“Dad used to bring us out. The road was horrendous all the way. We had an old Chevy and it was rough and dusty. We used to camp at Trangie overnight and because it was such a long trip.” Later after she had raised her children, she was visiting relations at Cunnamulla when she met Brian.
“I’d been on my own for four years. I took some friends out to my cousin’s property at Cunnamulla for a weekend and we stayed in the shearer’s quarters. I remember my cousin’s wife joking that there was a mechanic and a painter also up working on the property and I could have my choice. “I’d been on my own for four years and had just moved into a beautiful home in Bellbird which I had painted myself so I told her the last thing I want in my life is another man.”
“Three months later, I was living in a caravan out here at Nyngan with Brian, the mechanic!” said Lynn Hodge.
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