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| Stroud Post Office
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Stroud (including Allworth, Booral and Stroud Road)
Attractive and historic town largely untouched by
development
There is a special magic about Stroud (which rhymes with
'loud'). Time seems to have bypassed it. This is a small,
old-style, genuinely historic and very picturesque country
town full of attractive old buildings nestled peacefully in
pleasant and green Karuah Valley. The absence of tourist
facilities such as motels and restaurants is considered by
some townsfolk to be a drawback but it is also its
attraction.
Stroud is situated 219 km north of Sydney by road, 75 km
north-east of Newcastle and 40 m above sea-level. Its
current population is 550.
The area was once occupied by the Gringgai clan of the
Wanaruah Aboriginal people. It is known that the Wanaruah
had trade and ceremonial links with the Kamilaroi people and
that they favoured goannas as a food source, covering larger
animals in hot ashes and stuffing them with grass. They also
adopted burning off practices as the new shoots which
emerged after fire attracted kangaroos which they surrounded
and killed with clubs and spears (du-rane) barbed with sharp
stones.
The Karuah Valley represents a portion of the original
grant of 500 000 acres made to the Australian Agricultural
Company (AAC) between the northern shore of Port Stephens
and Taree in 1826. The AAC was formed in 1824 at the
instigation of the Macarthurs, a prominent family in the
early colonial development of Australia. Sensing an
opportunity of obtaining cheap land and labour the company
aimed at producing fine wool and crops for the English
market.
Henry Dangar explored the Karuah Valley on behalf of the
AAC in 1826. Robert Dawson, the company's first
superintendent, soon followed and he recorded his first
impressions of the countryside about present-day Stroud,
describing it as 'beautiful and picturesque, consisting of
low undulating hills...I thought at the time I had never
beheld so sweet a spot'. 'Perpetually reminded of a
gentleman's park and grounds' Dawson also remarked upon the
'variety of scenery..The banks of the river on the left of
us alternated between steep rocky sides and low
meadows...[The] lively hue of the green hills, the unfed
herbage around, and the blue tints of the mountains in the
distance, furnished scenes of exquisite beauty'.
Dawson was so impressed he decided to establish the
township of Stroud as early as November 1826. Farming
commenced in the Booral district, 8 km south of present-day
Stroud while areas further north were used for grazing.
Dawson named Stroud after the English town of the same
name as the area evoked, for him, the countryside of
Gloucestershire (hence the naming of Gloucester to the
north).
Dawson was replaced by arctic explorer, Sir Edward Parry
(1830-34), who established many of the town's early
buildings, and by fostering education, law enforcement and
religious life, its sense of community and cohesion.
By 1836 Stroud housed most of the AAC's convict labour
force and was functioning as the company's principal storage
site. It became a largely self-sufficient centre with its
own tradesmen and gardeners.
In 1847 ether was used as an anaesthetic for the first
time in Australia at the Stroud hospital which stood
opposite St John's Church. In 1849 the first subdivision
occurred with allotments sold to private buyers who began to
arrive from England in 1850.
In 1851 renowned early Australian churchman J.D. Lang,
responsible for establishing the Presbyterian Church in
Australia, observed that 'Stroud is decidedly one of the
finest villages of inland towns in the colony'.
The lack of success of the local farmers resulted in most
of the sheep being moved to Tamworth in 1856 and by 1873 the
AAC's relationship with the town had been totally severed.
Coal deposits were located on AAC land north of Stroud in
1855. Pits were established in 1858 but, despite the quality
of the find, the costs of extraction proved prohibitive.
Attempts to re-establish the venture in the 1870s came to
nothing although a proposal was made in 1995 to establish an
open-cut mine.
Stroud's first church was St John's Anglican Church
(1856), followed by the Uniting and Roman Catholic Churches
(1860-61). The former has been rebuilt while the latter
still stands. The Presbyterian Church was completed in 1887
and the Baptist Church in 1912. The primary school at Booral
was completed in 1865 and that at Stroud in 1882. The latter
still stands in Erin St. The post office opened in 1884.
In 1913 the railway arrived and the Central Hotel
replaced old Le Mottee's. The last hotel in Booral closed
the following year.
In 1914 two substantial logging towns opened in the area
around the operations of the Jarrah Timber Co., namely
Simsville and The Branch. The former was located east of
Stroud. It had one of the largest timber mills in the
country and a population of some 500. Logs were brought from
the surrounding country by bullock wagon and steam train
then sawn and transported by train south to The Branch, from
whence it was shipped down river to Port Stephens. Nothing
at all remains today.
Things to see:
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Heritage Walk
Many of Stroud's old buildings have been preserved and the
whole town is under National Trust classification. The
oldest are convict-built. As a company town which was
planned rather than developed piecemeal it had, and retains,
some unity of focus and character.
Guided tours of the area can be arranged for groups and
coach parties, contact (02) 4994 5400. However, the simplest
way to see it is to get a heritage walk brochure from the
newsagency at the corner of Cowper St (the main
through-road) and Memorial Ave. The town is small enough to
cover the ground on foot. The pamphlet also deals with the
heritage of the areas to the north and south of Stroud.
Bucketts Way and Limeburners Creek
Most people would approach Stroud from the south via
Bucketts Way which runs to the north off the Pacific Highway
just west of Karuah. It is named after the mountains around
Gloucester to the north which are known as 'Bucketts'. The
road started its life as a track to Raymond Terrace. It is a
green, well-vegetated and unpopulated road. After 6 km a
road departs to the left to Clarencetown. Just beyond it is
Limeburners Creek where a small community is all that
remains of what was once a regular coach stopover for those
travelling between Stroud and Raymond Terrace.
Allworth
It is another 10 km to the turnoff on the right to Allworth,
a small village on the banks of the Karuah River where
fishing and chicken breeding are the basis of the economy .
The tidal limit of the Karuah River lies just north of here
at the junction with Cromarty Creek, named after Captain
Cromarty who had a land grant here before he exchanged it
for property at Soldiers Point, Port Stephens. Thus, it is
possible to journey by boat from the Allworth boat ramp to
Karuah and on to Port Stephens as AAC employees did in the
earliest days of European settlement.
Booral
8 km north of the Allworth turnoff is Booral, a tiny
township 7 km south of Stroud that started its life as the
AAC's principal crop-production centre which developed on
the local river flats. At the southern end of town is a
beautiful and tranquil spot adjacent a small bridge.
Booral Wharf Ruins
About 1.5 km down river, on the eastern bank of the Karuah
River, are the ruins of the old wharf at Booral (c.1834).
Situated at what was found to be the northernmost point of
navigability it was used to facilitate an exchange of goods
with the AAC settlement at Carrington.
Booral House
The AAC settlement at Booral, such as it was, focused on
Booral House which can be seen from the roadside. It is
situated east on a hill about 1.5 km from the main road.
In 1851 J.D. Lang, on a journey through the district,
wrote 'The Commissioner's cottage is beautifully situated on
a natural terrace overlooking the river and the cultivated
land; and everything about it indicates the residence of an
English gentleman of refined taste and in affluent
circumstances'.
Booral House is a brick bungalow. It has a hipped roof,
panelled doors and a recessed verandah backed by shuttered
French windows. It has been carefully restored in recent
years and is privately owned. It can be seen from the
property gate on Lowes Lane.
Gundayn House
A sign to the left, immediately upon turning into Lowes
Lane, indicates Gundayn House, with the entranceway
demarcated by an avenue of trees. A Victorian manor house
built c.1860 of rubble stone by schoolmaster Henry Skillman,
it has a hipped roof, tapering wooden verandah posts and
cedar joinery. There is also a small rubble stone
outbuilding from an earlier date. It is open for guest
accommodation and historic walks but by appointment only,
contact (02) 4994 9246.
The Gables
Built in 1864 The Gables is aptly named as its most
distinctive feature are its numerous gables which jut forth
from the length of the roof. It was built by Robert Carnell
and was initially known as The Wormery as attempts were made
here to establish silk-worm farming on a commercial basis.
It is now a nursery and craft gallery with a barbecue area.
St Barnabas Anglican Church
This rather plain sandstone building was originally erected
in 1856 from monies forwarded by English shareholders which
also funded a church in Gloucester and a school in
Newcastle. It was relocated in 1873 from its original
position just south of Booral House when the route of the
main road was altered.
Alderley House
Alderley House is situated on Bucketts Way, to the left,
halfway between Stroud and Booral. A long building with a
verandah, timber columns, multi-paned windows and hipped
roof it was built as a cottage for the AAC's farrier and his
family with convict labour c.1831-32. A horse stable was
located at the rear of the building. A kitchen, butcher and
baker were situated at the front. Cobb and Co subsequently
used it as a staging post and an apocryphal story suggests
that bushranger Captain Thunderbolt, who had stolen horses
at Monkerai, also rested them here.
Today Alderley House is the site of a small vineyard
growing Chambourcin and Verdelho grapes. Contact 02 4994
5556 for more information about tastings and accommodation.
Stroud Gate
At the southern end of town, where Hinton St meets the main
road, there was, originally, a town gate in a fence which
encircled the settlement, partly for the defence of the
sheep. At the time there was a 10 o' clock curfew due to
concerns about Aborigines and convicts.
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| Court House
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Courthouse
Located by the corner of Cowper St and Memorial Ave is the
town's second courthouse. The first was erected on this site
in the 1840s by the AAC. The present building was completed
in 1876 and remained in use until 1974. The police residence
and cells were removed in the 1930s. The building now serves
as an historical museum, open Wednesdays from 11.00 a.m. -
2.00 p.m. The courtroom is still intact with original
features and furnishings. There are photographs, records and
historical material for sale, particularly concerning the
unsolved McAskell murders which were investigated here in
1878.
St John's Anglican Church
St John's is a simple Gothic Revival church situated on the
crest of a small rise. It was erected in 1833. The church
was built by convict labour under the direction of Thomas
Laman. His tombstone lies in the historic cemetery which
surrounds the church, along with those of the murdered
McAskells and the crew of the Carrington, a company schooner
which foundered off the north head of Port Stephens in a
gale on May 19, 1842. Another grave is that of Sarah White,
the wife of J.C. White, AAC superintendent of flocks, and
daughter of Robert Hoddle, the surveyor who laid out
Melbourne. There is a legend that bushranger Captain
Thunderbolt was married to a local girl in this building.
The grounds of St John's are very attractive. The
building itself has as a small louvred belltower, lancet
arched windows with simple timber tracery and an elliptical
barrel-vault ceiling. The interior is largely unaltered and
rich in cedar, including the stairway, doors, floor, altar,
the interesting twin pulpits and the nicely carved benches.
There is an old sundial on the grounds and a small carved
stone in the porch from the Church of St Lawrence in Stroud,
England. This carved piece of stone is said to be 600-700
years old.
The Anglican Rectory
On the northern side of the church is the Anglican rectory,
a plain, single-storey building which features a large, open
verandah with shuttered french windows and paired columns
with classical motifs. Erected by convict labour in 1836 it
was damaged by a severe fire in 1859 and largely rebuilt
with further alterations in 1920.
Parish Hall
On the southern side of the church is the parish hall
(c.1860 but of uncertain date) set amidst pleasant gardens.
It is a simple building of locally-made bricks with stuccoed
inner walls, a gabled iron roof and sash windows with
semicircular brick arches. The central fireplace has a
fluted cedar chimneypiece.
Quambi House
The exact date of Quambi House is contested but the late
1830s have been suggested. Originally known as Lady Parry's
School it became a grammar school when the state school was
opened in the 1880s and a private residence in 1900. It is
now owned by, and is being progressively restored by, the
local historical society who open it on Sundays from 1.00
p.m to 3.00 p.m.
Quambi is a two-storey house of sandstock brick with a
hipped roof, shuttered and multi-paned windows, a fine door,
painted semi-circular fanlights on the ground floor
openings, brick arches, curved parapet brickwork to the
kitchen annex (c.1860), a front porch supported by four
classical columns, and cedar grates on both floors which are
considered to be characteristic of the district. There is
also an old milestone out the front.
St Columbanus Catholic Church
Stroud's second-oldest church is St Columbanus (1859). A
rather plain church it has arched lancet windows and carved
wooden bargeboards on the gables at the western end.
The Cottages
A number of the cottages on the western side of Cowper
Street, between Broadway and Laman St, date from the 1830s
and were built by convict labour for AAC employees.
Thornleigh is a particularly fine building. It was this
series of cottages which J.D. Lang was referring to in 1851
when he observed of Stroud that '[It] consists of a single
street, the houses, which are principally neat cottages,
being thrown back a considerable distance, on each side,
from the line of the road, with flower gardens and
shrubberies in front.'
Silo Hill
The hill is named after eight subterranean silos,
convict-built in 1841 to store the AAC's grain and protect
it (successfully) from weevils and other pests. They are
still there and can be inspected by lifting the heavy iron
cover by the picnic tables and climbing down the ladder.
Some 6 m deep and 5 m wide they are internally lined with
locally-made bricks and are clearly bell-shaped.
The two cannons were made in England in the mid-1850s, at
the time of the Crimean War. They became part of the battery
protecting Sydney Harbour in 1866 and, in 1882, were sent to
Signal Hill (now Fort Scratchley) in Newcastle. A sign on
the hill notes 'the cannons were positioned in 1909, being
transported by bullock wagon from Booral'. They were
intended purely as ornamentation.
From this point there are excellent views over Stroud.
Stroud House
Stroud House is a gracious cement-rendered building on
Cowper St erected by the AAC and probably designed by Thomas
Laman. It started as a single-storey building in 1828. This
formed the basis of the present two-storey building (1832).
Further additions were made in 1873. It served as a
guesthouse for the company superintendents. From 1873 it was
used by the Bank of Australia. In 1926 it became, and still
is, a private residence. The house has five bays with sash
windows and three gabled dormer windows with timber
bargeboards. There are fine cedar fittings throughout. The
convict servants' quarters were in the cellar.
Note the fine post office building over the road (cnr
Erin and Cowper Sts), built in 1884. St James Presbyterian
Church (1887), with its carved wooden bargeboards and lancet
arches, is just down Erin St to the right.
Chalford House
At 27 Cowper St, is Chalford House which is built on the
site of the old Australian Inn, Stroud's first hotel,
erected in 1826. Alfred Bowen bought the inn in 1918. He and
his family demolished it and rebuilt it using the old
bricks, skirting boards, doors and fireplaces. They named
the house Chalford and only sold it in 1996 when it was
again opened to the public as a three-bedroom guest house.
Today it is a private residence.
The Clare Community
The community of St Clare was started in 1975 when some
sisters of this Anglican order moved to Stroud. Their
mud-brick monastery, which serves as a contemplative
retreat, was completed in 1980 with volunteer labour. They
have more recently been joined by brothers of the Franciscan
order who have a mud-brick hermitage. Visitors (02) 4994
5303
Washpool
About 3 km along the Dungog road is a bridge over the Karuah
River. Upstream, on the northern side of the bridge, is the
Washpool, a popular picnic, boating and swimming spot. The
name relates to a series of sheep pens over a rock weir
which stretched across the river. Some 800 sheep a day were
apparently driven through them in order to wash them and
thus improve the wool. The remnants of the weir can still be
seen about 100 m north of the bridge (even the remains of
the pens have been seen in a drought).
Stroud Road
Not far north of the Dungog turnoff, along Bucketts Way, is
the attractive little village of Stroud Road. In the days
before the railway came through (1911-1913) it was a
stopover on the coach and mail route from Raymond Terrace to
Gloucester. Later it functioned as the railhead for Stroud.
Services
Horse Riding is available at Krazy K's Riding Ranch at Wards
River, north of Stroud Road, contact (02) 4994 7188.
Camping, fishing and swimming can be enjoyed at the
Country River Camp, contact (02) 4994 5254. Turn off to the
left just south of Booral along Washpool Road (signposted).
Events
The towns of Stroud in England, the United States, Canada
and Australia hold an International Brick and Rolling Pin
Throwing Competition on the same day in July. It is preceded
by a procession. The Stroud Show is held in April.
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We advise prospective purchasers that we take no
responsibility for the accuracy of any information in the business
provided by vendors or their professional advisers and that they should
make their own enquiries as to the accuracy of this information,
including obtaining independent legal and/or accounting advice
Stroud
