~c#~~f/~~~ 1770-2004 ~4 1 ?~e~A'? : ;v~4~~~~~~~s,~~. ~A.ff8t:f/ 200~ CJiot" c:P. ".':. A. , ' ,._ ~ .:.»' ;· ( .. ... , .. ~ ~k · c//.LUten ~d/~ ·fT£me>Ane 8~ · :: · ·. ~J? . ~ ·~~~~ ! 1770 1211i May: From the 'Endeavor' Captain James Cook sights three mount31i4 . "',,;, "At sunset we were about a league and a half from land, the north most part g~ 3·) ' ,. which we had in sight, bore North 13 east. There were three remarkable large hills lying continuous to each other, and not far from the shore. As these mountains bore some resemblance to each other, we called them The Three Brothers." 1818 15th October: Crossing and naming of Camden Haven River by John Oxley, after Lord Camden, John Jeffi'eys Pratt, 2od Earl and First Marquess of Camden, 1759-1840. Naming of Watson Taylors Lake, after Lord Camden's Private Secretary Watson Taylor. 1823 Soon after Port Macquarie's settlement Limeburners were working in Queens Lake area burning shells for lime for mortar in Port Macquarie and Sydney. 1826 "Trusty " sloop vanished taking lime to Port Macquarie, thought to have sunk. 1827 February: "Robert Dawson of the Australian Agricultural Company, commissioned Captain William Cromarty, an able sailor, to attempt an entry of the Manning River from the sea and to chart its channels. The Barnard-Manning River system had been explored in 1825 Henry Dangar (1796-1861) and named by Dawson in honor of William Manning, Deputy Governor of the Australian Agricultural Company. Dawson was anxious to establish its course. Cromarty made an unsuccessful attempt to enter Farquhars Inlet (Old Bar). He then walked along the coast to Port Macquarie. Dawson made another attack on the Manning the following Oct. He sent John Armstrong and John Guilding, an experienced planter and native of the Island of St.Vincent in the West Indies, north by sea from Port Stephens. This party first entered the Camden Haven River and liaised with soldiers stationed at 'another similar outpost to that at Soldiers Point, Port Stephens. This outpost located on the edge of Soldiers Bay on the eastern side of Watson Taylors Lake, was sited to intercept escapee convicts from Port Macquarie heading south. Only if convicts eluded this outpost would they reach Soldiers Point, Port Stephens. Although soldiers IJad been stationed on Watson Taylors Lake for some time, and although Limebdrners were living near Queens Lake and at the foot of North Brother Mountain (later Laurieton) it was still thought that the Camden Haven River and Manning River Systems were interconnected through Stewarts River. After discussion with the soldiers Cromarty decided to test this hypothesis. After navigating Stewarts River for some distance Annstrong dismissed the hypothesis and headed back to the open sea through Camden Haven. The survey party then entered 1he southern system through Harrington's Inlet and explored all the channels of the Manning in the Taree I Wingham area. After liaison with a land party from Booral led by Alexander McLeod, which had explored the southern branch from Farquhars Inlet, Armstrong established that Barnard I Manning system flowed out to the Pacific Ocean through two outlets, Harrington and f arquhars Inlets. inkts which John Oxley in 1818 had judged to be coastal lagoons ... :· Source ~ ·ewsletter no.172, April 1978 of the Royal Australian Historical Society Sydney. Article by J. F. Atchison on Soldiers Point and William Cromarty. 1832 The Calendar and Directory published in 1832 by James Raymond, Postmaster of >Jew South Wales. describes the final stages of the long journey to Port Macquarie as follows (the figures denote the mileage from Sydney); 256:"Cross John' s River, flowing into Watson Taylor's Lake, and pass round the base of North Brother to, 259: the soldier's hut. When Port Macquarie was a penal settlement, soldiers were placed here to prevent the runaways from getting across these waters to the Manning and Port Stephens. 260: Ann of Queens Lake. To the left is Queens Lake, a pretty circular sheet of water~ there is also an arm connecting the Haven with Watson Taylors Lake. These arms and Lakes are navigable for boats, and the whole surrounding country is very interesting. The Three Brothers, before alluded to, being prominent features in the landscape, they are visible at a great distance, and are well known at sea Having crossed the arm at Queen's Lake, there is a coast track, as well as a cart track, to Port Macquarie, " 1832 A post Office was opened in Port Macquarie. 1844 2°t.1 November: "Bards Legacy"~ schooner, 32 tons, 39ft 7in x 12 ft lin x 5ft 9in. Built Sydney 1841 first ship registered in "Arrivals and Departures from Sydney" to Camden Haven River. 1852 An oil painting in the National Library of Canberra Attributed to George Edward Peacock, named "The Three Brothers", after mountains near the Camden Haven River, N.S.W. 1860 1st November: William Bird purchased Lot 4la, in The Parish of Stewart (John's River) County of Macquarie. l sc November: Thomas Hogg purchased Lot 38a, in The Parish of Stewart (John's River), County ofMacquarie Cornish purchased 57 acres Parish of Stewart, County of Macquarie. Mary Hughes (later Mary Kidd wife of Thomas ~dd) purchased 39 acres in the Parish of Stewart, County of Macquarie. ~ 1st November: William Bird purchased Lot 41 in the Parish of Stewart, County of Macquarie John and Elizabeth (nee Daly) Logan moved to Logans crossing 1 1862 5 h October: " Prince of Wales" wrecked on Pilot Beach, only a few months in service when lost. She was 216ft. long. 2 Three Sailors graves at headland from Prince of Wales \.Ir. James Stewart. Chief Engineer, age 35 Years, Born Scotland. Married with children, who were expected to be in Sydney when he returned. Also two seamen from the ' Diamentina' Seaman W. Burnam and Seaman Matt Jones 1863 William Little bought out William Bird's original block. Bird having purchased other land in the area. 1864 'Emily Ann' Schooner of 39 tons in the river. Mentioned by Captain Herbert Jackson The " Eclipse" a schooner of 170 tons visits Camden Haven. Thomas Crossingham and his wife Margaret moved to Stewarts River. 1868 Pilot Station and boatman's cottage in existence probably set up soon after wrecking of 'Prince of Wales'. Pilot, Isaac Buttrey known as Williams. Son oflsaac Buttrey, mother Sarah Edmunds. Came from England cl 840. 1st wife Sarah Goddard who had a daughter, Anna Marie in Sydney. Anna married James Clapson first then John Hyde. Isaac died at Blackmans Point, Port Macquarie and was buried in the Old Cemetery, having died from Epilepsy and was buried on 25 March 187 5 See history in ' The Winding Sheet'. 1 25 h January :Nlrs. Frances Williams, 2nd wife of the Pilot died at Camden Haven. Her father was John Wilkins, Pork Butcher and mother Eliza Sarah Harding. Cause of Death, Inflammation of the Stomach, illness a fortnight. Buried 26th January 1868 at Prince of Wales Point, Camden Haven. Born about 1841 in Ox.ford, England. Married St. Andrews Scots Church, Sydney, 8th Nov. 1860 aged 19. Frances was the mother of three children John Edward B born 1861, Henry Isaac B born 1863, and Eliza Mary born 1865. 1870 Fagan Brothers started operations in the Camden Haven District of the North Coast, where they purchased palings, laths and oak shingles for the Sydney Market. They erected a store in Camden Haven (Kendall) in the early 1870' s and then a mill. Fagan's bad a number of Bushmen engaged in timber getting. The Fagan's were close friends of Henry Kendall and employed him in 1875 as clerk and storekeeper. In 1838 an old weighbridge in ~ussex Street Sydney still bore the name "Fagan Brothers" and marked the site dftheir earlier activities. John's River School was Half time with Landsdowne from Dec 1870-Sep 187 4; Halftime with Kew Jan 1883-Aug 1887; Public School from Sep.1887 1872 Henry Hope Smith and his wife nee Anne Cross, with their seven children, took up a selection at Camden Haven near where the Kendall School is now. Escorted by Ann' s brother and his wife they came in a borrowed bullock dray, which they took back to Wingham 3 Joseph Laurie sold his butchers shop in Taree to Francis Longworth and lacer moving with his wife and six children to Peach Orchard (later called Laurieton ). He then set about building a slab and bark house to live in, then building a timber mill, which was opened in 1875. At this time there were over 50 males within a radius of two miles, and two large saw mills being built. 1874 Came the arrival of John and Robert Longworth bringing meat down through the Lake from Ghinni Ghinni for Laurie and others. Francis Longworth was asked by Joseph Laurie to send the meat to Peach Orchard. Soon the boys where killing the beef themselves, on ground taken up by Francis at what is now Dunbogan. 20th August The "Googlie" in the Camden Haven. Christain Iver's Diary states "Googlie at Bird' s Wharf in John' s River". 1n October: Camden Haven, had a District Rural School run by Miss Jane Logan. See Kendall School Kendall School, Provisional (Nov 1874-Dec 1878); Public school (Junel897 - Dec 1942);District Rural School (Jan 1943 - Dec 1974); Central school Jan 1975 Henry Chapman and his wife Isabella nee Blyth arrive in area 1875 'Maori Queen' sank in John's River near the mouth of Passion Fruit Creek, from Christain Iver' s Diary. Other ships mentioned were" Waldnesses" 50 ton Ketch, "Laura" built 1874, 30 ton wooden ketch of 59ft 4in oy 16ft.8in.draught of 5ft.