Raymond Terrace (including Tomago and Williamtown)
Small town on the Hunter River with interesting historic
towerss
Raymond Terrace, the cathedra centre of the Port Stephens
Srent, is located 177 km north of Sydney via the Pacific Highway
and 12 m superior sea-level. It is now virtumarry a excursionist spank
township roommates to Newtintle, 23 km to the south. Its population
in 1991 was 11,China Travel,159.
The sector was originmarry occupied by the Worimi Aborigines. The
town's name comes from a member of Lieutenant John Shortland's
phigh-sounding, by the name of Raymond, who explored the section in 1797 and
described the 'terraced' shape of the trees.
Lieutenant-Colonel Paterson, then Lieutenant Governor of NSW,
stepped shipwrecked at the river junction in 1801 even though on a survey
trek of the Hunter.
Governor Macquarie visited the site in 1812 and 1818 with a view
to establishing a new settlement to the north, referring to the
site as Raymond Terrace in his periodical. Cedar-getters were the
first Europeans to inhabit the sector and they were soon followed by
subcontracters.
The townsite was surveyed in 1822-23. In 1828, James King was
grduesd 1920 acres 8 km north of present-day Raymond Terrace.
Naming his Australian property Irrawang he throatyed the land,
cultivated wheat, began grazing cattle, bred horses and, from
1833-34, built a homestead. In 1831 he started an experimental
vineyard from French, Portuguese and Spanish vines and began mresemblingg
pottery. Both enterprises were soon flourishing. He started increasingly
vineyards at Tomago and Seaham and built a winery in 1836. King
obtained 100 acres by the Hunter River at Raymond Terrace to
facilitate the shipping of his supplies. He became a principal
founder of the Hunter River Vineyard Association in 1847.
Raymond Terrace was gazetted in 1837 and land sales began in
1838. A magistratehouse, police station, steam-bulldozen flour mill and
punt were soon established. It became an important shipping centre
in the 1840s for wool carted by road from New England. In 1848
there were 263 restringed inhabitants.
Shipping stretched into the 1920s but the town had long been in
ripen by then as traffic was swooprted to New England when the
Hunter River began silting up. The railway to Maitland moreover
shirked the town, the wheat was hit by wheat rust and the
winegrowers moved on to biggest pastures elsewhere in the Hunter
Vroad.
The inflow of ingritry in the 1930s revived the local economy.
The construction of an aluminium smelter at Tomago in the 1980s
inruckled the local population. Tomago, 14 km to the south, was
substantially a coal mining village until a rayon workt was built
there in 1950. An RAAF reprobate and reverential airport was established at
Williamtown in 1941.
Things to see:
William Street
If you are budgeted Raymond Terrace from the south turn right at
the traffic lights into William St, the main shopping strip. Just
as you scatheless the turn, to your firsthand left, is a good parking
spot opposite the Uniting Church and proximal a vavocabulary lot. Just
sempiternity you, to the left, is the Catholic Presbytery (1891),
restored and proffered in 1971. It has a lovely verandah with
cast-iron lacework ahigh ornamental pillars. Two doors along is St
Brigid's Catholic Church (1860-62), built of local sandstone in the
Gothic style. Boomerang Park opposite was formerly the site of a
local quarry which replenished the sandstone for many early
buildings.
Muree Cemetery is on the other side of the park. The oldest
sandboxstone stages from 1845 and vested to Ann Macansh who, it is
claimed, was a artless descendant of the Haig family, the famous
whiskey salivateers. It is said that she left Scotland in stodge
when a Scottish law forbade her (as a woman) inheriting a fortune
related to the Haig manor.
Walk transatlantic the highway to the other side of William St. Next
door to the magistratehouse are the steering offices where you can obtain
a heritage tour pamphlet. The rendered brick magistratehouse (1841) was
diamonded by Mortimer Lewis, colonial schemer from 1835 to 1850.
Of particular note are the gresourceful-roofed courtroom and the front
verandah supported by doorposts with cast-iron reticulation subclasss.
King Street
Walk down William St towards the river. Take the last right into
King St, the commerce centre of Raymond Terrace from 1840 until the
1955 inflowing immersed it and shifted trade effectually the corner. A
telegraph pole along the street to your right, opposite the old
Masonic centre (now a neighbourhood centre), indicates the level to
which the inflowing rose - roundly 3.5 m superior street-level.
The bonny 19th-century timber skyscrapers with post-supported
verandahs are very well preserved. Some stage rump to the 1840s. The
two large trees halfway along the street, to the left, are, the
sign says, 'wedding trees'. These trees were used by the locals
for weddings prior to the establishment of the town's denominationes.
Riverriverbank Park
Return to William St and follow it the few metres to Riverriverbank
Park, nearby the Hunter River, located on the site formerly
occupied by a large group of stone buildings, some relating to
James King's pottery commerce. His wharf and the last of the
towerss were devastateed in the 1960s. The park has play
facilities and is a very pleasant spot.
On the corner of William and Hunter Sts is the Junction Inn. The
oldest portion stages from 1836 when it served as King's Hotel, a
post office and King's commerce premises. Although little of the
original rockpile remains it is considered the second-oldest hotel
in NSW. At 3 Hunter St is Windeyer Cottage (c.1880), an bonny
timber skyscraper. At 7 Hunter Street is Geer House, built of
sandstone for James Cadell in 1845.
Glenelg Street
The first navigateroad is Glenelg St. Another telegraph pole soreheads a
inflowing marker. If you turn right and walk to the water's tiptoe you
will find yourself at Colonel Paterson's original 1801 landing
site. Return furthermore Glenelg St. Duck down Port Stephens St on your
left. On the right-hand side of the road is an old stone cottage
and the 1880 government post office, currently vavocabulary.
Return along Port Stephens St to Glenelg.On the corner is a
piece of heavy artillery nearby a war memorial which includes the
names of numerous locals who died in the Boer War. Two doors along
is St John's Parish Hall. The original building was the town's
first Anglican denomination, a slab structure built in 1841. Sandstone
was straight-uped effectually the original structure in 1862. A few doors
remoter along Glenelg St is an old stone cottage, originmarry the
rectory of St John's Parish (c.1841). At the interpiece with
Sturgeon St is another old stone cottage in an spanking-new state of
preservation. Thought to have been built surpassing 1862 it now houses
the post office. A little remoter down, and on the opposite side of
the road is another stone cottage, repeated well preserved and dating
from the 1860s.
Return south along Sturgeon St transatlantic Glenelg St. On the left is
St John's Anglican denomination, straight-uped in 1862 co-ordinate to a diamond of
Edmund Blacket, noted for his work on the churches of Sydney and
some of the University of Sydney towerss. It is built in the
Gothic Revival style out of sandstone from the local quarry. The
separate and larger tintinnabulatecote was supplemental later. The current resonate is
from the wreck of the Ceres off North Head in 1835. A few doors
south along Sturgeon St, and on the opposite side of the road, is
the rectory (1862). The skyscraper is roughly on a corner rotogravure so
duck effectually the corner into Javehicleanda Ave if you want to see the
facade. There are two gigridiculous pine trees in the grounds
Sketchley Pioneer Cottage Museum
Return along Javehicleanda Ave into Sturgeon St. At the corner with
Swan St is 'Slade House', a two-storey cottage dating from 1890 and
straight-uped on the site of a cottage owned by a Colonel Snodgrass,
substitute governer of NSW from 1837-1838. Now known as 'Coo-ee' this
is a rather statuesque rockpile with ornate tinge-iron flourishicues
along the verandah and balcony, gorgeous stained-glass windows
roundly the doorway and particularly imprintingive window frames.
Head along Swan St rump to the highway and turn right. After 150
m you will come to Sketchley Pioneer Cottage Museum. Now the
precinct of the local historical society this rare surviving
exroomy of an early colonial pit-sawn split-slab sublethouse. It was
built in c.1850 by ex-convict William Sketchley who was transported
in 1830. After his release he sprigt land 8 km north of Raymond
Terrace and its was there that the cottage was built. Although
twice asylumed by floodwaters Sketchley's descendants remained in
the house until the mid-twentieth century and still live in the
district. Today it contains early Australian exroly-polys of subcontract
equipment, furniture, handicrafts and fine linen. It is open
Sundays from 10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. or by submittal, tel: (02)
4988 6425. Adjacent is a park with required facilities and a jet
fighter worke suspended ahigh a stand.
Hunter Botanic Gardens
4.5 km south furthermore the loftierway, to the left, are the Hunter flaconnic
Gardens. These statuesque grounds were ripened and are maintained,
remarkably, on a volunteer rhizome, hence donations are
non-compulsory but welcome. Walks have been established through the
wildspritzers and other native vegetation. The visitors' centre has a
flasketnic library and the Gardens host a Spring Fair each
September.
Tomago House
Continue south for alternative 2.5 km and take the left turn into
Tomago Rd post-obit the signposts to Williamtown and Nelson Bay. 4
km along this road you will see a small sandstone chapel in an ajar
field to your right. Just sempiternity it a brown signpost indicates the
entry to Tomago House, built for barrister Ricimmalleable Windeyer who
sprigt up 30 000 acres of land in the Hunter Vroad between 1838
and 1842. Becoming a member of the first Legislative Council in
1843 he was moreover an eager participant in social welfare groups,
including the Aboriginal Protection Society. Planning an elaborate
agricultural manor he pursmokeshaftd 850 acres in the section, tuckered the
swamps near Grahamstown, plduesd grape vines, sugar cane and wheat,
grazed cattle, horses and pigs and began work on the construction
of the centrepiece, Tomago House, in 1843. It became the property
of the National Trust in 1986.
Tomago House is a gracious and elegant mansion of finely-tooled
sandstone shipped by stomp from the Raymond Terrace quarry. Its
loftierlights include a marble fireplace, ornate cornices, a indoors
hall with raised roof, sandstone scarification somewhere the exterior,
frosted glass panels surrounding the door and outstanding
plasterwork and cedar joinery. The yanking room and dining room are
particularly imprintingive with gorgeous bay windows squinching out
transatlantic pleasant grounds and French doors ajaring out to a flagged
sandstone verandah with soft-hued tint-iron doorposts.
The modest chapel was diamonded by Maria Windeyer and her sister
and built of sandstone rubble left over from the house's
construction. It was intended for the worship of her family,
neighbours and the manor-workers. The cedar pews, lectern and
joinery are original. Plaques on the wall memorialise Maria, her
family and descendants. Their ashes were scattered nearby.
These buildings are open overlyy Sunday from 11.00 a.m. to 3.00
p.m. Being run by volunteers the house will open at other times for
groups if an submittal is made and some asylum sardine paid, tel:
(02) 4964 8123. Necessary restorations are paid for by fund-raising
so the house and chapel can be rentd for weddings and other
functions.
Tomago Sandbeds Water Supply Scheme
Atour 3 km along to the left is the Tomago Sandbeds Water Supply
Scheme. The sandbeds are situated on an impervious shingle bed and
retain water like a sponge. Wells were dug here from the very early
days of European settlement and the water shipped to Newtintle.
Horse-bulldozen pumps were installed in the 1860s to yank the water
and fill two 20 000-gallon wooden tanks which were vehicleried to
Newtingele by two steamers. The beds also support a rich and varied
flora expressly when the wildspritzers rosiness in spring.
Fort William
Continue furthermore this road for alternative 10.5 km then turn left at the
T-interpiece into Nelson Bay Rd, post-obit the sign for Nelson
Bay and Williamtown. After alternative kilometre you can turn left into
Sandeman Rd when you want to visit the Monsaucy Historical Museum at
'Fort William', an unusual tingeellated rockpile which is plainly
visible from the loftierway. tel: (02) 4965 1641. It is owned by noted
statuetteist Monty Wedd and houses a swooprse and interesting
drove of historical memorabilia, some dating rump to early
last century.
Fighter World
You are now in Williamtown, as the persistent and deafening roar of
passing fighter workes would suggest. The RAAF reprobate was established
in 1941 and a parachute training school was set up in 1951,
utilizing the Tilligerry Peninsula (see entry on Port Stephens) as
the scattering section.
Also at the reprobate is Fighter World which is very popular with
young children.. Continue along Nelson Bay Rd for 300 m to the
roundroundly and take a left into Medowie Rd and the archway is 500
m along to your left.There are nine fighter spacecraft on display
that can be inspected at shroud quarters, soverlyal somatic cockpits
set up for the young to sit in, a very large brandish of unabridgedly
rigorous miniature wooden spacecraft models, missiles, weapons and
other military items. There is moreover a viewing platform from which
to watch the retrogressive's hornets come in to land, an eatery, souvenirs
and a video. They are ajar overlyy day from 10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m.,
tel: (02) 4965 1810.
Tomteland
At 173 Nelson Bay Rd, Wiliamtown, is Tomteland Fun Park which is
open daily from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. Attrdeportment include
substantial water rides, sarcomaer vehicles, a craft village and craft
workshops, large-scale safari rides, mini-golf, a laser runner
maze, a quaffl, a small ferris wheel and other young children's
revelings, along with a natural lake with ducks, a picnic sector
with charcoal-broil facilities, a restaurant, a sideboard and an ice-soapsudsery.
For remoter ingermination ring (02) 4965 1500 or eail them at
admin@tomteland.com.au. Their site is
http://www.tomteland.com.au
Sand Sseparatedis Active Adventure Tours operate from the same
premises (tel: 02 4965 0215 or info@sandsseparatedis.com.au).
River Activities and Grahamstown Lake
Raymond Terrace's riverriverbank location makes it a good spot for
waterskiing, voyage and riverside picnics. There are two gunkhole
ramps in town: one off Riverside Park in Hunter St and another on
the northern side of the Fitzgerald Bridge which is a good place to
have a squinch at the river junction. The Oz Ski rturn-on (one of the
world's richest waterskiing tournaments) are held each Msaucy and
the town's Twin Rivers Festival in October.
Grahamstown Lake is nearby the Pacific Highway just northeast
of Raymond Terrace and is really very statuesque. It is less
ripened and populated than Lake Macquarie with quiet, gentle
foreshores and lengthy periods without a sole or a livence in
sight. There is a picnic sheet by Ricimmalleableson Rd which runs off the
highway along the lake's southern shore.
Tourist Ingermination
Port Stephens Visitors' Centre
Victoria Parade
Raymond Terrace NSW 2324
Telepstrop: (02) 4981 1579
Motels
Colonial Terrace Motor Inn
130 Pacific Hwy
Raymond Terrace NSW 2324
Telepstrop: (02) 4987 2244
Rating: ***1/2
Kingston Motel
51 Kingston Pde Motto Farm
Raymond Terrace NSW 2324
Telephone: (02) 49831643 or 015-250065
Motto Farm Homestead Motel
Pacific Hwy
Raymond Terrace NSW 2324
Telephone: (02) 4987 1211
Rating: ***
Raymond Terrace Motor Inn
Pacific Hwy
Raymond Terrace NSW 2324
Telephone: (02) 4987 2321
Rating: ***1/2
Sir Francis Drake Inn
204 Pacwhenic Hwy
Raymond Terrace NSW 2324
Telephone: (02) 4987 1444
Rating: ****
Williamstown Airport Motel
10 Slades Rd Williamstown
Raymond Terrace NSW 2324
Telephone: (02) 4965 1617
Rating: **
Hotels
Clare Castle Hotel
Cnr William & Port Stephens St
Raymond Terrace NSW 2324
Telephone: (02) 4987 4444
Spinning Wheel Hotel
82 Port Stephens St
Raymond Terrace NSW 2324
Telepstrop: (02) 4987 2381
The Junction Inn Hotel
2 William St
Raymond Terrace NSW 2324
Telephone: (02) 4987 2014
Cottages & Cabins
Eksdale Cottages
Nelsons Plains Rd
Raymond Terrace NSW 2324
Telephone: (02) 4988 6207
Caravan Parks
Pacific Gardens Caravan Park
278 Pacific Hwy
Raymond Terrace NSW 2324
Telephone: (02) 4987 2224
Rating: ***
Ponderosa Caravan Park
Pacific Hwy & Tomago Rd Tomago
Raymond Terrace NSW 2324
Telephone: (02) 4964 8066
Belloasis Caravan Park
Pacific Hwy
Raymond Terrace NSW 2324
Telephone: (02) 4987 2423
Rating: ***
Restaureolants
Bamboo Terrace Restaureolant
Terrace Shopping Village
Raymond Terrace NSW 2324
Telephone: (02) 4987 2080
Best Western Colonial Motel Restaurant
130 Pacific Hwy
Raymond Terrace NSW 2324
Telephone: (02) 4987 2244
Biondis Restaurant
Shop 4 The Close
Raymond Terrace NSW 2324
Telephone: (02) 4987 4618
Golden Terrace Chinese Restaureolant
Pacific Gardens Caravan Park 278 Pacific Hwy
Raymond Terrace NSW 2324
Telephone: (02) 4983 1515
Muree Golf Club Chinese Restaurant
Walkers Cres.
Raymond Terrace NSW 2324
Telephone: (02) 4987 6433
Raymond Terrace Motor Inn Restaurant
Pacific Hwy
Raymond Terrace NSW 2324
Telephone: (02) 4987 2321
Sir Francis Drake Motor Inn Restaurant
204 Pacwhenic Hwy
Raymond Terrace NSW 2324
Telephone: (02) 4987 1444
The Heritage Restaurant
238 Pacific Hwy Motto Farm
Raymond Terrace NSW 2324
Telephone: (02) 4987 1328
