Port of Yamba Historical Society
Meet a New Member
I live in Yamba with my partner Rachel and our adopted greyhound Rae, having moved here a year ago from Beechworth in north-east Victoria, a place that has a lot of preserved history from the gold rush era. I work at Clarence Valley Council as Coordinator Open Spaces Strategy, but please don't hold that against me (!). This is actually my first job in local government, having worked mostly in engineering and manufacturing industries. We're still finding our feet in Yamba and the region, touring around, visiting places and trying different things. We love a good cup of coffee or glass of wine, so you'll often find the 3 of us sitting outside one of Yamba's cafes or bars / restaurants.
I grew up in Mornington, about an hour south of Melbourne, and spent most of my adult life in and around Melbourne before doing the 'tree change' and moving to Beechworth about 6 years ago. Rach and I enjoyed living in the Victorian high country but both decided we're probably more 'salties' then 'freshies', and were also keen to be somewhere a bit warmer. So we did a bit of reconnaissance up and down the NSW coast, and like most people, fell in love with Yamba and the Northern Rivers. So after a bit of job and rental hunting, here we are!
Before moving here I was engineering manager at Brown Family Wine Group, working at a winery that started operation in 1889 (so was a great blend of my interests in wine and history!), and in Melbourne I worked at a couple of large companies, Toll and Dulux group, after doing about 10 years in engineering and project management consulting. Travel-wise, I did the usual gap year, half in Canada, half in the UK with some travel amongst that. Most of my overseas travel has focused on the UK, France and Germany (more wine and history!), and closer to home, the east coast of Australia, plus South Australia and a couple of trips out west, often with a focus on wine regions (yes, there's a theme here!).
I am interested in history generally and thought it would be a good way to connect with and learn about the local history of the area and its people, as well as being involved in something and meeting people, especially being relatively new to Yamba.
Welcome to our New Members
Lynette Harding, Maree Bennie, Damian Bennie, Barbara Roff,
Jeanette Williams, Suzanne Godfrey and Julia Cusack
We are so happy to have you join our community of history enthusiasts. As new members, you play a vital role in preserving and celebrating our shared heritage. Come into the museum and explore the exhibits, attend events, and meet other museum members. Thank you for becoming a member of the museum!
MEMBERSHIP FEES DUE
It’s that time of year again!
Your $20 per person PYHS membership renewal is now due and can be paid anytime up until June 30.
There’s no need to complete a renewal form unless your contact details have changed.
Two easy ways to pay:
1. Direct debit
BSB: 062688 (Commonwealth Bank)
Account Number: 10153663
Please use your name as the payment reference.
2. In person at the front desk
Opening hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday & Sunday, 10am – 2pm
Payments can be made by cash or card. Please make sure you receive a receipt with your name on it so we can record your payment.
Life Members continue to enjoy their membership with no renewal fee required.
If you know someone who’d enjoy being part of PYHS, feel free to share this with them and invite them to join!
YAMBA’S ICONIC NORFOLK PINES
Reported on 28 December 1907 Clarence & Richmond Examiner:
Visitors to Yamba during the Christmas holidays have commented upon the constant diminution in the number of available shade trees, and at the same time Mr. J. H. Malden suggests, in the ''Agricultural Gazette," that the Norfolk Island pine should be more freely planted along the coastal areas than it is. If this tree would thrive in the sand at Yamba, steps should be taken to plant some in the [Yamba] Park, where many of the native trees have lately died or the winds have blown them down.
The attractiveness of Yamba could be immensely enhanced if a row of suitable trees was planted, a reasonable distance above highwater level from the Convent round to where the southern breakwater meets the mainland. The Government would give the trees free, and the Progress Association could easily arrange a working bee for the planting. Guards would be necessary, but plenty of material is available.
Something of the kind is urgently required at Yamba.
In the following years, the suggestion to plant Norfolk pines in Yamba was taken to heart by various community members and authorities. Efforts to plant these trees began in earnest, with notable initiatives led by the Principal of Yamba Public School, David “Clarence” Rankin who planted fig trees and Norfolk Island pines in the school grounds in 1916. Prior to 1990, Yamba Public School was located on Section 9, Town of Yamba with frontage to Wooli, River and Coldstream Streets. One of these plantings still exists in the Bowling Club carpark behind the former Headmaster’s residence at the corner of Wooli and River Streets.
It was not until June 1926 that the Harwood Shire Council (HSC) Engineer recommended obtaining 24 Norfolk Island pines from Sydney’s Botanical Gardens for replanting in Yamba Park (renamed Flinders Park in 1931.
The HSC President said that he had inspected the park and found about 25 trees dead out of the 30 planted. The Engineer said that the trees had been planted in the latter end of August by the Yamba Town Improvement Committee. He had been in communication with the Curator of the Botanical Gardens and explained the class of soil and contour of the country, and the Curator recommended the growing of Norfolk pines, and that they should be planted during June. It was not until the inception of the Yamba Urban Area Committee (YUAC) that tree planting took place in earnest.
William Ager, who saved Yamba from the encroaching sand menace, stated in a Letter in Daily Examiner 14 October 1931:
By proclamation in the Government Gazette Yamba became an urban area, and subsequently Messrs. H. Saxby, J, Campbell, and H. W. Atkins were elected to the committee (unopposed), and held their first meeting on January 10, 1930.
Prior to that important event, the affairs of Yamba were somewhat in a muddle. Perpetual disagreement and misunderstanding reigned between the citizens of Yamba and Harwood Shire Council, and as a consequence the interests of Yamba were sadly neglected.
Although the urban committeemen, with the exception of Mr. Campbell, were new to the game, they had a big understanding of the requirements of the area, and set about their duties in a quiet, earnest, unostentatious way.
With the exercise of tact and common sense the committee won the goodwill and assistance of the Harwood Council, and the two bodies work together in perfect harmony.
Following a request by the YUAC, HSC ordered a delivery in March 1930 of 24 Norfolk Pines. By the end of July, YUAC had made a start with the tree planting programme, with about 20 trees, all Norfolk Pines, having been planted from Yamba Public School downwards [in Wooli Street] and in Yamba Park. Mr Ager supervised the planting and several school children were appointed tree wardens at the school. Coral trees had been planted on Yamba Beach reserve bank. Shrubs presented by Mrs Patemen had been planted in Queen Street.
At the AGM of Yamba Public School P&C Association on 07 February 1934, Headmaster Samuel Eades suggested arranging an Arbor Day function and recommended one tree be dedicated to the late Australian Airman, Bert Hinkler.
Herbert John “Bert” Hinkler was born in Bundaberg in 1892 and as a boy was fascinated by flight. He obtained his pilot’s licence towards the end of WW1 after participating in many dogfights and bombing raids. After the war Bert would become the chief test pilot for A.V. Roe and would go on to achieve numerous world records in the field of aviation, including the first solo flight from England to Australia, achieved in 15 and a half days.
He flew over Yamba twice. The first was on 27 April 1921 aboard his Avro Baby GEACQ after his record -breaking flight from Sydney to Bundaberg. In 1928 he landed at Brooms Head Beach to make minor repairs to his propeller.
Bert met his untimely end on 07 January 1933 on the Italian Alps while attempting to break his own world record between England and Australia.
The Bert Hinkler memorial Norfolk Pine tree still stands today in the carpark of the Yamba Bowlo and is designated by a suitable plaque placed there by the Port of Yamba Historical Society in 2001.
By the end of 1934, 50 Norfolk Pines had been planted as an avenue of trees in Wooli Street. During the remainder of the 1930s, the YUAC planted Norfolk pines in Ford Park, Yamba Beach, Yamba Public School playground, Wooli Street (northern side). The avenue of trees in Clarence Street was planted in 1941 and four were planted above the zig-zag pathway down to Main beach in 1952. More trees were planted in Flinders Park in the 1950s and along Yamba Street in 1957. Some trees were grown from the seeds of the old tree in the school grounds and others from a private nursey, Hazlewood Bros. in Sydney.
The Port of Yamba Historical Society planted a Norfolk Pine in the grounds of the new Yamba Public School to carry on the theme of the Bert Hinkler memorial pine planted in the old school grounds just after the move to the new school site in Angourie Road on 28 August 1990.
Mr Malden’s suggestion in 1907 and follow up by the YUAC has resulted in this iconic feature at Yamba, one of many along Australia’s coastline.
Araucaria heterophylla (synonym A. excelsa) is a species of conifer. As its common name Norfolk Island pine (or Norfolk pine) implies, the tree is endemic to Norfolk Island, an external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia. True pines belong to the genus Pinus in the family Pinaceae, but the Norfolk pine is a member of the genus Araucaria in the family Araucariaceae, which also contains the hoop pine. Members of Araucaria occur across the South Pacific, especially concentrated in New Caledonia (about 700 km or 430 mi due north of Norfolk Island), where 13 closely related species of similar appearance are found.
John McNamara
Research Officer, Port of Yamba Historical Society
March 2025
Where is it now?
Behind the scenes at the museum ........ To make some of our reference material more accessible we've been busy relocating it from the small, poorly ventilated File Room to the Flinders Room and Collection Store Room. The black boxes of exhibition photos and the blue files in folders have been moved over recent months. You can now find the black exhibition photo boxes on new shelving in the Collection Store Room. The blue files in folders are now located in the purpose built bookcase in the Flinders Room near the computers.
Rob Knight has project managed the whole relocation process. Rob measured and estimated how much shelving space was needed for the relocation of the blue files to the Flinders Room. He also designed the new shelving unit that was then built by G & K Cabinets of Uki Street, Yamba at a cost 0f $2,264. Once the shelving was installed Rob moved the blue files and put new labels on them. The final result is a vast improvement and everything is now much easier to access. It has been a very exacting and time consuming job. Thank you very much Rob.
Meredith Bates
The Old Kirk - A Great Place for an event!
Have you an upcoming event and need the perfect venue? Maybe a wedding, a special occasion or wish to book in an art exhibition? The Old Kirk and Function Room and Yarning Circle in the Yaegl Cultural Garden offer great options!
Contact marg.lawrence@outlook.com.
What's happening in Winter 2025
JUNE
Fri 4 - 10 June River of Learning
Exhibition
Mon 9 Committee Meeting 9:30am
Wed 18 Tour Group
Sat 28 - 27 July 40th Anniversary 40 Years in Pictures
Sat 28 Open Day
AUGUST
Mon 8 - Annual General Meeting- 9.30am M/T
for 10am start
Mon 11 - Committee Meeting 9:30am
JULY
Mon 14 - Committee Meeting 9:30am
6-13 - Naidoc Weed
Wed 27 - 40 Anniversary closes
Thank you for taking the time to read your museum newsletter! Hopefully you visit, maybe bring friends, or family to the museum to learn more about where we live.
Staying informed about our latest exhibitions, events, and historical insights, is helping us spread awareness and appreciation for our local heritage. We look forward to sharing more fascinating stories and updates with you. Thank you for being a part of our museum community!