Laurieton, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Laurieton is a coastal town on the Mid North Coast of the Australia
n state
of New South Wales
. Laurieton is the largest town in the Camden Haven
district. Laurieton is 365 km north of Sydney and 42 km south of Port Macquarie
. It lies between the base of North Brother Mountain
and the Camden Haven River.
The largest school in the district, Camden Haven High School
, is located approximately 5 km away from Laurieton's shopping and business centre. St Joseph's, Laurieton is the local Catholic primary school. Its principal is Tom Critchley.
The Anglican Church of the area is an evangelical church whose minister is Geoffrey Piggott. The Church is the northern-most Church within the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle
, with all Anglican Churches North of Laurieton belonging to the Anglican Diocese of Grafton
until the NSW/QLD State Border. The Church will also host a Youthsurge on the Mid-North Coast during 2008.
Captain James Cook named "the Brothers" on 12 May 1770 for their resemblance to mountains in his native Yorkshire. He was unwittingly mirroring the name given to them by the Birpai.
The Camden Haven area was explored on foot by John Oxley
in 1818 and was first settled by Europeans in the early 1820s. A convict settlement was established at nearby Port Macquarie in 1821 and the first settlers were limeburners burning oyster shells for buildings there. Some of these lived at the foot of North Brother. There was also a small garrison of soldiers to catch escaping convicts. In 1827 the area was surveyed by Armstrong and Guilding as part of an assessment for the Australian Agricultural Company
.
Joseph Laurie J.P. (1832–1904) had timber interests in the Laurieton area in partnership with his brothers Andrew and Alexander. He moved to the area from Taree in 1872 and took charge of the Laurieton post office when it opened on 1 Oct 1875. Until the opening of the post office the area was known as Peach Orchard or Peach Grove (sources differ) and the name change recognised the Laurie family's local influence.
The Laurieton timber mill, owned by Laurie Brothers and built on the river bank, officially opened on 12 January 1876 and a store was built opposite at the same time. The mill was operated initially by Joseph Laurie. Two years later a second timber mill was built by John Hibbard at Camden Haven Heads. However this mill was later moved to the Hastings River. Another mill, owned by John Rodger commenced operations soon after.
Joseph Laurie operated two ketches from Laurieton. The "Mary Laurie" was built at Laurieton and launched on 11 Nov 1884. The "Annie Laurie" was built at Brisbane Water.
By 1886 Laurieton had 4 timber mills operating in the vicinity. There were 3 steam punts with 2 more being built and a bakery had recently been established.
Captain George De Fraine was trading to Camden Haven in his ketch "Ethel B.T." from about 1887 and later also operated a steam tug "Unique". In 1893 he entered into partnership with John Rodger.
William McKay & Hugh Bibby had leased and operated Joseph Laurie's sawmill from around 1880. When Joseph Laurie sold his interests to George De Fraine in about 1896, the mill was operated as a partnership of De Fraine, McKay and Bibby until 1899 when George De Fraine took full ownership. George De Fraine also acquired the lease for the mill built by Messrs Dun and Bagan (later known as the Dun-Bagan mill) operating on land opposite Laurieton.
In 1891 the Lands Department proposed changing the name of Laurieton to Camden Haven (coinciding with the change of name of the former Camden Haven to Kendall). This was extremely unpopular with Laurieton residents and the name remained unchanged.
The steamship "Hastings", sailing ship "Isabella de Fraine" and steamship "Cobar" were built at Laurieton between 1901 and 1903.
De Fraine oversaw his extensive business interests in the area until his death in 1907.
A Catalina
seaplane carrying entertainer Bob Hope
was forced to make an emergency landing on Camden Haven adjacent to Laurieton on August 14, 1944. Bob Hope was returning to Sydney after entertaining troops in Guam
. The local postmaster lent him money for his hotel bills after the luggage was jettisoned. An impromptu party was held, and the next day Hope and his entourage travelled by road to Newcastle
and flew from there to Sydney. Bob Hope maintained contact with the residents of Laurieton for decades afterwards.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n state
States and territories of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a union of six states and various territories. The Australian mainland is made up of five states and three territories, with the sixth state of Tasmania being made up of islands. In addition there are six island territories, known as external territories, and a...
of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. Laurieton is the largest town in the Camden Haven
Camden Haven, New South Wales
Camden Haven is a small harbour in the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, approximately 30 km south of the major regional centre of Port Macquarie. The harbour is located where the Camden Haven River empties into the Tasman Sea....
district. Laurieton is 365 km north of Sydney and 42 km south of Port Macquarie
Port Macquarie, New South Wales
Port Macquarie is a city on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, located about north of Sydney, and south of Brisbane. The city is located on the coast, at the mouth of the Hastings River, and has an estimated population of 44,313....
. It lies between the base of North Brother Mountain
Dooragan National Park
Dooragan is a national park near Laurieton, New South Wales, Australia, approximately 365 km northeast of Sydney.- Three Brothers :The local aboriginal people tell a dreamtime story of three brothers of the Birpai tribe who were killed by a witch called Widjirriejuggi and were buried where the...
and the Camden Haven River.
The largest school in the district, Camden Haven High School
Camden Haven High School
Camden Haven High School is a rural school in New South Wales, Australia. Consisting of over a thousand students, the school presents both distance educational and face-to-face education. The school is 2 km off the Pacific Highway turning East at the Kew traffic lights intersection.Camden...
, is located approximately 5 km away from Laurieton's shopping and business centre. St Joseph's, Laurieton is the local Catholic primary school. Its principal is Tom Critchley.
The Anglican Church of the area is an evangelical church whose minister is Geoffrey Piggott. The Church is the northern-most Church within the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle
Anglican Diocese of Newcastle, Australia
The Anglican Diocese of Newcastle, Australia is located in the state of New South Wales and extends along the coast of New South Wales from Woy Woy to Laurieton and inland to Merriwa and Murrurundi. The cathedral church of the diocese is Christ Church Cathedral in Newcastle. The current Bishop of...
, with all Anglican Churches North of Laurieton belonging to the Anglican Diocese of Grafton
Anglican Diocese of Grafton
The Anglican Diocese of Grafton is one of the twenty-three dioceses of the Anglican Church of Australia. It is located in north-east New South Wales and covers the area from the Queensland border to Port Macquarie in the south and west to the Great Dividing Range.Created in 1914 as a result of a...
until the NSW/QLD State Border. The Church will also host a Youthsurge on the Mid-North Coast during 2008.
History
Long before European settlement the Laurieton area was home to the Birpai people.Captain James Cook named "the Brothers" on 12 May 1770 for their resemblance to mountains in his native Yorkshire. He was unwittingly mirroring the name given to them by the Birpai.
The Camden Haven area was explored on foot by John Oxley
John Oxley
John Joseph William Molesworth Oxley was an explorer and surveyor of Australia in the early period of English colonisation.October 1802 he was engaged in coastal survey work including an expedition to Western Port in 1804-05...
in 1818 and was first settled by Europeans in the early 1820s. A convict settlement was established at nearby Port Macquarie in 1821 and the first settlers were limeburners burning oyster shells for buildings there. Some of these lived at the foot of North Brother. There was also a small garrison of soldiers to catch escaping convicts. In 1827 the area was surveyed by Armstrong and Guilding as part of an assessment for the Australian Agricultural Company
Australian Agricultural Company
The Australian Agricultural Company is a company which serves to improve beef cattle production through responsible natural resource and land use...
.
Joseph Laurie J.P. (1832–1904) had timber interests in the Laurieton area in partnership with his brothers Andrew and Alexander. He moved to the area from Taree in 1872 and took charge of the Laurieton post office when it opened on 1 Oct 1875. Until the opening of the post office the area was known as Peach Orchard or Peach Grove (sources differ) and the name change recognised the Laurie family's local influence.
The Laurieton timber mill, owned by Laurie Brothers and built on the river bank, officially opened on 12 January 1876 and a store was built opposite at the same time. The mill was operated initially by Joseph Laurie. Two years later a second timber mill was built by John Hibbard at Camden Haven Heads. However this mill was later moved to the Hastings River. Another mill, owned by John Rodger commenced operations soon after.
Joseph Laurie operated two ketches from Laurieton. The "Mary Laurie" was built at Laurieton and launched on 11 Nov 1884. The "Annie Laurie" was built at Brisbane Water.
By 1886 Laurieton had 4 timber mills operating in the vicinity. There were 3 steam punts with 2 more being built and a bakery had recently been established.
Captain George De Fraine was trading to Camden Haven in his ketch "Ethel B.T." from about 1887 and later also operated a steam tug "Unique". In 1893 he entered into partnership with John Rodger.
William McKay & Hugh Bibby had leased and operated Joseph Laurie's sawmill from around 1880. When Joseph Laurie sold his interests to George De Fraine in about 1896, the mill was operated as a partnership of De Fraine, McKay and Bibby until 1899 when George De Fraine took full ownership. George De Fraine also acquired the lease for the mill built by Messrs Dun and Bagan (later known as the Dun-Bagan mill) operating on land opposite Laurieton.
In 1891 the Lands Department proposed changing the name of Laurieton to Camden Haven (coinciding with the change of name of the former Camden Haven to Kendall). This was extremely unpopular with Laurieton residents and the name remained unchanged.
The steamship "Hastings", sailing ship "Isabella de Fraine" and steamship "Cobar" were built at Laurieton between 1901 and 1903.
De Fraine oversaw his extensive business interests in the area until his death in 1907.
A Catalina
PBY Catalina
The Consolidated PBY Catalina was an American flying boat of the 1930s and 1940s produced by Consolidated Aircraft. It was one of the most widely used multi-role aircraft of World War II. PBYs served with every branch of the United States Armed Forces and in the air forces and navies of many other...
seaplane carrying entertainer Bob Hope
Bob Hope
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
was forced to make an emergency landing on Camden Haven adjacent to Laurieton on August 14, 1944. Bob Hope was returning to Sydney after entertaining troops in Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
. The local postmaster lent him money for his hotel bills after the luggage was jettisoned. An impromptu party was held, and the next day Hope and his entourage travelled by road to Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
and flew from there to Sydney. Bob Hope maintained contact with the residents of Laurieton for decades afterwards.