A House at 96 High Street, Taree

In 1892, Alexander Thomson—son of Andrew and Catherine Thomson, founders of Taree’s Beehive Store—purchased Lot 5 Section A.¹ A house appeared the following year, though Alex never lived there.² Born in 1868 in Taree, he worked as a Telegraph Operator and Postmaster in Laurieton before retiring to Sydney, where he died in 1960 aged 92.³

His house at 96 High Street offers a fascinating glimpse into early Taree life.

The first residents were Thomas and Fanny Pankhurst (1893–1899).⁴ Thomas was a retired member of the British Navy who moved to Australia and became a dredge engineer on the Manning River. The family lived many years at Taree Estate before ill health drew Thomas closer to the new Manning River District Hospital which opened in 1889 across the road.⁵ Their children led notable lives—one became a US Navy Captain,⁶ another was killed in France in WWI,⁷ and their daughter Hannah served as a frontline nurse and later Matron of Suva Hospital, Fiji.⁸

Other residents included wheelwright James Morton (1901–1903), known for his craftsmanship at S.T. Lean’s coachworks;⁹ William J. Smith (1908–1920), a sawmill worker; and Joseph Loutitt (1920–1923), a winchman at Cundle Dock.¹⁰

For over two decades, the home has been owned by Dr and Mrs Hopcroft and now serves the community as a doctor’s surgery—with new stories still to be written.

Author: Janine Roberts