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The Mid-North Coast is known for it's scenic coastal environments and lush green vegetation. Seven council shires comprise the Mid-North - Bellingen, Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour, Greater Taree, Port Macquarie-Hastings, Kempsey and Nambucca. Mid-North
Coast GenWeb Volunteer Required for the position of Mid-North Coast West County Coordinator. A County Coordinator maintains the county website and moderates the existing message board. This is not a difficult position and anyone with basic web editing experience and a genuine interest in the region is welcome to apply. In addition to web and query maintenance, a County Coordinator also oversees the local GenWebs within its region. This duty is non-technical as a County Coordinator operates in an advisory capacity only. Existing Local GenWeb Coordinators and non-locals are welcome to apply for the position. Bellingen (map) is a small town and local government area approximately half way between Sydney and Brisbane. The district is a mixture of valley, plateau and coastal environments. Locally known as 'Bello' the township lies on the Bellinger River which, in line with German convention, is spelt 'er' while the town is spelt 'en'. The traditional inhabitants of the region were the Gumbaynggir people. Black Jimmy is reported to be the last full-blood Gumbaynggir. He died in 1922 and is buried in Bellingen Cemetery. By the 1930s, Bellingen was harvesting red cedar which was shipped to the mouth of the Bellinger River. From the 1840s onward red cedar attracted more and more settlers. Bellingen was originally known as Boat Harbour; it was official named Bellingen in 1870. In the 1890s, Bellingen was selected as the government centre of the valley due to its location at the tidal limit of the Bellinger River and the availability of fresh water. A period of rapid growth ensued. By the early 1900s, red cedar supplies were virtually depleted except for those that survived in the inaccessible upper reaches of the Bellinger Valley. Dairy farming became the major industry; it continues today albeit to a lesser extent. For a complete list of communities that currently comprise the Bellingen Shire: Click Here Bellingen
GenWeb Clarence Valley (map) is a local government area formed in February 2004 by the amalgamation of Grafton City, Maclean Shire, and parts of Copmanhurst, Pristine Waters and the Richmond Valley. The region includes the coastal plain and lower valleys of the Clarence and Nymbodia Rivers. The largest town and council seat is Grafton. Other towns in the region are Maclean, Yamba, Illuka, Junction Hill, Ulmarra and Coutts Crossing. For a complete list of communities that currently comprise the Clarence Valley Council: Click Here Clarence
Valley
GenWeb Coffs Harbour (map) is a coastal city and local government area approximately 550km north of Sydney (population circa 62,902). Coffs Harbour is the hub for a thriving banana industry. The surrounding region is dominated by hinterland hills and forest covered mountain. It is the only place in Australia where the Great Dividing Range meets the Pacific Ocean. Coffs Harbour owes its name to Captain John Korff, who named the area Korff's Harbour when he was forced to take shelter from storm in the area in 1847. Its name was accidentally changed by the surveyor for the crown when he reserved land in the area during 1861. The local government area has recently expanded to include the localities of Red Rock, Corindi and Upper Corindi, previously part of the former Pristine Waters local government authority, the balance of which has been
amalgamated into the Clarence Valley Council to the north. Since this
amalgamation the Coffs Harbour Local Government area has expanded to cover 1,163 km˛. Coffs Harbour GenWeb Coordinator: Volunteer Required Greater Taree City Council (map) is a local government area formed in the late 1980s by merging the Shire of Wingham, the Shire of Taree and the Manning Valley Shire. it includes the towns of Taree, Cundletown, Wingham, Tinonee, Kolodong, Harrington, Manning Point, Croki, Coopernook, Hannam Vale, Johns River, Stewarts River, Dyers Crossing, Nabiac, Possum Brush and Hallidays Point. For a complete list of communities that currently comprise the Greater Taree City Council: Click Here Greater Taree GenWeb Coordinator: Volunteer Required Port Macquarie-Hastings (map) is a town and local government area located about 450km north of Sydney and 510km south of Brisbane. The main regional hub is situated on the coast on the south bank of the entrance of the Hastings River. The first European to pass through the area was explorer John Oxley in 1818. He named the location after the Governor of New South Wales, Lachlan Macquarie. The river was named in honour of India's Governor General, Sir Warren Hastings. In 1821, sixty convicts, officers and their families sailed from Sydney onboard the Lady Nelson, The Mermaid & The Prince Regent. The contingent was commanded by Captain Francis Allman. Settlement provided isolation for prisoners, an active timber industry and the cultivation of tropical fruits. In 1823 the first sugar cane was cultivated and by 1826 a school house was built under the instruction of Major Archibald Innes. Free settlement began in the 1830s; transportation of convicts to Port Macquarie ended in 1847. For a complete list of communities that currently comprise the Port Macquarie-Hastings Council: Click Here Port Macquarie-Hastings GenWeb Coordinator: Volunteer Required Kempsey (map) is a town and local government area located where the Pacific Highway crosses the Macleay River. Roughly 450kms north of Sydney and 15kms inland from the coast of the Pacific Ocean, Kempsey Shire has a population of approximately 27,831. The traditional inhabitants of the region are the Dunghutti people. Enoch William Rudder is credited with founding the settlement. He arrived from Birmingham in 1834 and bought land on the southern bank of the river in 1836, at what was then the limit of authorized settlement (the boundary of County Macquarie). He was initially attracted by the red cedar but planned also to profit by selling parts of his land. He had riverside blocks surveyed and established a private town, with the first blocks sold in November 1836. He called it Kempsey because the surrounding areas reminded him of the Kempsey Valley in Worcestershire.
The main (and most flood-prone) part of Kempsey was founded by John Verge, sub-dividing a grant on the flood-plain opposite Rudder's settlement. In 1854 a government town was surveyed at West Kempsey and government
facilities moved there when it became clear that no town would form around the police station and courthouse at Belgrave Falls. Rudder's settlement was re-named East Kempsey. Kempsey GenWeb Coordinator: Volunteer Required Nambucca Valley (map) is a local government area noted for its scenery and surf. The traditional inhabitants were the Gumbaynggir and (or) Dainggatti people. The name derives from a Gumbaynggir term meaning 'entrance to the waters'. While Europeans reached the Nambucca River by 1818 in search of escaped convicts, the region was not formerly noted till 1820 when explorer John Oxley surveyed the estuary. Cedar-getting began on the Nambucca River by 1842. The first settler was a man named Lane who established a ferry service across the river. By the 1860s cedar-getting was joined by the cultivation of maize. In the 1880s the area grew rapidly; a wharf, school, sawmills and hotel were established. By 1885 the village of Nambucca had been proclaimed; local government was established in 1915. For a complete list of communities that currently comprise the Nambucca Shire: Click Here Nambucca Valley GenWeb Coordinator: Volunteer Required |
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