Hannam Vale, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Hannam Vale is a small village located in a forestry and dairy farming area on the Mid North Coast
, about 25 miles (40.2 km) North-West of Taree
in New South Wales
, Australia
.
was established at Sydney
, John Oxley
, the colony's surveyor-general surveyed the Hastings
and Manning River
valleys for settlement. Soon after, woodcutters in search of the highly prized red cedar, pushed into the Stewarts River valley and the densely-wooded valley that subsequently become known as Hannam Vale.
The first recorded selection of land was by Thomas Crossingham in the Stewarts River area in 1866. G.A Scott chose a block of 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) in 1873, but was unable to complete the purchase, so the block was regazette
d in 1886 and purchased by J. H. Lambert. The first permanent settler in the valley was John Haydon who purchased 50 acres (202,343 m²) along the Stewarts River in 1882. Haydon's son Bill became known locally as the 'Cedar King'. He was the first woodcutter to use a truck as a hauler during the 1930s.
Other settlers followed the woodcutters into the valley, clearing land for growing crops such as maize
, arrowroot
, potatoes and vegetables. Most of the early settlers also planted a variety of fruit trees, especially oranges, and kept cattle for dairy farming
. By the mid 1930's, dairy farming
and logging
had become the principal activities in the larger Hannam Vale area of Stewarts River, Hannam Vale and Waitui.
Hannam Vale was given its name by Francis Redman, who operated the post office
. When he found that the name "Upper Stewarts River" was too long to fit on the mail stamp
, he used his farm's name, "Hannam Vale", instead. Redman was also instrumental in having the Hannam Vale School's first teacher appointed by providing a residence on his property. Redmond's son subsequently provided a half acre block of land on which the Hannam Vale Community Hall was erected.
The primary school was first established as a one-teacher "provisional" school in 1899. It was afforded permanent status and its original buildings erected in 1907; since then a number of other buildings have been added. Most recently, a small building used as a church in Waitui was donated to the School and is now used as a school hall.
and Port Macquarie. More recently, following deregulation
of the dairy industry in 2001, a number of the older dairy farms have ceased to operate; this has been closely associated with growing numbers of "city folk" purchasing smaller lots for recreational farming, as well as the establishment of bed and breakfast
accommodation in the area.
The region's high rainfall and dairy farming legacy, along with associated planting of grasses such as kikuyu
, is the reason for the present day lush-green landscape.
The "epicentre" of Hannam Vale is the junction of Hannam Vale Road and deep Creek Road, ten minutes from the Pacific Highway at Johns River or Moorland. The most prominent features of this area are the public school, general store, Salvation Army
chapel and community centre.
Opposite the Public School is the Hannam Vale General Store. Built in 1927 the store is a social centre of the wider Hannam Vale area.
Just east of the Public School is the Rural Fire Service
Brigade Depot and further east again, off Hannam Vale Road, is the entrance way to the Hannam Vale Recreational Reserve. Just two to three hundred metres to the north-west of the School on Hannam Vale Road is the Hannam Vale Community Hall, the home of community meetings in the area, as well as special events such as dances, art exhibitions and fundraising activity.
Around the corner from the Public School in Deep Creek Road is the original Salvation Army
Chapel and newer (2002) larger Church Hall.
Present day farming activities include beef cattle
, small scale dairying, and macadamia nuts. Commercial forestry also continues, with the Lansdowne State Forest bordering the village.
Several national parks border the area. In particular, Coorabakh National Park
has waterfalls, and spectacular panoramic views from lookouts such Flat Top Rock, Vincents and Newbys lookouts.
Mid North Coast, New South Wales
The Mid North Coast is a country region in the north east of the state of New South Wales, Australia. The region covers the mid to north coast of NSW, beginning at Seal Rocks, 275 km north of Sydney, and extending as far north as Woolgoolga, 562 km north of Sydney, a distance of roughly...
, about 25 miles (40.2 km) North-West of Taree
Taree, New South Wales
Taree is a city on the Mid North Coast, New South Wales, Australia. Taree and nearby Cundletown were settled in 1831 by William Wynter. Since then Taree has grown to a population of around 20,000 people and is the centre of a significant agricultural district. It is 16 km from the sea coast,...
in New South Wales
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...
.
History
Thirty years after the penal colonyPenal colony
A penal colony is a settlement used to exile prisoners and separate them from the general populace by placing them in a remote location, often an island or distant colonial territory...
was established at Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, John Oxley
John Oxley
John Joseph William Molesworth Oxley was an explorer and surveyor of Australia in the early period of English colonisation.October 1802 he was engaged in coastal survey work including an expedition to Western Port in 1804-05...
, the colony's surveyor-general surveyed the Hastings
Hastings River
The Hastings River is a large river on the Mid North Coast of the Australian state of New South Wales that empties into the Tasman Sea, a branch of the South Pacific Ocean, at Port Macquarie....
and Manning River
Manning River
The Manning River is a river in the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia that flows through the Manning Valley. It is one of Australia's few large river systems not to be dammed for water supply purposes anywhere along its catchment...
valleys for settlement. Soon after, woodcutters in search of the highly prized red cedar, pushed into the Stewarts River valley and the densely-wooded valley that subsequently become known as Hannam Vale.
The first recorded selection of land was by Thomas Crossingham in the Stewarts River area in 1866. G.A Scott chose a block of 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) in 1873, but was unable to complete the purchase, so the block was regazette
Gazette
A gazette is a public journal, a newspaper of record, or simply a newspaper.In English- and French-speaking countries, newspaper publishers have applied the name Gazette since the 17th century; today, numerous weekly and daily newspapers bear the name The Gazette.Gazette is a loanword from the...
d in 1886 and purchased by J. H. Lambert. The first permanent settler in the valley was John Haydon who purchased 50 acres (202,343 m²) along the Stewarts River in 1882. Haydon's son Bill became known locally as the 'Cedar King'. He was the first woodcutter to use a truck as a hauler during the 1930s.
Other settlers followed the woodcutters into the valley, clearing land for growing crops such as maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, arrowroot
Arrowroot
Arrowroot, or obedience plant , Bermuda arrowroot, araru, ararao, is a large perennial herb found in rainforest habitats...
, potatoes and vegetables. Most of the early settlers also planted a variety of fruit trees, especially oranges, and kept cattle for dairy farming
Dairy farming
Dairy farming is a class of agricultural, or an animal husbandry, enterprise, for long-term production of milk, usually from dairy cows but also from goats and sheep, which may be either processed on-site or transported to a dairy factory for processing and eventual retail sale.Most dairy farms...
. By the mid 1930's, dairy farming
Dairy farming
Dairy farming is a class of agricultural, or an animal husbandry, enterprise, for long-term production of milk, usually from dairy cows but also from goats and sheep, which may be either processed on-site or transported to a dairy factory for processing and eventual retail sale.Most dairy farms...
and logging
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
had become the principal activities in the larger Hannam Vale area of Stewarts River, Hannam Vale and Waitui.
Hannam Vale was given its name by Francis Redman, who operated the post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
. When he found that the name "Upper Stewarts River" was too long to fit on the mail stamp
Postal marking
A postal marking is any kind of annotation applied to a letter by a postal service. The most common types are postmarks and cancellations; almost every letter will have those. Less common types include forwarding addresses, routing annotations, warnings, postage due notices and explanations, such...
, he used his farm's name, "Hannam Vale", instead. Redman was also instrumental in having the Hannam Vale School's first teacher appointed by providing a residence on his property. Redmond's son subsequently provided a half acre block of land on which the Hannam Vale Community Hall was erected.
The primary school was first established as a one-teacher "provisional" school in 1899. It was afforded permanent status and its original buildings erected in 1907; since then a number of other buildings have been added. Most recently, a small building used as a church in Waitui was donated to the School and is now used as a school hall.
Present day
As dairy farming has become less lucrative, so more people have begun to use the valley purely for residential purposes, either working close by, or commuting to jobs in the nearby towns of TareeTaree
Taree is a city in Australia: It may also refer to:a personal name:* a Japanese boys/girls name meaning "bending branch".* a boys name derived from an Aboriginal word meaning "wild fig", "fruit of the wild fig", or "fig tree"....
and Port Macquarie. More recently, following deregulation
Deregulation
Deregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or...
of the dairy industry in 2001, a number of the older dairy farms have ceased to operate; this has been closely associated with growing numbers of "city folk" purchasing smaller lots for recreational farming, as well as the establishment of bed and breakfast
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
accommodation in the area.
The region's high rainfall and dairy farming legacy, along with associated planting of grasses such as kikuyu
Pennisetum clandestinum
The tropical grass species Pennisetum clandestinum is known by several common names, most often kikuyu grass, as it is native to the region of East Africa that is home to the Kĩkũyũ tribe. Because of its rapid growth and aggressive nature, it is categorised as a noxious weed in some regions...
, is the reason for the present day lush-green landscape.
The "epicentre" of Hannam Vale is the junction of Hannam Vale Road and deep Creek Road, ten minutes from the Pacific Highway at Johns River or Moorland. The most prominent features of this area are the public school, general store, Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
chapel and community centre.
Opposite the Public School is the Hannam Vale General Store. Built in 1927 the store is a social centre of the wider Hannam Vale area.
Just east of the Public School is the Rural Fire Service
New South Wales Rural Fire Service
The New South Wales Rural Fire Service is a volunteer-based firefighting agency and statutory body of the NSW Government. The NSW RFS is responsible for the general administration of rural fire management affairs including administration of the Rural Fire Fighting Fund, co-ordination with local...
Brigade Depot and further east again, off Hannam Vale Road, is the entrance way to the Hannam Vale Recreational Reserve. Just two to three hundred metres to the north-west of the School on Hannam Vale Road is the Hannam Vale Community Hall, the home of community meetings in the area, as well as special events such as dances, art exhibitions and fundraising activity.
Around the corner from the Public School in Deep Creek Road is the original Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
Chapel and newer (2002) larger Church Hall.
Present day farming activities include beef cattle
Beef cattle
Beef cattle are cattle raised for meat production . The meat of cattle is known as beef. When raised in a feedlot cattle are known as feeder cattle. Many such feeder cattle are born in cow-calf operations specifically designed to produce beef calves...
, small scale dairying, and macadamia nuts. Commercial forestry also continues, with the Lansdowne State Forest bordering the village.
Several national parks border the area. In particular, Coorabakh National Park
Coorabakh National Park
Coorabakh is a national park near Hannam Vale in New South Wales, Australia, 272 km northeast of Sydney.Three volcanic outcrops known as Big Nellie , Flat Nellie and Little Nellie dominate the park....
has waterfalls, and spectacular panoramic views from lookouts such Flat Top Rock, Vincents and Newbys lookouts.