“Strathairlie” Private Hospital, Taree
“Strathairlie” Private Hospital in Taree was one of several small private hospitals that once played a vital role in local healthcare but have since disappeared. In the 1900s…
Henry Nicoll’s Plans for Taree
A native of Scotland, twenty-four-year-old Henry Beavan Nicoll arrived in Australia aboard the “Orient” in 1882. After a period in Sydney, he moved to Tinonee…
Dr John Dale
Although his stay in Taree was short, John Thomas Dale is recorded in the 1897 Taree Rate Book as an occupier of property owned by D McDonald in Taree CBD…
Cooplacurripa – the changing nature of a pastoral run
In 1848, as the government strove to formalise unregulated squatting, members of the Denne family applied to lease “Cooplacumpa” (Cooplacurripa)…
Wherrol Flat Hall
After taking a dip at a local waterhole to escape the summer heat, I dropped into the Wherrol Flat Hall to photograph the Christmas bush and decorations catching my eye…
Ben Montford’s Fire Lookout Tower
When Ben Montford bought his property on Stoney Mountain near Booral, he inherited the remains of an old fire lookout tower…
William Manning 1763-1835
The majestic Manning River flows over 250 kms from Barrington Tops to the Pacific Ocean, but how much do we really know about the man whose name it bears?
A Ghostly Sign on the Wingham Road
By 1944, Taree had long since boasted a public hospital. Wingham, however, and its Upper Manning catchment, was reliant on a private hospital…
Tiny the Terrier and the Amato Family of Tuncurry
A charming 1988 film clip in the National Film and Sound Archive captures Tiny the Terrier, a clever dog from Tuncurry who greeted the postman each day…
Bring Back the Flying Boats!
The Manning River was not only important for shipping … it once hosted flying boats…