Port of Yamba Historical Society
40 Years !
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newsletter
We acknowledge the Yaegl people as the traditional custodians of the land on which Yamba Museum is located and recognise their continuing connection to Country. We pay respect to Yaegl Elders past, present and emerging.
Greetings and welcome to summer, as well as to the latest edition of the Yamba Historical Society newsletter. We invite you to relax while we share the most recent updates, events and historical insights from our society. Look forward to engaging stories, upcoming activities, and important information about Yamba's rich history. We appreciate your involvement in our community and hope you find this newsletter enjoyable.
President's Report
Wow, how quickly the summer months have swept into our lives. All committee members and active volunteers have been busy with increased visitor numbers (including more internationals seeking us out), increased coach tours, donations and collection management, and constant enquiries and bookings for hire of the Old Kirk and Function Room. You can read more about the various events and activities held during the past three months later in this newsletter.
Revamp of Permanent Museum Exhibition
Museum Advisor Dr Kate Gahan lead another 2-hour workshop for Committee and members on Wednesday 13 November from 10-12noon, where we got right into the practical options for repositioning Billy Black’s skiff inside the museum (currently stored outside, fully protected), and also creating a cinema experience with the proposed donation by Yamba Cinema owner Debbie McCredie of several equipment items from decades ago – projector, reel platter, seating, posters, signage. We have lots of work to do to accommodate the cinema donation, including changes to the Flinders Room, and this will be on-going over the next couple of months. We have
2 more workshops diaried for February and March. If you’d like to be part of this revamp, please contact me via the Society’s email: yambamuseumnsw@gmail.com.
​Yaegl Cultural Garden booklet
At last I can announce the publication of our small booklet on the bush tucker plants/shrubs, cultural references and motifs of the Language Poles and mosaic totems in the Yaegl Cultural Garden. Many of you have been asking for a while about the names and traditional use of certain plants by the Yaegl community, particularly now that the garden is more established and flourishing. The booklet is lightweight, A5 size with coloured photos of 30 plants. It will be available for purchase just before Christmas at a cost of $10 from front desk volunteers during opening hours.
My thanks go to Graeme East for compiling the botanical information and descriptions, Yaegl artists Frances Belle Parker, Aneika Kapeen and Leeanne Kennedy for giving permission to publish their thoughts behind their creative designs, and designer Adam Woodleigh for his care and patience. You may recall that the Society won a prestigious award for this garden - the 2020 IMAGinE Award from Museums & Galleries NSW – so this booklet is a record of a much-commented on enhancement to our museum precinct.
Vale Joyce Clague MBE
In September we paid respect to the passing of First Nations activist and Yaegl Elder Joyce Clague, aged 85. Aunty Joyce had grown up on Ulgundahi Island in the Clarence River, with English as her second language; she was the first indigenous person to represent Australia at a UNESCO conference in 1966. Federal MP Linda Burney spoke in Parliament of Joyce’s resilience and strength in fighting against racism, notably as a key campaigner for the YES vote for the 1967 Constitutional referendum, and as part of the legal process that led to the 2017 historic recognition of native title over 90 kms of coast and sea in NSW. Our Society appreciated her involvement and benefited when Aunty Joyce agreed to support our application with a personal statement and photo in our successful application for the very significant grant for the 2020/2021 enhancement projects – building of the Function Room, Yaegl Cultural Garden and improved carpark.
Vacant Secretary Position
It is with regret that Anne Dinham has advised she will resign from the position of Secretary at the end of December 2024. Anne will continue as a Committee member, responsible for coordination of membership and group tours, and she’ll also continue to facilitate the 40th Birthday Planning Group to celebrate the opening of Yamba Museum 40 years ago in March 1985 – more details on this later. We’ll still be able to call on her significant skills, interest and knowledge of historical matters and capacity for thorough work but she will be very much missed at the Executive level.
If you feel you could fill this position and support the Society at the committee level, please contact me by email (yambamuseumnsw@gmail.com), or encourage someone you know (perhaps recently moved to Yamba) to come and chat about how the Society functions.
Summer Holiday Closures
We will close Yamba Museum on Sunday 22nd December and re-open on Saturday 4th January 2025 – this is a very welcome break for all front desk roster volunteers.
Christmas Wishes
We’re again having lunch and a seasonal drink at the Wobbly Chook on Friday 20th December, from 12 noon at the outside tables. There’ll be two special gifts as door prizes. Please respond to the email from Secretary Anne Dinham to secure your seat, or email yambamuseumnsw@gmail.com.
My warmest wishes to all members and their families for a safe and joyous time of Christmas 2024 festivities.
Committee Members 2024 - 2025
Lesley Pickering (President), Kerry Hulm (Treasurer), Anne Dinham
Jan Angelo, Phil Cousemacker, Margaret Lawrence, Jude McBean and Brenda Salisbury
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Back Then ... Photograph of Yamba
This photograph, taken at the intersection of Church and Clarence Streets in about 1930, shows the impact that drifting sand was taking on buildings in East Yamba at the time. Church Street is running up the hill to the left along the fence line while Clarence Street is dropping away to the right.
A number of houses in the area were gradually overcome by the sand and had to be relocated. A newspaper article reported that, with regard to a nearby house, “the sand piled up to it to the extent that at one time you could step on to the roof of the verandah”. The house in the foreground was owned by Josephine Roche, a spinster from Grafton. In 1932, she removed the house to a vacant block that she had purchased in Queen Street. The house survived for many subsequent years, known as “The Green Dolphin”, distinguished by its large green roof.
Behind Miss Roche’s house, to its left in the photograph, can be seen the old stumps of the house of Alfred Ensbey, which was totally destroyed by fire in 1926. This was a fairly common occurrence in those days, not always accidental!
The house to the immediate right of Miss Roche’s house was owned by Lucy Munns, a married woman of South Grafton. The sand problem caused her to call tenders in March 1934 for the purchase of the four roomed house and contents for removal purposes. It is not known when the house was removed but the land was vacant by 1942.
The house behind Miss Roche’s (you can only see the roof) was that of David John Lobban of Grafton, Solicitor. Lobban also experienced problems with the sand and, in 1934, shifted his house back up the hill to the rear of his block fronting Church Street (behind the stumps of Ensbey’s house). He continued to experience problems, particularly with gaining vehicular access.
In the 1940s, at least by 1946, Lobban’s house was the only building in Church Street. By this stage, however, the sand drift had been stabilised through the work of William Ager and new houses started to fill the East Yamba area as we know it today.
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ROB KNIGHT
Can You Help ?
Volunteers: We Need You!
Come and be a volunteer at your museum. Meet like-minded pepole, build new skills, have fun and create connections within a vibrant and dynamic cultural environment. Embrace the chance to be a part of something meaningful and make a difference by becoming a dedicated volunteer at your museum .
Call Bev today for a chat or send an email.
Mobile: 049 958 8137 Email: bevmans67@gmail.com
Margaret and Anne, enjoying an art opening, welcoming guests and friends
