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| The Macleay River at
Frederickton |
Frederickton
Tiny and historic township on the Macleay River.
Small township which now seems like a northern suburb of
Kempsey
Located 436 km north of Sydney on the Macleay River,
Frederickton is one of those places where it is so easy to
pass through the town barely noticing the attractive and
historic hotel and certainly not stopping to walk down to
the banks of the Macleay River.
The area around Frederickton was first settled by
Europeans, as was common through most of the New South Wales
north coast, when cedar cutters moved into the district in
the late 1820s. The first recorded European settler was
Captain A.C. Innes, who at the time was the commandant at
Port Macquarie. He sent a cedar cutting party to the Macleay
River in 1827.
Prior to the arrival of Europeans the valley had been
inhabited by the Ngamba-ngagu Aborigines. Their peaceful
existence was briefly disturbed in 1817 when John Oxley
passed through the area but he found the Macleay River
swampy and inaccessible and did nothing to encourage
settlement.
From the 1820s until the early 1840s, the primary
European interest was in cedar (at one point there were 200
cutters in the Macleay valley) and once this was exhausted
(by about 1842) the land returned to the pastoralists. At
various times beef, sugar cane (it failed), maize and dairy
cattle have formed the basis of the district's economy.
In 1841 Frederickton's first European resident, a man
named Gillies, set up a shipbuilding business on the banks
of the river. By 1843 the business had been purchased by
Christopher Lawson whose sons built the local public school
(see below).
Another notable citizen around this time was William
Henry Chapman who was engaged in both the cedar and the
dairy industry on his runs at Euroka and Yarrabandinni. He
was responsible for subdividing part of Yarrabandinni which
eventually became the township of Frederickton.
The valley was ideal dairy country and Frederickton was
sustained by the dairy industry until the 1970s.
The railway reached Kempsey in 1917 but, like so many
towns along the New South Wales coast, the Macleay River was
still being served by coastal ferries until 1960.
Things to see:
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| Macleay River Hotel
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Public School and Headmasters Residence
Designed by the noted architect John Horbury Hunt these
simple Gothic-style buildings were constructed in 1880. They
are notable for the bell tower, the stained glass windows
depicting wildflowers and birds, and the wind vane (in the
shape of a quill) as well as the excellent location of the
complex on a hill surrounded by mature trees. It is an
excellent example of a Victorian school complex and was
originally built from sandstock bricks which have
unfortunately been cement rendered.
Post Office
The Frederickton Post Office in Macleay Street dates from
1886 and is a good example of a Victorian-era rural post
office.
Tamban Forest Drive
Entering Frederickton from the south there is a sign to the
left to Tamban Forest Drive along the Collombatti Road. This
is a 90 km loop road which goes up into the hills and
provides excellent views over the coast. Particularly
impressive is the Collombatti Lookout which provides a 360°
view which includes both the mountains and the entire lower
Macleay Valley. More information can be obtained at the
Kempsey Visitors Centre. The journey basically involves
travelling 10 km on the Collombatti Road and then following
the blue and white route markers through the State Forest.
Fishing
There is a riverboat ramp at Frederickton for those who want
to try their luck with some river fishing. This area of the
Macleay is noted for its Australian bass which can be caught
in the summer months between October and April. The river is
also good for blackfish, bream, whiting, tailor, mullet,
flathead and jewfish.
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Frederickton
