The view over the Macleay River from the Apex Historic Lookout, Kempsey

 

Kempsey (including Gladstone)
Central town on the mid north coast with access to many delightful coastal retreats.
Located 428 km north-east of Sydney on the Macleay River, Kempsey is a large and important rural centre which is a popular stopping point for people making the journey north along the Pacific Highway. Its location - approximately halfway between Sydney and the Queensland border and on a pleasant river - ensures that weary travellers use it for a necessary break.

Kempsey was named after Kempsey in the Severn Valley, Worcestershire, England. It was first settled by Europeans, as was common through most of the New South Wales north coast, by cedar cutters who moved into the area in the late 1820s. The first recorded European settler was Captain A.C. Innes, who at the time was the commandant at Port Macquarie. He sent a cedar cutting party to the Macleay River in 1827.

In 1835 Samuel Onions was granted 802 acres on the Macleay River. He subsequently sold it to Enoch Rudder. The township itself was founded in 1836 when Rudder established a punt service across the Macleay. At the same time he subdivided his land and offered it for sale.

Prior to the arrival of Europeans the valley had been inhabited by the Ngamba-ngagu Aborigines. Their peaceful existence was briefly disturbed in 1817 when John Oxley passed through the area but he found the river swampy and inaccessible and did nothing to encourage settlement.

After Rudder the land was subdivided into large holdings. Around this time, and until the early 1840s, the primary European interest was in the cedar (at one point there were 200 cutters in the valley) and once this was exhausted (by about 1842) the land returned to the pastoralists. At various times beef, sugar cane (it failed), maize and dairy cattle have formed the basis of the valley's rural economy.

By the mid-1850s the government had established West Kempsey but the growth of the town was slow. In 1886 the borough of Kempsey was established. It was changed to the Macleay Shire in 1907.

The valley was ideal dairy country and Kempsey was sustained by the dairy industry until the 1970s. It was around this time that there was a very conscious effort to develop a secondary industry base for the town and in 1974 Akubra, now one of the most famous and distinctly Australian products, established their hat factory in the town. If you are unfamiliar with the Akubra then check out the golfer Greg Norman who is one of the company's most visible symbols. The factory is not open for inspection.

The railway reached the town in 1917 but Kempsey, like so many towns along the New South Wales coast, was still being served by coastal ferries until 1960.

Currently the town has a population of around 10 000. It is a large thriving town servicing the surrounding region and being fuelled by the importance of the Pacific Highway which is the main coastal artery.

Things to see:  

Tourist Information Centre
The town's tourist information office and historical museum are located in the interesting Kempsey Cultural Centre, a building designed by the famous architect Glenn Murcutt. It is a distinctive Australian building and, as such, is well worth stopping and inspecting. It is located in a shady and pleasant park at the southern end of town. For more information contact (02) 6563 1555.

 

Macleay River Historical Society
Located in the same building as the Tourist Information Centre, this is an award-winning museum which accurately depicts the history of the local area. It has an important and interesting collection of Aboriginal artefacts and is actively involved in recording the pre-European history of the district.

 

Apex Park Historical Lookout
The Apex Historical Lookout is located on the hill overlooking the Macleay River. It is on the southern side of the river and is signposted on your left as you travel north. It offers excellent views of the town and is the site where Enoch Rudder, the founder of Kempsey, built his original homestead.

 

 

All Saints Anglican Parish Church

 

Historic Kempsey
This is a service town and consequently the important buildings in the town tend to be public utilities like the National Australia Bank building (now a liquor barn) and the Post Office. The most interesting historical buildings in the town are located near the railway line in West Kempsey. When crossing the bridge across the Macleay from the south keep going straight ahead into Belgrave Street rather than turning right along the Pacific Highway.

Over in West Kempsey are interesting buildings such as the town's elegant Court House, the old Railway Hotel with its lacework, the (name the other buildings) and All Saints Parish Church.

The Court House is built in the Classical style with rendered pilasters and parapets. It also has distinctive gables. Nearby is the Post Office (in Belgrave Street) which is a fine example of High Victorian architecture. It was built in 1879-80.

 

Gladstone
15 km to the northeast of the town is the tiny settlement of Gladstone which has a street appropriately named Memorial Avenue where there are markers beside all the trees recording the men from the village who were killed in World War II. Gladstone is recognised as an historic village and its attractions include The Old Lodge Pottery (tel: (02) 6565 4366), Darkwater House which sells handicrafts and morning and afternoon teas (tel: (02) 6565 4479) and the Gladstone Hotel which claims to have the best beer on the Macleay River (tel: (02) 6565 4444). The Gladstone Court House (1885) and Police Station (1898) are heritage listed.

 

 

 

 

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Kempsey