Alstonville, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Alstonville is a town located in northern New South Wales
, Australia
, part of the region known as the Northern Rivers. Alstonville is located on the Bruxner Highway
between the town of Ballina
(13 km to the east) and city of Lismore
(19 km to the west). The village of Wollongbar
is situated 4 km to the west of Alstonville. Alstonville is considered as the service centre of the area known as the Alstonville Plateau.
Europeans were first attracted to the area, known as the Big Scrub
, in the 1840s by the plentiful supply of Red Cedar
. It was not until 1865 that the first settlers selected land in the area, then known as the parish of Tuckombil. Some notable selections in the first five years include that of the Freeborn, Roberston, Graham, Newborn, Crawford, Mellis, and Newton families. By 1883 Alstonville boasted two pubs, six stores, two black-smiths, nine sugar mills, and four saw mills.
Sugar cane was an important industry to the early settlers, with many small mills operating across the district. These were later replaced by larger more efficient steam mills such as those erected in 1882 at Alstonville (owned by the Melbourne Sugar Company) adjacent to Maguires Creek and at Rous Mill adjacent to Youngman Creek. By 1896 the Rous mill boasted a light rail line to transport cane from Alstonville. From the 1890s ownward, dairies became common across the area, later becoming the dominant industry for the first half of the 20th century. Due to lack of refrigeration, cream, not milk, was the product of interest, which was transported to local factories to be made into butter. The first butter factories were located at Wollongbah (1889), Rous (1889) and Teven Road (1890). In 1900 the NSW Creamery Butter Company built the Alstonville factory near Maguires Creek, which was sometime later acquired by NORCO
. After closing this building became a caravan factory, peanut factory, and finally a furniture factory, which is still open today.
One notable former resident of Alstonville is Patrick Joseph Bugden
who was awarded a Victoria Cross
(the highest military decoration which can be awarded to a member of the armed forces of the Commonwealth). "Paddy" served as a member of the 31st Battalion AIF during the First World War. The annual Anzac day parade starts at the Paddy Bugden Memorial, which is situated on the Bruxner Highway.
. The name was given by the cedar cutters because of the abundance of wild duck on the upper tidal reaches of the creek. In 1873, due to conflict of the original name with a different duck creek the first postmaster and owner of the general store John Perry proposed the name "Alstonville". Alstonville, also the name of the Perry farm, was derived from Alston the maiden name of his wife Annie Alston.
Summerland House, previously known as the "House With No Steps", has been operating near Alstonville since 1971. Summerland House provides training and employment opportunities for in excess of 80 people with physical and intellectual disabilities in fields such as farming and hospitality
.
Alstonville has two stationed emergency services, the NSW Fire Brigade's 'Station 204' and NSW Police.
processing and rural supplies dominating. In addition, numerous bus depots are located here, and there is a mail sorting facility. The industrial estate is located across the highway from Wollongbar; however, it is not a part of Wollongbar.
school
: Alstonville Public School (state primary), St Joseph's School (Catholic primary) and Alstonville High School (state secondary).
Bus services are limited. There are no buses into or out of Alstonville at night or on weekends. As a result, the area has experienced problems with petty crimes and public nuisances caused by bored teenagers.
to raise revenue by issuing parking tickets, under the guise of safety concerns.
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Tibouchina
'Alstonville' (Tibouchina lepidota) is a small tree grown in many parts of Australia for its brilliant display of purple flowers in autumn. This variety along with the dwarf variety 'Jules' was developed by Ken Dunstan a resident of Alstonville, hence the name.
The world's first commercial orchard of Macadamia
trees was planted in the early 1880s by Charles Staff at Rous Mill, on the Alstonville plateau, 7 km south west of the centre of town.
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...
, part of the region known as the Northern Rivers. Alstonville is located on the Bruxner Highway
Bruxner Highway
The Bruxner Highway is one of the more obscure State highways in New South Wales, Australia. It forms an east-west link from the Northern Rivers coast, across the Northern Tablelands in northern New South Wales, close to the border with Queensland...
between the town of Ballina
Ballina, New South Wales
Ballina is a town on the Northern Rivers of New South Wales, Australia, and the seat of the Ballina Shire Local Government Area. It had a population of 16,477 in the 2006 Census.-Location:...
(13 km to the east) and city of 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:...
(19 km to the west). The village of Wollongbar
Wollongbar, New South Wales
Wollongbar is a town in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia. The town is located on the Bruxner Highway between the towns of Lismore and Alstonville.-Schools:...
is situated 4 km to the west of Alstonville. Alstonville is considered as the service centre of the area known as the Alstonville Plateau.
History
Big Scrub
The Big Scrub was the largest area of subtropical lowland rainforest in eastern Australia. It was intensively cleared for agricultural use in the 19th century by colonists...
, in the 1840s by the plentiful supply of Red Cedar
Toona ciliata
Australian Red Cedar , Toona ciliata is a forest tree in the family Meliaceae which grows throughout southern Asia from Afghanistan to Papua New Guinea and Australia. In Australia its natural habitat is now extensively cleared subtropical rainforests of New South Wales and Queensland...
. It was not until 1865 that the first settlers selected land in the area, then known as the parish of Tuckombil. Some notable selections in the first five years include that of the Freeborn, Roberston, Graham, Newborn, Crawford, Mellis, and Newton families. By 1883 Alstonville boasted two pubs, six stores, two black-smiths, nine sugar mills, and four saw mills.
Sugar cane was an important industry to the early settlers, with many small mills operating across the district. These were later replaced by larger more efficient steam mills such as those erected in 1882 at Alstonville (owned by the Melbourne Sugar Company) adjacent to Maguires Creek and at Rous Mill adjacent to Youngman Creek. By 1896 the Rous mill boasted a light rail line to transport cane from Alstonville. From the 1890s ownward, dairies became common across the area, later becoming the dominant industry for the first half of the 20th century. Due to lack of refrigeration, cream, not milk, was the product of interest, which was transported to local factories to be made into butter. The first butter factories were located at Wollongbah (1889), Rous (1889) and Teven Road (1890). In 1900 the NSW Creamery Butter Company built the Alstonville factory near Maguires Creek, which was sometime later acquired by NORCO
Norco milk
Norco Co-operative Limited is an agricultural supply and marketing co-operative based in northern New South Wales, Australia.Established in 1895, it sells products and services locally and internationally...
. After closing this building became a caravan factory, peanut factory, and finally a furniture factory, which is still open today.
One notable former resident of Alstonville is Patrick Joseph Bugden
Patrick Joseph Bugden
Patrick Joseph Bugden VC was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces...
who was awarded a Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
(the highest military decoration which can be awarded to a member of the armed forces of the Commonwealth). "Paddy" served as a member of the 31st Battalion AIF during the First World War. The annual Anzac day parade starts at the Paddy Bugden Memorial, which is situated on the Bruxner Highway.
Origin of the name
The village was originally known as "Duck Creek Mountain" after Duck Creek, which flows along the southern edge of town eventually merging with Emigrant Creek and the Richmond RiverRichmond River
The Richmond River is a river in the north-eastern corner of New South Wales, Australia. It runs for approximately 170 km from the foothills of the Border Ranges past the towns of Kyogle, Casino, Coraki, Woodburn, where it turns northward and empties into the Pacific Ocean at Ballina. It has a...
. The name was given by the cedar cutters because of the abundance of wild duck on the upper tidal reaches of the creek. In 1873, due to conflict of the original name with a different duck creek the first postmaster and owner of the general store John Perry proposed the name "Alstonville". Alstonville, also the name of the Perry farm, was derived from Alston the maiden name of his wife Annie Alston.
Facilities
Crawford house, a pioneer house situated next to Elizabeth Ann Brown park is now a historical museum. Directly behind is the town's major shopping centre, Alstonville Plaza, which has a few specialty shops, and a major supermarket. The town has a post office and several banks are located in the town.Summerland House, previously known as the "House With No Steps", has been operating near Alstonville since 1971. Summerland House provides training and employment opportunities for in excess of 80 people with physical and intellectual disabilities in fields such as farming and hospitality
Hospitality
Hospitality is the relationship between guest and host, or the act or practice of being hospitable. Specifically, this includes the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers, resorts, membership clubs, conventions, attractions, special events, and other services for travelers...
.
Alstonville has two stationed emergency services, the NSW Fire Brigade's 'Station 204' and NSW Police.
Economy
An industrial estate is located in Russleton Park, with cement, macadamiaMacadamia
Macadamia is a genus of nine species of flowering plants in the family Proteaceae, with a disjunct distribution native to eastern Australia , New Caledonia and Sulawesi in Indonesia ....
processing and rural supplies dominating. In addition, numerous bus depots are located here, and there is a mail sorting facility. The industrial estate is located across the highway from Wollongbar; however, it is not a part of Wollongbar.
Schools
The town of Alstonville is home to two public and one privatePrivate school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
: Alstonville Public School (state primary), St Joseph's School (Catholic primary) and Alstonville High School (state secondary).
Transport
Transport between Alstonville and Wollongbar, is by either car, or foot/bike, as a path runs between Bulwinkel Park and the shopping centre at Wollongbar.Bus services are limited. There are no buses into or out of Alstonville at night or on weekends. As a result, the area has experienced problems with petty crimes and public nuisances caused by bored teenagers.
Transport issues
A bypass is being constructed for the Bruxner Highway to remove congestion and improve safety. Currently Alstonville traffic becomes unusually congested (for such a small-population town) because its main road is the main thoroughfare between Lismore and Ballina, and because it has three schools (and bus stops for another three schools) located in a bottleneck with only one entry/ exit road. As a result, parking for all three schools is usually congested, a situation that has been exacerbated by recent efforts by the Ballina Shire CouncilBallina Shire Council
Ballina Shire is a Local Government Area in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia. The shire was formed by the amalgamation of the Municipality of Ballina and Tintenbar Shire in 1976. It is on the Pacific Ocean and the Pacific Highway...
to raise revenue by issuing parking tickets, under the guise of safety concerns.
Sporting facilities and parks
The area has many parks, including Geoff Watt Oval, the major sporting ground for Cricket, and Soccer, and Crawford Park, across the other side of the highway. This park is a second sporting ground for soccer.- The Alstonville and District Football Club is the local Soccer Club, and is known as "Villa" and is uniformed with red and black.
- Wollongbar Alstonville Piooners Rugby (WAR) is the local Rugby Union club, located at Wollongbar.
- Alstonville also has a field hockey club, with training fields on Gap Road, it has both male and female teams ranging from Minkeys to A-Grade Seniors.
- Alstonville is also the home of FNC NSW Futsal at the Alstonville Entertainment Centre.
Interesting facts
Tibouchina
Tibouchina is a genus of about 350 species of neotropical plants in the family Melastomataceae. They are trees, shrubs or subshrubs growing 0.5–25 m tall, and are known as glory bushes or glory trees. They are native to rainforests of Mexico, the Caribbean, and South America, especially Brazil...
'Alstonville' (Tibouchina lepidota) is a small tree grown in many parts of Australia for its brilliant display of purple flowers in autumn. This variety along with the dwarf variety 'Jules' was developed by Ken Dunstan a resident of Alstonville, hence the name.
The world's first commercial orchard of Macadamia
Macadamia
Macadamia is a genus of nine species of flowering plants in the family Proteaceae, with a disjunct distribution native to eastern Australia , New Caledonia and Sulawesi in Indonesia ....
trees was planted in the early 1880s by Charles Staff at Rous Mill, on the Alstonville plateau, 7 km south west of the centre of town.
External links
- Ballina Shire Council
- Town information — Sydney Morning Herald
- Summerland House
- Alstonville High School