View over Maclean and the Clarence River from near the Scottish cairn

 

Maclean (including Brooms Head and Lawrence)
Town on the Clarence River with strong Scottish connections.
Maclean is located on several hills adjacent the Pacific Highway, 667 km north-east of Sydney. It is one of those remarkable towns which has an excess of attractive buildings and unusual things to see.

Maclean is situated at the confluence of the southern and northern arms of the Clarence River. At only 6 metres above sea-level it has been ravaged by the river with some regularity so that it is now protected by a very substantial levee bank adjacent the northern end of the main street (River St). On the western side of the levee wall is the fishing fleet. The Clarence River is a major source of the nation's seafood with the river being trawled for prawns as far as Ulmarra. Maclean is at the southern limit of the Australian sugar crop which extends north from here to Cairns. Timber, maize, mixed crops and tourism also buttress the local economy.

In recent times the local council has been promoting Maclean as 'Australia's first Scottish town' - in recognition of the large numbers of Scottish settlers amongst the early selectors. They have succeeded up to a point as many of the street signs are now in both Gaelic and English. Even the Bicentennial Scottish Cairn has its inscription in both English and Gaelic with a passage from Proverbs 22.28 reading 'Na atharraich an seann chonharadh­criche a shuidhich d¹aithrichean'. They have even put tartans on the telegraph posts around the town.

 

A telegraph post painted in a suitable Scottish tartan

 

However, the original human occupants were the Aborigines (possibly the Gumbaingirr or Yaygir clans). These people lived within a fairly small, well-defined area as the plenitude of resources negated the need for lengthy migrations. It also appears to have rendered them healthier and taller than inland groups while their semi-sedentary lifestyle fostered a material culture of greater perfection (i.e., superior domiciles, utensils, baskets and fishing nets etc). European observers spoke highly of their crafts, skills, mores, material culture and intelligence. While they coexisted peacefully with the timbergetters and pastoralists, the advent of agriculture with the free selectors of the 1860s destroyed the hunting grounds and decimated the culture of the original inhabitants.

Matthew Flinders investigated the river mouth in 1799. He set foot on both the southern headland (on the present-day site of Yamba) and the northern headland (now Iluka ) and wrote about the lifestyle of the Aborigines he came in contact with. However, he found the waters shallow and dismissed the whole area as 'deserving of no more than a superficial examination'. In fact, Flinders mistook the inlet for a coastal bay and did not imagine there was a major river nearby.

It is thought that convict escapees from Moreton Bay passed through the area in the late 1820s and early 1830s. One of their number, Richard Craig, reported a big river and a plenitude of valuable timber when he arrived at Port Macquarie in 1832. He was later employed by a Thomas Small of Sydney who, inspired by Craig's reports, sent off his brother and two dozen sawyers on board the schooner, the Susan, to the 'Big River'. It was the first European vessel to enter the river. The party set up camp on the future site of Maclean and other cedar-cutters soon followed in their wake. Small took up a large parcel of land on Woodford Island, opening the way for other landholders along the river that Governor Gipps named the Clarence in 1839.

The Clarence Valley was surveyed east of the Orara junction in 1849 and the name Rocky Mouth was bestowed upon the area around present-day Maclean. A man named Chowne had a shipyard there in the 1850s.

The village was laid out in 1862. The surveyor named it after the surveyor-general, Alexander McLean. Many of the initial settlers were farmers who were born in the Highlands of Scotland and who were branching out from the Hunter Valley, although there were also many of Irish and German origin.

Maize was initially the only product cultivated for market purposes. The American Civil War created a profitable market for cotton which was established at that time but 'sugar fever' struck after initial experiments c.1865. Several mills were set up and nearby Harwood has the oldest operating sugar mill in Australia (1874). Wheat, bananas and arrowroot were also grown but only dairying challenged the primacy of sugar from the 1890s to the 1960s.

Maclean was declared a municipality in 1887 and a shire in 1957. Its current population is around 3500.

The Maclean Cane Harvest Festival is held annually in early spring (usually the September-October NSW school holidays) and the Highland Gathering at Easter. Not surprisingly, Maclean is noted for its excellent fishing. Waterskiing, sailing and houseboats are also popular.

Things to see:  

Tourist Information
The town's information centre is located at Ferry Park on the Pacific Highway, at the southern turnoff to Maclean. There is an arts-and-crafts gallery and a restaurant with a balcony overlooking the river. They can furnish a list of art-and-craft galleries in the area and information about houseboat hire, river cruises and horseriding. There is also a pamphlet outlining some of the town's attractions and their whereabouts. The park has picnic facilities and toilets, tel: (02) 6645 4121.

 

Lower Clarence Aboriginal Tourist Site Drive
The information centre can also furnish a self-drive pamphlet outlining 13 significant Aboriginal sites in the area.

 

Two Churches
At the southern end of River St, near the Church St intersection, is the former Methodist (now Uniting) Church (1890). Continue along River St. As it bends to the left, turn right into Wharf St. To the immediate right is the Free Presbyterian Church which has been in continuous use since its construction in 1867 by the early Scottish settlers.

 

 

The former Brewery with its arched entry

 

Bicentennial Museum
Continue along Wharf St for 500 m. At the intersection of Wharf St and Grafton St is the excellent Bicentennial Museum which is open from 1.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays, from 10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. on Fridays or by arrangement, tel: (02) 6645 3416.

The cottage was built in 1879 from local sandstone and it has been set up as a Maclean house of the 1880s with contemporary artefacts. The large adjacent folk museum display includes some particularly fine examples of sulkies and carriages.

 

The Lookout and The Pinnacle
Continue up Wharf St for another 1.5 km to The Lookout which offers fine views over the town and the district's cane fields, east along the Clarence River to Yamba and Iluka at the river's mouth, and along the coast. 200 metres from The Lookout is The Pinnacle, a balancing rock formation and cave network.

 

Bicentennial Scottish Cairn
Return along Wharf St. Halfway down the hill turn left into Bent St for a view of the Scottish Cairn which is a neatly cemented pile of rocks from all over Australia and from Scotland. It is located in the Herb Stanford Memorial Park at the intersection of Bent St, Taloumbi St and Harwood St which also affords fine views of the town and river.

 

Heritage Buildings
Head west along Taloumbi St for two blocks, turn right into Woodford St and proceed north for two blocks to Stanley St. Turn left. To the right is the former brewery (1870) which has been converted into two houses but still retains the archway into the courtyard and the charm of the original building.

Return along Stanley St and turn left, back into Woodford St. To the right, on elevated land, is St Mary's Catholic Church (1894), a beautiful stone Gothic building with a tower capped by battlements. The grounds offer attractive views over the valley.

Adjacent in Woodford St is the Maclean Primary School (1902), a red-brick, two-storey structure with fine detailing.

 

The Former Operating Theatre

 

Continue to the end of Woodford St and turn right into Union St. To the left, adjacent the hospital, is the former operating theatre (1886), a building with a name that belies its charm. It is a free-standing timber construction now located in front of the retirement village.

Head west along Union St, past the hospital, and take the first right into McLachlan St then take the first left into Howard St. At 2B is Gables Bed-and-Breakfast, located in the town's oldest-surviving building (1864).

At the end of Howard St turn left into River St and proceed south along the waterfront and shopping strip, past McLachlan Park and Bicentennial Wharf. To the right, just before you pass the RSL Club, is a bank building which dates back to 1878 when it was built for the Australian Joint Stock Bank. The present facade was added in 1893.

 

Civic Buildings
Continue down River St, taking the next right at the post office into MacNaughton Place (named after early settler Samuel MacNaughton who once owned most of the land in the CBD).

The post office, designed by W.L. Vernon, dates from 1893. Further along MacNaughton Place is the police station (1895-96). At its end and off to the left, beside the river, is Maclean's very handsome courthouse which was designed by James Barnet and built in 1891. It must surely have the most attractive location in the town, although it is very vulnerable to flooding. Its physical orientation harks back to a day when the river was the town's focal point in terms of business, transport and communication.

 

The Court House

 

 

Fishing and Boat Ramps - Chatsworth Island, Ashby, Cowper, Woodford Island and Lawrence
Maclean's information centre can furnish several items of use to anglers. One is the 'Clarence River Fishing Guide'. It includes a tide chart and up-to-date information concerning which species are about in which seasons, a list of fishing spots within the estuary and along the coastline and which fish you might find at which specific locations. There is also information relating to beach access, boat ramps, recommended bait types, where to obtain fresh bait, size limits, bag limits, current fishing rules and a list of protected species. For further information ring (02) 6688 4356 or email North Coast Maps on grayncm@linknet.com.au

Anglers in non-tidal waterways must purchase a licence at a cost of $10 for one month, $25 for one year or $70 for three years. If you have a credit card you can pay for a licence by ringing the NSW Fisheries on 1300 369 365. They publish a pamphlet entitled 'Marine Recreational Fishing in New South Wales'. It looks at official bag and size limits, protected species, permitted gear, spearfishing regulations, penalties and the location of its offices. There is a fisheries office at 18A River St, tel: (02) 6645 2147. The fisheries website is www.fisheries.nsw.gov.au

Bait and a limited amount of tackle are available from the Fishing Co-op at the end of MacNaughton Place in Maclean where you will also find a wharf and boat ramp. There are also two boat ramps north of Maclean at the Harwood Bridge, where the Pacific Highway crosses the Clarence River. One is situated on the southern shore while there is another ramp and a wharf on the northern shore. Both are on the western side of the bridge. This is a good spot for dangling a line.

From the Harwood Bridge the Pacific Highway proceeds north across Harwood Island, over the Serpentine Channel and onto Chatsworth Island. 7 km from the Harwood Bridge you will come to the Morroro Bridge which is another good fishing spot. On the southern side of the bridge is a side road which heads east off the highway. There is a recommended fishing location on the eastern edge of Chatsworth Island which is noted in the Clarence River Fishing Guide.

On the northern side of the Morroro Bridge is a road which heads south-west off the highway to Ashby which is the location of another boat ramp on the opposite side of the river to Maclean.

There is also a boat ramp at Cowper - a small settlement located south-west of Maclean on the southern shore of the Clarence River, just off the Pacific Highway.

At the southern end of Maclean (via Woodford St) is the McFarlane Bridge which leads across South Arm. Adjacent the bridge is a rocky area good for fishing. The bridge will take you across to Woodford Island. The main road leads past the golf course and on through Illarwill. The Illarwill Quarry is another recommended fishing area and there is a free 24-hour vehicular ferry which will transport you, and your car, across the river to Lawrence (note that the ferry is closed on Tuesdays from 9.30 a.m. to 11.00 a.m.). Lawrence is a pretty town at the confluence of the river and Sportsmans Creek. The creek is a good spot for bass fishing, canoeing and birdwatching. The sand spits adjacent town are also good for anglers. There are a couple of boat ramps.

 

Yuraygir National Park
Turn off Cameron St at the southern end of Maclean into Jubilee St. This road then heads south-east out to Brooms Head. After about 19 km there is a turnoff on the left which leads, after 2 km, to the Lake Arragan Rest Area. A loop road will take you off this access road to Red Cliff Rest Area where there is a lookout. The beaches off both rest areas offer fine surfing conditions. Swimming and fishing can also be enjoyed.

The 10-km Angourie Walking Track starts at Lake Arragan Rest Area. It heads north past Plumbago Beach (which has walk-in camping facilities), Plumbago Head, Caves Beach, Shelley Headland, Shelley Beach (the latter two also have walk-in camping facilities), Dirrangan Lookout and Woody Bluff to Mara Creek Picnic Area (see entry on Yamba). Considered one of the finest coastal walks in the country, it is best in spring and early summer when the wildflowers are in bloom, drawing the maximum of birdlife.

If you continue along the Brooms Head Rd to the outskirts of Brooms Head, there is an unsealed 10-km road on the right which leads to a shady camping area at the mouth of the Sandon River. This is a good spot for fishing.

 

Brooms Head
'The Broom', as its known, is a small village surrounded by the national park. The village's main beach is lined with shady Norfolk Pines. Deep-sea anglers launch their boats from this beach. The lagoon and Lake Cakora offer safe swimming for children. There is a caravan park and other holiday accommodation.

 

Houseboats
Houseboats can be hired from Clarence River Boats, in Clarence St at Brushgrove, tel: (02) 6647 6232. To get there cross over the McFarlane Bridge and take the immediate left onto South Arm Road which leads straight to Brushgrove.

 

Bundjalung National Park
National Parks and Wildlife publish a single sheet brochure on Bundjalung National Park which provides a detailed map of the roads, fire trails ad access points to this particularly beautiful and extensive coastal park. The park covers 17,000 hectares, 38 km of beaches and ranges from rainforest through heathland, coastal cypress stands, lagoons and wetlands to coastal plains. The park is home to 205 bird, 30 mammal, 38 reptile and 13 amphibian species. It also has a large number of Aboriginal middens indicating that it was a popular place for the local Aboriginal groups because of its rich supplies of food.

Head north along the Pacific Highway for 9 km then turn right onto the Iluka Rd. It is 13 km along this road until you reach the turnoff (on the left) to the Woody Head camping area which is situated adjacent World Heritage rainforest. There are also a number of picnic areas signposted off this same road. Ring (02) 6646 6134 for bookings and further information.

 

Farm and Industry Tours
Every Friday, there are two free self-drive tours of a cane farm and a dairy farm which can be organised through the Clarence River Tourist Association,

 

 

 

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Maclean