H. Nelson & Sons
Herman Nelson, a carpenter was born in Kempsey. The family left their general store in St. Ives and travelled by horse and cart to Taree in 1923…
My Backyard in Tea Gardens
My backyard in Witt Street, Tea Gardens is a place I remember well back in the 40s…
How ‘Poitrel’ brought a touch of glamour to Taree
Poitrel was a chestnut stallion, a racehorse, best known as the 1920 winner of the Melbourne Cup…
Premonition at the Australian Hotel
Mr Cregg, a well-known tea traveller, spent the night at Wingham’s Australian Hotel on Friday the 8 November 1901 where he had a vivid dream…
Rare wooden grave marker
This rare example of a legible wooden grave marker was found behind a shed at the Great Lakes Museum in 2014. It once marked the grave of 14 year old Joseph Edwin Hadley…
Karuah River Mystery
In 1917 a young man was found at Karuah River unable to hear, speak or move his legs. Stories began circulating that he had encountered a ghost…
The Bungay Ghost
In December 1887, Mr R Cameron, a highly respected resident of Bungay, was riding home from Wingham one evening when a ghost in black rode up to him…
North Coast Steam Navigation Co Ltd
In August 1891 the North Coast Steam Navigation Company was formed by the merger of the Clarence, Richmond and Macleay Rivers Steam Navigation Company and John See and Company…
Harry Wilfred Webster
Harry Wilfred Webster was born in Essex, England in 1885 and undertook his architectural training there…
William Oscar Ryan
Following rowdy melees at the 1923 Boxing Day Regatta at Croki, William Oscar (Spike) Ryan was convicted of the manslaughter of Frederick Smith. Narrowly avoiding a jail sentence, Ryan turned his life around and is remembered as a highly skilled boat builder.