Uki, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Uki is a village situated near Mount Warning
in the Tweed Valley of far northern New South Wales
, Australia
in the Tweed Shire. At the 2006 census
, Uki had a population of 203 people. The town's name may have derived from an aboriginal word for 'small water plant (like a fern) with a yellow flower and edible root'.
There are several stories, perhaps apocryphal, associated with the origins of the name. One is that timber cutters, who were the first non-Aboriginal settlers in the area, marked the finest cedar for export to the United Kingdom with "UK1", this eventually becoming UKI, or Uki as it is known today.
There are three approaches to Uki village; from the North it is approximately 15 minutes by road south of the main township of Murwillumbah
along the Kyogle Road and 4 km past the turnoff to the World Heritage listed Mount Warning National Park
, from the South West along the Kyogle Road from Lismore
, Kyogle
and Nimbin
and from the East along Smiths Creek Road linking Uki to the quaint village of Stokers Siding and the Tweed Valley Way to popular coastal towns including Brunswick Heads
and Byron Bay
. It is also possible to travel to Mullumbimby
from Uki using gravel back roads and fire trails through the Mount Jerusalem National Park
.
Clarrie Hall Dam
is located 10 km from Uki, and the area is described as "one of New South Wales’ finest fishing destinations". While the main function of the Dam is to provide fresh water for the Tweed Shire, recreational activities include sailing, rowing, canoeing, bass fishing, picnicking, bush hiking and bird watching.
The last two decades has seen a significant shift in demographics. 'Tree-changers' relocating from cities on the eastern seaboard are bringing new money, business, investment and entrepreneurship to the area enhancing the 'established' families with both remaining attracted by the subtropical climate, close proximity to pretty beaches and coastal villages and of course the world class natural beauty of the area. Increasingly and importantly it is becoming known as a haven from the drought affected areas of the rest of the State and country. When 98% of the State of NSW was declared drought affected recently, Uki was in the 2% that was not drought affected.
Uki is the town on which the village of Yurriki in Robert G. Barrett
's book The Godson is based.
Following a rationalisation of the dairy industry in the 1960s many dairies closed down with farmers turning to beef cattle, which remains a feature of the region today. Tropical fruits have also been grown in the area and cane farming is a prominent agricultural activity in the Tweed Valley itself. The last remaining sawmill is located on the Smith's Creek Road towards the north of the village.
Mount Warning
Mount Warning is a mountain west-south-west of Murwillumbah, near the border with Queensland in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia...
in the Tweed Valley of far northern 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...
, Australia
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...
in the Tweed Shire. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Uki had a population of 203 people. The town's name may have derived from an aboriginal word for 'small water plant (like a fern) with a yellow flower and edible root'.
There are several stories, perhaps apocryphal, associated with the origins of the name. One is that timber cutters, who were the first non-Aboriginal settlers in the area, marked the finest cedar for export to the United Kingdom with "UK1", this eventually becoming UKI, or Uki as it is known today.
There are three approaches to Uki village; from the North it is approximately 15 minutes by road south of the main township of Murwillumbah
Murwillumbah, New South Wales
Murwillumbah is a town of approximately 7,500 people in far north-eastern New South Wales, Australia in the Tweed Shire. It lies on the Tweed River, 848 km north-east of Sydney, 13 km south of the Queensland border and 132 km south of Brisbane. At the 2006 census, Murwillumbah had a...
along the Kyogle Road and 4 km past the turnoff to the World Heritage listed Mount Warning National Park
Mount Warning National Park
Mount Warning National Park is a park in northern New South Wales, Australia, 642 km north of Sydney near the border with the state of Queensland. It surrounds Mount Warning, part of a remnant caldera of a much larger extinct volcano . The park is administered by the NSW National Parks and...
, from the South West along the Kyogle Road from Lismore
Lismore, New South Wales
Lismore is a subtropical town in northeastern New South Wales, Australia. Lismore is the main population centre in the City of Lismore local government area. Lismore is a regional centre in the Northern Rivers region of the State.-History:...
, Kyogle
Kyogle, New South Wales
Kyogle is a town in the Northern Rivers region of northern New South Wales, Australia, in Kyogle Council. At the 2006 census, Kyogle had a population of 2,731 people. It was founded in the 1830s as a lumber camp, and is located north of Sydney, north of Casino on the Summerland Way close to the...
and Nimbin
Nimbin, New South Wales
Nimbin is a village in the Northern Rivers area of the Australian state of New South Wales, approximately 30 km north of Lismore, 33 km southeast of Kyogle, and 70 km west of Byron Bay....
and from the East along Smiths Creek Road linking Uki to the quaint village of Stokers Siding and the Tweed Valley Way to popular coastal towns including Brunswick Heads
Brunswick Heads, New South Wales
Brunswick Heads is a town on the north coast of New South Wales, Australia in Byron Shire. In 2006, the town had a population of 1,614 people....
and Byron Bay
Byron Bay, New South Wales
Byron Bay is a beachside town located in the far-northeastern corner of the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located north of Sydney and south of Brisbane. Cape Byron, a headland adjacent to the town, is the easternmost point of mainland Australia. At the 2006 Census, the town had a...
. It is also possible to travel to Mullumbimby
Mullumbimby, New South Wales
Mullumbimby is a town in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia in Byron Shire, and is colloquially referred to as The Biggest Little Town in Australia. It lies at the foot of Mount Chincogan in the Brunswick Valley about from the sea...
from Uki using gravel back roads and fire trails through the Mount Jerusalem National Park
Mount Jerusalem National Park
Mount Jerusalem is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, 635 km north of Sydney. It contains three river systems, Tweed River, Brunswick River and the Richmond River.-Important Bird Area:...
.
Clarrie Hall Dam
Clarrie Hall Dam
Clarrie Hall Dam is a dam built across the Doon Doon Creek that creates the artificial Lake Clarrie Hall. The dam is located close to the small town of Uki, New South Wales, Australia....
is located 10 km from Uki, and the area is described as "one of New South Wales’ finest fishing destinations". While the main function of the Dam is to provide fresh water for the Tweed Shire, recreational activities include sailing, rowing, canoeing, bass fishing, picnicking, bush hiking and bird watching.
The last two decades has seen a significant shift in demographics. 'Tree-changers' relocating from cities on the eastern seaboard are bringing new money, business, investment and entrepreneurship to the area enhancing the 'established' families with both remaining attracted by the subtropical climate, close proximity to pretty beaches and coastal villages and of course the world class natural beauty of the area. Increasingly and importantly it is becoming known as a haven from the drought affected areas of the rest of the State and country. When 98% of the State of NSW was declared drought affected recently, Uki was in the 2% that was not drought affected.
Uki today
Prominent buildings in the village include the historical 'Old Butter Factory', a primary school and the Mt Warning Hotel, which is a very popular weekend lunch 'stop-over' for touring motorbikes and those out for a pleasant weekend drive. There are several stores including a Post Office, General Store, Cafe, Bakery, Pharmacy, wheelchair-accessible Guesthouse and laundromat.Uki is the town on which the village of Yurriki in Robert G. Barrett
Robert G. Barrett
Robert G. Barrett is a popular Australian author of numerous books, most of them featuring the fictional Australian character Les Norton. He has also written others which are single book story. 'So What Do You Reckon?' is a collection of Robert's columns from when he was a columnist for the...
's book The Godson is based.
History
Early pioneers were either timber cutters (usually Australian Red Cedar which is one of the world most beautiful carving timbers: botanical name: Toona ciliata) or dairy farmers. Photos of The Sisters and Mt Uki near Uki in the early 1900s show these cleared of nearly all vegetation.Following a rationalisation of the dairy industry in the 1960s many dairies closed down with farmers turning to beef cattle, which remains a feature of the region today. Tropical fruits have also been grown in the area and cane farming is a prominent agricultural activity in the Tweed Valley itself. The last remaining sawmill is located on the Smith's Creek Road towards the north of the village.