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Port Macquarie is a large town on the mid-North
Coast of New South Wales, Australia, located about
390 km (242 mi) north of Sydney, and 570 km (354 mi)
south of Brisbane. The town is located on the coast,
at the mouth of the Hastings River. The nearest
railway town is Wauchope about 19 km (12 mi) to the
west.
History
The site of Port Macquarie was first visited by
Europeans in 1818 when John Oxley reached the
Pacific Ocean from the interior, after his journey
to explore inland New South Wales. He named the
location after the Governor of New South Wales,
Lachlan Macquarie.
Oxley noted that 'the port abounds with fish, the
sharks were larger and more numerous than I have
ever before observed. The forest hills and rising
grounds abounded with large kangaroos and the
marshes afford shelter and support to innumerable
wild fowl. Independent of the Hastings River, the
area is generally well watered, there is a fine
spring at the very entrance to the Port'.
In 1821, Port Macquarie was founded as a penal
settlement, replacing Newcastle as the destination
for convicts that had committed secondary crimes in
New South Wales. Newcastle, which had fulfilled this
role for the previous two decades, had lost the
features required for a place for dumping
irredeemable criminals, that being isolation, which
was lost as the Hunter Valley was opened up to
farmers, and large amounts of hard labour, which had
diminishing as the cedar in the area ran out and the
settlement grew in size. Port Macquarie, however,
with its thick bush, tough terrain and local
aborigines that were keen to return escaping
prisoners in return for tobacco and blankets,
provided large amounts of both isolation and hard
labour to keep the criminals in control. Under its
first commandant, Francis Allman, who was fond of
the flogging, the settlement became hell, where the
convicts had limited liberties, especially in regard
to being in possession of letters and writing
papers, which could get a convict up to 100 lashes.
Due to the lack of liberties of the settlement,
Ralph Darling, governor of New South Wales, quickly
sent many 'specials' or literate convicts whom had a
decent education who voiced negative views about
him. Later on in the settlements history, in the
1830's, disabled convicts started to arrive.
One-armed men would be grouped together and required
to break stones, men with wooden legs would become
delivery men, an early postal system, for the town
and the blind would often be given tasks during the
night when they were often better than those with
sight.
In 1823 the first sugar cane to be cultivated in
Australia was planted there. The region was first
opened to settlers in 1830 and later on in the
decade the penal settlement was closed in favour of
a new penal settlement in Moreton Bay. It was soon
being settled having the good pastoral land, timber
resources and fisheries that it did.
St Thomas’ Anglican Church is a Georgian building
designed by Lieutenant T Owen and was built by
convicts under military supervision during
1824-1828. This church is among the oldest in
Australia and one of the few remaining convict built
churches. Inside there are red cedar box pews that
were peculiar to that period in church architecture.
The Walker Pipe Organ is the only one of its type in
the southern hemisphere. The castellated tower
permits excellent views of the coastline, town and
river. This church is now classified by the National
Trust of Australia (NSW) and it is also registered
on the National Estate.
In 1840 the “Wool Road” from the Northern Tablelands
was under construction to enable wool and other
produce to be shipped from the port. Port Macquarie
was declared a municipality in 1887, but the town
never progressed as a port due to presence of a
notorious coastal bar across the mouth of the river.
Over 20 shipwrecks occurred in the Tacking Point
area before a lighthouse was designed by James
Barnet and erected there in 1879 by Shepard and
Mortley. Tacking Point Lighthouse is classified by
the National Trust of Australia (NSW).
General
Port Macquarie is a popular retirement and tourist
destination, known for its extensive beaches and
waterways. The town is also known for its koala
population, being the home the Billabong Koala Park,
and the Koala Preservation Society's Koala Hospital,
caring for koalas injured through bushfire, dog
attacks and collisions with vehicles.
In recent times, real estate developments have led
to clashes with residents, in particular the Rydges
Hotel (formerly Four Points by Sheraton) built
opposite the Town Green[citation needed]. The Post
Office on the Town Green was demolished to make way
for a new apartment block, a development that saw
the controversial removal of several large fig trees
and subsequent debate in the community about the
value of public space.
The residential suburbs stretch to Lighthouse Beach
in the south, Thrumster to the west and to the
so-called "North Shore" on the north bank of the
river. Settlement Point has a new canal development,
being one of the most expensive real estate
developments in the town. More recently, September
2009, Sovereign Hills, has begun development in the
west. At present it includes a new school, St
Joseph's Regional College, and shortly there be will
shopping facilities and residential areas.
In the 2006 Census the wider area of the Hastings
Valley had a total population of 68,429 up 9.5% from
the 2001 Census.
In the last two years the Newcastle Jets have played
one of their Pre-Season Cup matches at the Port
Macquarie Regional Stadium.
It has become a major service centre for those
living between Taree in the south and South West
Rocks to the north.
Beaches
Beaches include (in order from north to south):
North Shore, Town Beach, Oxley Beach, Rocky Beach,
Flynns Beach, Nobbys Beach, Shelly Beach, Miners
Beach and Lighthouse Beach. Only Town, Flynns and
Lighthouse Beaches are manned by Surf Life Saving
Clubs and Lighthouse is only watched at the north
end. There is an active surf culture with the
beaches being the main tourist attraction
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