Tragedy Strikes Dumaresq Island
Speedboats from the festival swarmed the island as the plane continued to burn. Eric Henshaw and John Paine were among them. They scrambled up the bank…
William Boles and James Henry Bolster: a tale of two architects
The long-awaited Manning River District Hospital was designed by Sydney architects, Bolster and Hotson. In December 1888, James Bolster visited Taree…
William Augustus Fay: journalist
Of the seven original shareholders of the Northern Champion Printing and Publishing Company Limited registered by David Cowan in 1912, one seems an odd fit…
Picture Perfect: Taree’s Civic Theatre
While the other buildings down Pulteney Street slept, Taree’s Civic Theatre teemed with life. Its glass doors welcomed patrons into its newly formed entrance hall…
The Northern Champion Newspaper: the first edition
In 1912, Taree was served by one local newspaper, the Manning River Times. But things were about to change …
Taree High School’s first Agricultural Farm
Centred in a large farming region, Taree High School established agricultural studies as part of its curriculum in 1941. Initially the subject was for male students…
Taree Photographer: Robert Crombie
This iconic photo of the first train arriving in Taree in 1913 was taken by photographer Robert Edward Crombie…
Manning District Ambulance Service
In 1934 Taree citizens approached the Newcastle Ambulance Committee to establish a district ambulance service. Newcastle agreed and donated an ambulance and £100…
Taree’s First Eisteddfod
In the early years of the 20th century, musical festivals were very much in vogue. One such festival had been successfully held in Taree in 1912…