Prickly Pear Cough Syrup – a local speciality?
Until the mid nineteenth century cochineal was highly sought after as the pre-eminent agent to produce a rich, vibrant red dye. It was the substance used to colour the British army ‘Red Coat’ uniforms…
Tunbridge Wells, 81 High Street, Taree
Henry Wilson Alcorn began his life on the Manning as a farmer and later advertised his services as a brick merchant and building contractor. He constructed many brick buildings around Taree, including the Exchange Hotel and his own home ‘Tunbridge Wells’…
Craft Cottage: 77 Pulteney Street, Taree
Following the death of the then owner George De Fraine of Sydney, vacant land having frontages to Pulteney, High and Wynter Streets was sold in 1908…
Violet Isobel Jobson: 1912-1934
On the morning of 12 April 1934, Violet Jobson, a young waitress at the Harrington Hotel, started her shift about 6.30am, but was too ill to work…
George De Saxe and Amy Mackay, Dentists
George De Saxe was born in 1856 and worked most of his life as a dentist in Sydney and Parramatta. He often visited smaller towns providing dental services and in September 1900 visited Wingham for this purpose…
Wingham School of Arts
The first School of Arts in Wingham began in 1875 in a single-storey building at 23-29 Isabella Street…
The tragedy of SS ‘Macleay’
The beauty of Little Broughton Island belies the tragedy of the wrecking of the North Coast Steam Navigation Company’s S.S. ‘Macleay’ on 11 October 1911…
Nicholas Boyaze
Nicholas Boyaze (Voyatzis) was born in Crete and settled in Bohnock, a small township on the Manning River, where he managed oyster leases for the Comino Brothers…
Food Fair
Bill Nelson purchased the Blue Flag grocery store in Manning Street, Taree in 1937. It put me in mind of Ronnie Barker’s ‘Open All Hours’…
Redex, The World’s Toughest Car Trials
Redex Trials were novel with 200 amateur and pro drivers circumnavigating Australia in a contest. Bill Nelson was always passionate about cars and talked his mate into…