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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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