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| Gerringong from Mt
Pleasant Lookout |
Gerringong
Small seaside town off the Princes Highway.
Gerringong (population 2478) is located 126 km south of
Sydney via the Princes Highway and 50 m above sea level.
Gerringong is a rural dairying village located in one of the
richest dairy farming areas in NSW. Since the 1980s this
primary resource has been supplemented by light industry and
an expanding business sector.
Gerringong was originally inhabited by the Wodi Wodi
Aborigines. The town's name is said to come from an
Aboriginal word meaning 'a fearful place' or 'place of
peril'.
In recent times the town has enjoyed a reputation as a
source of major sporting figures. From a pool of talent
across many fields, it has consistently thrown up numerous
state competitors.
Several, noted for their fierce loyalty to their
home-town, have progressed to national representation,
particularly in Rugby League, a local forte since 1912 when
Gerringong won the first season of the South Coast Rugby
League competition. Rod Wishart and Michael Cronin are the
most famous. The local oval has been named in Cronin's
honour.
Approaching Gerringong from the north the highway
bypasses Kiama and takes the visitor up and around 'The
Bends' offering spectacular views of the rock platforms far
below and the Pacific Ocean stretching away to the horizon.
This is the first point south of Stanwell Tops where the
Illawarra escarpment actually comes to the sea. The result
is that this is an area of heavy rainfall. The rain-filled
clouds blown from the south regularly bump into Saddleback
Mountain giving the district both a high rainfall and rich,
grassy paddocks ideal for dairy cattle.
Things to see:
Mt Pleasant Lookout
Mt Pleasant Lookout is clearly marked on 'The Bends' to the
north of Gerringong. It offers excellent views over the
town, the beach and the undulating landscape of coast and
pastoral hinterland rolls on beyond Nowra.
Renfrew Park
As the Princes Highway descends the hill from the north of
the town there is, to the left, a substantial and attractive
colonial building in good condition. The homestead of the
'Renfrew Park' estate, it was erected in 1862 adjacent to
the site on which an earlier wooden slab house once stood
(c.1845). The current structure was remodelled in 1932:
brickwork replacing the old wooden verandah which used to
surround the building.
The original owner of both the slab house and its
successor was Robert Miller who settled here in 1837 after
migrating from Renfrewshire in Scotland. He purchased the
land from a Mr Campbell, a clerk for Alexander Berry.
Campbell had purchased it from a Mr Smith who had taken up
the property as the first land grant in the area, in 1831.
The area had been surveyed in 1826, though the town was not
proclaimed until 1854. Timber shops began to appear in 1856,
followed by a post office and hotel in 1857.
At that time the run was known as 'Smith's Swamp' for
reasons that become apparent when you reach the bottom of
the hill and turn left across the railway tracks into Fern
St (the main thoroughfare of Gerringong) at the stone wall
which proclaims the township. Marshland stretches out on
either side of the road.
Alne Bank
If you bypass the Fern St entrance and continue south along
the highway there is a sign to the right to the 'Alne Bank'
homestead (c.1851), one of the most impressive of the town's
historic buildings. It was built of rubble stone by Michael
Hindmarsh (1800-1867) who settled in Gerringong in 1836. The
building has attractive sash windows, cedar joinery, a
notable front door with fanlight, plus a stone barn and iron
lacework, both added later in the nineteenth century. It is
still occupied by the descendants of the original owner and
can only be inspected by appointment (02 4234 1468).
Werri Beach
Back on Fern St the first road on the left is Sandy Wha
Road, which leads down to Werri Beach, definitely one of the
town's main attractions. Although people have built along
Werri's perimeter (and there is a substantial caravan park
at the southern end) they have not really enjoyed great
ocean views. The sea and southerly winds have whipped up a
huge sand dune which has to be clambered over to get to the
surf. This has meant that the beach is very quiet and quite
isolated. Although you can be only a few hundred metres from
your car you can feel that you are far removed from all
signs of civilisation. It is a good surfing location and a
very deep beach with snapper and whiting to be had by keen
anglers.
Gerringong Uniting Church
Return west up Sandy Wha Road and back into Fern St and
continue south. The next road to the left is Willawa Avenue.
On the corner, symbolically situated at the crest of the
hill, is the old Congregational Church, now the Uniting
Church. Services initially commenced in a timber building in
1861. The present stone structure, a brilliant white of hue
with stained-glass windows, dates from 1884.
Old Methodist Church
Clearly visible on the hillside opposite, in Bridges Road,
is the old Methodist Church (now also the property of the
Uniting Church). The original structure was a slab building
further down the hill dating from the 1850s. The present
building was constructed in 1869-70 when the twin pines were
planted. It is a dignified but plain stone temple of subdued
blue with attractive wooden window trimmings.
Willow Bank Homestead
Directly opposite, on the other side of Bridges Road, is
'Willow Bank' homestead, one of the most beautiful
properties in town. Built in the early 1860s it has been
modified but excellently maintained by the present owners,
the Noble Family, who, appropriately, are builders. They
have also kept the gardens in immaculate condition. It is
not open for public inspection.
The Old Police Station
Further south on Fern St, to the right and just before
Blackwood St and the shopping strip, at number 89, is the
original police station. Built in 1883 the structure is of
stone and lime mortar with walls nearly two feet thick and
ceilings almost twelve feet high. It is now privately owned.
The cells can be seen around the back of the building if you
turn right into Blackwood Street.
Gerringong Heritage Centre
Further along this road, to your right, behind the scout
hall (look for the sign) is Gerringong Heritage Centre (02
4234 2364). Open from 1-4 on weekends, public holidays and
every Tuesday and Thursday of the school holidays, there is
a very small admission charge. The displays deal with early
transport, the geology and fauna of the area, the hand tools
of the pioneers, dairy farming and Charles Kingsford Smith.
There are also records of historical land grants, places of
interest and cemetery data, as well as some family histories
and photographs.
Anglican Church
Just past Blackwood Street, on the right, is the Anglican
Church (1874), designed free of charge by Edmund Blacket.
The original slab building (1855), costing 200 pounds, was
burned down during a major conflagration in 1872 which
almost completely destroyed the township.
Ocean View Inn
Opposite, on the eastern side of Fern St and the first
building of the central shopping area, is 'Ocean View Inn'.
This relatively small two-storey building, with upstairs
balcony and iron lacework, was opened in 1875 as a site
where horses could be changed during the trip from Kiama to
Nowra. Guidepost Travel now operate within and they double
as a supplementary tourist information centre, providing
heritage walk leaflets and other information.
Vileh Cottage
Just past the shops and the Belinda St crossroad, to the
right, at number 158 Fern St, is 'Vileh' cottage. Once
Cockerells' Blacksmith it is now much renovated but the
street-front exudes a little old-worldly charm and the
old-style exterior flue is visible from the street.
Boat Harbour Store
Two houses along, at the corner of Fern and Jupiter street
is the old Boat Harbour Store (c.1856), probably the oldest
extant structure in the town, though it has little to appeal
to the eye from the outside other than the exterior chimney.
The original owner was a Mr Fuller who married Robert
Miller's youngest daughter. The stretch of road from here
back to the site of the present garage, a little further
north along Fern St, was, at that time, the town centre with
four or five businesses and a couple of residential
structures. It is now privately owned.
Peppercorn Cottage
Over Jupiter St and to the right, at number 169 Fern St, is
'Peppercorn' cottage, probably the next-oldest dwelling in
Gerringong. Painted an earthy red-brown it is still an
attractive structure with a corridor running straight
through from the front of the house to the back.
St Mary's of the Sea Church
On the opposite side of Fern Street is the Roman Catholic
Church (St Mary's of the Sea). The present stone building is
small and intimate, with an attractive wooden interior and
elaborate stained-glass depictions. It was erected in 1882
where a wooden slab church, doubling as a school, had been
built in 1864. The building was extended in 1995.
|
| An old anchor at the site
of Gerringong's harbour |
Gerringong Boat Harbour
Turn east into Jupiter St and it will take you to the boat
harbour. Like all of the harbours on the south coast it was
once a major port where the produce of the local area was
shipped to Sydney.
Cedar-getters began to use the site in the 1840s. Looking
at it today it is hard to imagine that a 400-foot jetty once
extended out into the harbour from where the boat ramp now
stands and that sailing ships regularly arrived bringing
stores and supplies from Sydney and taking away local
produce. Prior to that the boats anchored offshore and a
punt would row to the current ramp site where it would
unload and reload numerous times. Passing boats would be
alerted to the fact that there was a load to pick up by
means of a white flag tied to a pole.
A government grant saw the erection of a 200-foot jetty
in 1880. However, boats could still only approach it at high
tide as they hit bottom at low tide. Consequently another
grant in 1882 saw its extension to 400 feet. A cyclone tore
the structure apart a few years later. However, the railway
was being developed at this time. It arrived in Kiama in
1888 and Gerringong in 1893, causing a shift away from
marine transport. Consequently, the jetty fell into
disrepair. It was soon completely demolished. A painting of
the harbour complete with jetty can be found in the town
hall's major downstairs room. There is a pool at the boat
harbour, a boat ramp and a small park with some swings.
Tuna, kingfish, mulloway, snapper, flathead, morwong and
even marlin can be caught in the offshore waters.
Old Schoolhouse Wool Workshop
On the corner of Belinda and Victoria streets is the Old
Schoolhouse Wool Workshop. Built by Alexander Berry in 1862
it served as the Public School in Tooloijooa (4 km south of
Gerringong along a turnoff to the left off the Princes
Highway) from 1870-1952, then was moved to become Gerringong
Public School in 1953. In 1995 it was moved again to its
present site. More of historical than architectural
interest, it is open to the public Wednesday to Sunday, from
10.00 am - 4.00 pm and woollen knitwear of all sorts are on
display inside.
Other Attractions
The Gerringong Surf Spectacular is held in January of each
year and a patchwork quilt exhibition in November. The
Gerringong markets are held on the second Sunday of each
month.
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Gerringong
