11 minute read
Bicentenary of Port Macquarie
For more than 40,000 years the Birpai people have been the original inhabitants and occupants of the Greater Port Macquarie region. Relying on the land and waterways to sustain themselves, the Birpai people made temporary huts along the river and around the lakes allowing them to follow the seasonal food trail. The region’s richly diverse landscapes together with the subtropical climate ensured that the community thrived in harmony with the environment for many thousands of years prior to the arrival of Europeans. Today, with its own unique heritage, Port Macquarie is one of the most popular tourist destinations on the NSW coast, and also one of the fastest growing regions in NSW. Discovered by John Oxley in 1818 and named after the Governor of NSW, Lachlan Macquarie, our first visitors were convicts sent to the Port Macquarie penal settlement in 1821 to serve time for secondary offences. The town was built by those convicts and overseen by military officers of the 48th Regiment. Port Macquarie was opened up to free settlers from 1830 and remained a convict town until 1847. Evidence of our convict past can be viewed at various locations including the convict built St Thomas’ Church, the well of the Female Factory in Munster Street ( Map ref K8), the well of the 1840 gaol located within the Ibis Styles Hotel and at the Port Macquarie Museum. The historic cemetery at the southern end of Horton Street ( Map ref J9) is home to the remains of many of our early settlers including convicts, military officers and free settlers. The Port Macquarie-Hastings region is currently reaching a number of milestones in their European discovery and settlement. 2018 marked two hundred years since Surveyor General John Oxley’s journey of discovery during which he and his party travelled to the place he named Port Macquarie. This year (2021) marks the Bicentenary of the first settlement in Port Macquarie. The Bicentenary is an opportunity for our community and visitors to come together and reflect on our past; our present and our future. A range of activities are planned from 10-18 April 2021 - See pages 6 & 7 for more information.
PORT MACQUARIE MUSEUM An award winning museum featuring themed displays from the first settlers right through to today. Located in Port Macquarie’s CBD, it is one of the few surviving early commercial and residential buildings in Port Macquarie and is listed on the NSW State Heritage Register. Mon-Sat 10am-4pm (minimal charges apply) 22 Clarence Street - Map ref K8 (02) 6583 1108
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MID NORTH COAST MARITIME MUSEUM Originally built as Pilot Cottages in 1896, they now house a wonderful collection of maritime material including superbly built scale models of a variety of vessels, charts, maps, paintings and an extensive collection of historical maritime photos. 7 days 10am–4pm 6 William Street - Map ref M8 (02) 6583 1866
THE HISTORIC COURTHOUSE was designed by colonial architect James Barnet and built in 1869 by local builders Butler and Bourne costing £1,091 and nine shillings. This building, classified by the National Trust, served the community for 117 years and was restored in 1993. Mon-Fri 10am-3pm, and Sat 10am-
1pm Corner of Clarence & Hay Streets - Map ref K8 (02) 6584 1818
LAKE INNES RUINS Located in Lake Innes Nature Reserve, these ruins represent a significant part of Australia’s colonial heritage. The grand home, Lake Innes House was built in the 1830s and 1840s and was home to the colonial entrepreneur Major Archibald Innes and his wife Margaret Macleay. This historic site is managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service and public access to the site across private property is via guided tour only.
Tours can be booked through the Visitor Information Centre 1300 303 155 Map ref D17 ST THOMAS’ ANGLICAN CHURCH Australia’s fifth oldest church is still in use. Built by convict labour between 1824 and 1828 the walls are constructed of one metre thick hand-made brick. It features an 1857 barrel organ that plays 33 hymns – the only one of its type in Australia. Wednesday to Friday, 9.30am - 12:00pm. Guided tours currently on hold. 50 Hay Street - Map ref K8 (02) 6584 1033
HISTORIC ROTO HOUSE was built in 1891 and belonged to the Flynn family. In the early 1980s it was restored by the National Parks and Wildlife Service and features furnishings and artefacts from the 19th Century. Pack a lunch and picnic in the pleasant surrounds of Macquarie Nature Reserve, or visit the nearby Koala Hospital. daily from 10am-4.30pm subject to volunteer availability 2 Roto Place - Map ref L10 (02) 6584 2180
DOUGLAS VALE HISTORIC HOMESTEAD + VINEYARD is a unique experience within Australia. It has been restored into a museum for eclectic items from the original families. The landscaped grounds include historic buildings plus an orchard, vegetable garden and working vineyard. See page 48 for more details.
TIMBERTOWN Step back in time and visit Timbertown in Wauchope - one of Australia's best heritage theme parks. Set amongst 87 acres of beautiful natural Blackbutt forest, Timbertown is an entire living, working recreation of a Timber Getters Village from 1880 - 1930. See page 15 for full details.
10-18 april 2021
Port Macquarie’s Bicentenary Event We respectfully acknowledge the Birpai people as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work and live.
WALKING OUR PLACE, TOGETHER
2021 marks 200 years since Port Macquarie was established as one of Australia’s earliest penal colonies. Join us for a program of events which reflect on our past, celebrate our present, and look to an inclusive and positive future.
10-18 APRIL, 6-9PM
At the heart of this event is the launch of ‘Wakulda’ an immersive
nightly digital projection onto the town’s Historic Court
House. The ten-minute production tells important heritage and cultural stories from both a European settlement perspective and those of our First Nations People, the Birpai. Drop by to view one of the nightly screenings which will be on a continuous loop between 6pm & 9pm, and an art exhibition will also be held inside the Courthouse. Nearby you can experience both the Port Macquarie Museum and Pilot Boathouse open every evening. Pop into the Glasshouse Port Macquarie to view themed exhibitions and bring a blanket and picnic dinner onto Town Green, watch visiting boats on the river and enjoy some live & local musical talent playing from Little Shack. Visit portmacquarieinfo.com.au/wakulda for more info.
The Coral Trekker Tall Ship
ON THE FORESHORE
You won’t be able to miss the ‘Coral Trekker’, a 23-metre, square rigged, wooden tall ship to be moored at Lady Nelson Wharf, with public access times and sailings from 10-18 April. And on Sunday 18 April, head down to the foreshore for displays of local and visiting vessels and aquatic activities. Visit portmacquarieinfo. com.au/bicentenary for info.
SATELLITE EVENTS
10-18 APRIL
In addition to Wakulda’s nightly program and foreshore activities, there are no less than 40 satellite events! There are too many to list here, but we can give you a sample of what’s in store: • HERITAGE: bus and walking tours with local historians, museum events, heritage church, garden and building open days. • CULTURE: Saltwater Freshwater Alliance exhibition, Bush Tucker and Mulaman Tours at Sea Acres, Dance Mid North Coast Association performances. • ARTS: Exhibitions and creative workshops, live performances, Open Studios (see below). • FAMILY: Hello Koalas special events, Live Action Escape Walks, Star Stories Dreaming at the Observatory.
FOR THE FULL PROGRAM go to:
portmacquarieinfo.com.au/bicentenary
OR pick up a printed program from the Visitor Information Centre, Council Offices & Libraries, and participating venues across our region from mid-March.
Guir Wakul Gagil ‘Together As One’ Sculpture
Wakulda - Projected onto our Historic Courthouse
EXPLORE OUR PLACE
Walk our place and discover the stories that weave together to make Port Macquarie-Hastings the region it was, it is, and will be.
Bonnyview Studio
ARTISTS’ OPEN STUDIO WEEKEND
10-11 APRIL FROM 10AM TO 4PM
This event weekend will see over 20 of the region’s talented creatives opening their studios & workshops to the public (some for the first time). Meet the artists and gain unique insight into their creative process. Purchase works direct from the artist or enjoy browsing. This trail takes you to many special hidden gems around our region, so take the weekend and plan plenty of local café stops along the way! For all the info go to portmaquarieinfo.com.au/openstudio
LAUNCHING APRIL 2021!
Introducing our new TASTE TRAILS. Taste Trails are a series of curated self-drive itineraries providing maps, travel times and local insights into some of the region’s best experiences, including:
• WINE + WONDER: These are not your average wineries! • BREWS + BURGERS: Awesome breweries and best burgers = great day out. • PRODUCERS + PROVIDORES: Explore our hinterland + meet the farmers and producers of the freshest food and finest delicacies. • CREATIVES + CURIOS: Discover galleries with a twist + artist-made treasures. Create your own adventure!
For all the info go to
portmacquarieinfo.com.au/tastetrails
Proudly presented by Port Macquarie Hastings Council. Funded by the Australian Government’s COVID-19 & Bushfire Recovery initiatives, and Port Macquarie Hastings Council
HELLO KOALAS SCULPTURE TRAIL
⟶ Hello Koalas sculpture Ranger Riley, roaming ambassador for Threatened Species in NSW National Parks, enjoying lunch with a friend. Photo National Parks Australia
⟶ Pick up a FREE Hello Koalas
Sculpture Trail Guide Pick up a FREE Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail Guide at the Hello Koalas Gift Shop, Glasshouse Arts and Visitor Centre, Sea Acres Rainforest Centre, hotels and attractions around town or download a pdf of the Guide from www. hellokoalas.com. And visit our Hello Koalas online shop for year-round shopping from home (www.hellokoalas.com/shop). “Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail is a World First”, says UK public art expert, Elaine Burke. “There is simply no other sculpture trail in the world quite like it and the only one dedicated to koalas!” Margret Meagher, Founder, Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail tells her story. I thought of the idea for a sculpture trail in Port Macquarie in 2011, after moving from Sydney, following a lifetime working in tourism and the arts. The Sydney Opera House and Art Gallery of NSW were my second homes in those days. In 2019, we took travelling exhibitions to the Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra in March and to Royal Botanic Garden Sydney in October/November. In April 2021, we are exhibiting 22 Hello Koalas sculptures at the Australian Botanic Garden at Mount Annan, near Campbelltown. We have consistently won business and tourism awards since 2015 including the 2019 Regional Business Award for Excellence in Innovation and Gold for Cultural Tourism in the 2019 NSW State Tourism Awards which led us to the Australian Tourism Finals, achieving 4th place out of a field of 8 national tourism attractions. We estimate that over 1 million people a year engage with our Hello Koalas sculptures in Port Macquarie – hugging them, smiling at them, taking selfies and family photos with them and talking about them on facebook, Instagram and TripAdvisor (#hellokoalas, @hellokoalas). TripAdvisor ranks Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail #3 of 44 Things to Do and #1 Sights and Landmarks in Port Macquarie. This social media coverage reinforces the fact that Hello Koalas sculptures are wondrous little characters, designed by talented Australian artists. And the sculptures love receiving the attention! Many people see our Hello Koalas as loveable personalities and it is not unusual to find small children feeding them fallen gum leaves for lunch. When we started planning the Trail, we aimed to create 50 one metre high fibreglass sculptures but Hello Koalas is an infectious project and we now have 78 sculptures to share with our community and visitors to our region. And more are on their way in local artists’ studios. Sometimes our Hello Koalas sculptures go on tour so not all the sculptures are available to see when people visit but there are always 50+ Hello Koalas sculptures on display. We keep people aware of their movements on our website – www.hellokoalas.com and we have a 24/7 Hotline so people can email (info@hellokoalas.com), text or phone us with their queries (0416 641 482). Each year we hold the Hello Koalas Festival and our 5th Festival will be held over Saturday and Sunday, 25 and 26 September 2021. The Festival highlight is the Hello Koalas Treasure Hunt, presented in association with our charity partner, Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service. Discover 30 specially selected Hello Koalas and post your favourites on social media. Everyone who completes the Treasure Hunt is awarded a Certificate of Achievement and there are special prizes to be won, like helicopter flights over Port Macquarie. Simply register online to participate (www.hellokoalas.com/festival). One of our principal aims of the Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail is to promote koala preservation. We want to protect koalas from road accidents, inquisitive dogs in backyards, loss of habitat through urbanisation and drought, and diseases like chlamydia. Join our creative journey of fun and adventure while learning about koala conservation. A good place to start is the Hello Koalas Gift Shop where you can see unique and stylish souvenirs and gifts plus 8+ Hello Koalas sculptures on the Trail. And remember the Port Macquarie-Hastings Bicentenary Hello Koalas Treasure Hunt, is on from 10 to 18 April 2021. For more info and to register online, log on to www.hellokoalas.com or phone 0416 641 482.
