E A R L Y H I S T O R Y O F L I S M O R E

Northern Star, Lismore NSW. Wednesday 16 May 1894.

The town of Lismore takes its name, as we have before published, from the squattage of Lismore, the head station of which composed what is now part of the site of the town. The country was first taken up by a Mr. Dumaresque, but soon passed into the hands of the late Mr. William Wilson, of Monaltrie, who took possession in February 1844, just half a century ago.

ISLAND OF LISMORE

Mrs. Wilson, who died about three years since, we have ascertained, named her future home after the small island of Lismore, one of the Hebrides in Loch Linnhe, Argyleshire. For many years the population consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Wilson, here their family, and a few station hands, supplemented by the cedar getters, who for many years found a rich harvest of cedar along the banks of the various streams and in the dense brushes which clothed the volcanic hills to their summit. Schooners were regular visitors, and eventually, a small store was established by Mr. Henry Brown, who was a local buyer of timber.

SURVEYED IN 1856

The site of his store, a simple hut, was that now occupied by the Australian Joint Stock Bank, and the story is told that in the early days a schooner came up to load cedar, and entirely missing the embryo township, went away up Leycester's Creek several miles, when, to the crew's great disgust, they discovered their mistake.

The stories of early days would fill a small volume, but we must pass on. The only means of access to Ballina in those days was by water, and by pulling a boat, the distance close on 70 miles, making a total of 140 miles which had often to be accomplished to procure rations, tobacco and other requisites. A town was surveyed in 1856, and then, early in 1857, a few town Iots were sold. It made very little progress for many years, and the older settlements of Casino, Coraki and Ballina looked.