Looking across the Clyde River

 

Nelligen
Small town on the Clyde River inland from Batemans Bay
Located 285 km south of Sydney via the Princes Highway, and just 9 km up-river from Batemans Bay, Nelligen is little more than a hotel, a cafe, a guest house and a few homes on the edge of the Kings Highway between Canberra and the coast.

No one now knows how the township was named or what the origins of Nelligen were.

Various sources have claimed the Walbanga, Murrinjari and Bergalia tribes lived in the area prior to European settlement. In April 1770 Captain Cook noted Batemans Bay, as it is now known, at the mouth of the Clyde River.

The first major European survey of the Nelligen district took place in late 1827 when two young surveyors, Thomas Florance and Robert Hoddle, were sent by the Surveyor-General of NSW, Thomas Mitchell, to map the areas from Jervis Bay to 'Mherroyah' (Moruya), as is it was then known, and from Braidwood to Araluen.

By March 1828 Hoddle was surveying near the present site of Nelligen and in late 1829 he laid out 640 acres of 'good forest land at Nellican Creek' for a settler who never actually came to the district. By the 1830s timber cutters were in the district and in 1839 the residents of Braidwood were petitioning the Colonial Secretary for a road from Braidwood to Batemans Bay.

The discovery of gold at Araluen, Majors Creek, Captains Flat and Braidwood in the early 1850s ensured the future of the town. Some shaft mining even occurred at Nelligen. In 1853 a steamship was plying the Clyde River to the present site of Nelligen. That same year saw the commencement of a road from Braidwood, which was completed in 1856.

The town, which was gazetted in 1854, became a thriving port for gold, travellers, sheep, cattle and various kinds of produce. Gold was loaded on to boats headed for Sydney. At the time Nelligen was described as 'a stirring little township of bark huts, serviced by two large stores ... from which 18 or 20 teams left daily to convey goods, brought by twice weekly steamers from Sydney.'

A post office opened in 1858 and the town's first brick building, the Commercial Hotel, was erected the following year. In 1860 a timber watchhouse was built with courts of petty sessions being held from 1861. 1862 saw the discovery of alluvial gold at Kiamalla near Nelligen and the opening of the town's first national school in 1865. The first church was built in 1872. The Roman Catholic Church was erected in 1895-96. An electric telegraph station was opened at Nelligen in 1878. Although the population was 500 in 1892 (when Batemans Bay still only had 200 people) this number had declined to 353 by 1934.

 

Things to see:  

Historic Plaques and Buildings
The district's history has been well recorded on a variety of plaques located around the town. In the park by the riverbank there is a large map of the original town (circa 1854) which lists and locates 24 sites of historic interest including the site of the original ferry service across the river (which ran from 1895-1964) and the location of the first school (1865). Adjacent is the 'Bushranger's Tree'. A plaque on the tree explains that this rather unimpressive old stump is:

'The remains of the 'Bushrangers Tree' where it is maintained the Clarke Brothers were chained awaiting transportation to Sydney and execution on 25th June 1867 for multiple murders. The Clarke gang operated during the 1860s goldrush ambushing shipments from the Araluen and Nerrigundah fields, until cornered by troopers led by Aboriginal trackers in the Jingerra Ranges during November 1866.'

Also in the park is a plaque marking the site of the Illawarra Steam Navigation Company's storehouse and offices. This huge building, originally a double timber structure over 40 m long and 15 m wide, operated until 1952 but was allowed to fall into disrepair and was finally demolished in 1965.

Just to the south is the old Mechanics Institute and further south along the shoreline is a boat ramp. At the end of Braidwood Rd is the old Steampacket Hotel which was rebuilt in 1925 after a fire destroyed the original building which dated from the 1860s.

At 7 Braidwood St is the Old Nelligen Post Office Guest House, built in 1900 but fully restored in keeping with the original character of the building. Guided tours of the historic sites are conducted from here on weekends and public holidays.

The History of the Port of Nelligen by G.T. Reynolds, available from the Clyde River and Batemans Bay Historical Society is an interesting account of the town's changing fortunes.

 

 

A houseboat on the Clyde River at Nelligen

 

Around the area
Those wishing to take a cruise along the Clyde River can choose from the Clyde Princess (02 4478 1005) or the Merinda (02 4472 4052) which operate every day.

If you are heading north out of Nelligen you may wish to take the scenic drive along the River Road which branches to the right off the Kings Highway 2 km west of Nelligen. It eventually loops back around to the Princes Highway. The route is signposted as a tourist drive.

 

Broadwalk Business Brokers

Broadwalk Business Brokers specialise in General Businesses for Sale, Caravan Parks for Sale, Motels for Sale, Management Rights & Resorts for Sale, Farms for Sale, Hotels for sale, Commercial & Industrial Properties for Sale.

 

Australian Businesses for sale

Caravan Parks for sale

Motels for sale

Hotels for sale

Broadwalk Business Brokers

Businesses for Sale in Nelligen  : Buy or Sell Hotels, Motels, Caravan Parks, Bed & Breakfast, Pubs, Wine Bars, Restaurants, Cafe, English Tea Rooms, Coffee Shops, Deli, Catering Business, Pubs, Bars, Sandwich Bars, Pizza Delivery, Bakeries, Hot Food Take-away, Fish & Chips, Petrol & Service Stations, Australian Businesses for sale, Car Sales, Motor & Transport, Car/Van Hires, Newsagents, Dry Cleaners, Salons, General Stores, Retail Stores, Post Office, Printers, Convenience Stores, Clothes shop, Hair Dressers, Beauty Salon, Fruit Markets, Butchers, Florist, Card & Gift shop, Sports shop, Book Shops, Care Agency, Pharmacy, Tool-Hardware & DIY shops, Pet Shops, Auto Mechanical, Auto Parts & Accessories, Bakery Businesses for sale , Motel sales, caravan park sales, Hotel sales, Business sales, Bar for sale, Juice Bar for sale, Beauty Salon for sale, Bike and Motorcycle Businesses for sale  , Australian Businesses for sale, Blinds and Shutters Businesses for sale , Boat Business for sale , Book Shop , Bread Run, Building and Construction , Butcher Shop, Café Business for sale, Car Dealerships for sale, Car Rental Business for sale , Car Yard, Cleaning Business for sale, Computer  Business for sale, Childcare Centre for sale,  Confectionary Business for sale, Convenience Store for sale, Deli Businesses for sale , Distribution Businesses for sale , Earth Moving Businesses for sale , Businesses for sale , Engineering Businesses for sale , Export/Import Businesses for sale , Fitness Centres for sale, Florist for sale, Franchise Businesses for sale  , Fruit and Veg Shop for sale, Function Centre for sale, Funeral Parlour for sale, Furniture Businesses for sale , Garden Equipment  Businesses for sale , General Store s for sale, Gift Shop for sale, Hairdressing salons for sale , Hardware Businesses for sale , Hire Businesses for sale , Businesses for sale, Motels for sale, Caravan Parks for sale, hotels for sale, Ice Cream Businesses for sale ,  Juice Bar for sale, Laundrette ' s for sale, Lawn Mowing Businesses for sale , Magazine Businesses for sale  , Manufacturing Businesses for sale , Marine Businesses for sale  , Menswear Businesses for sale , Milk Run 's for sale, Mixed Businesses for sale  , Mobile Businesses for sale , News agency  Businesses for sale , Pawnbroker Businesses for sale  , Preschool for sale, Pest Control  Businesses for sale  ,Business for sale Pet Shop, Plumbing Businesses for sale , Post Office for sale , Removalist Businesses for sale, Restaurants for sale, Roadhouses for sale, Rubbish Removal Businesses for sale , Rural Supplies Businesses for sale  , Sales and Distribution Businesses for sale , Security Businesses for sale , Service Station for sale, Shoe Shop for sale, Supermarkets for sale, Takeaway Businesses for sale  , Taxi Businesses for sale , Transport Businesses for sale , Vending Machine Businesses for sale , Wholesale Businesses for sale, Wrecking Yard for sale in Nelligen.

 

NSW towns

Abercrombie Caves Aberdeen Adaminaby Adelong Albury Alstonville Appin Araluen Ardlethan Ariah Park Armidale Ashford Australian Businesses for sale  Avoca Beach Barham Ballina Balranald Bangalow  Baradine Barham  Barmedman  Barooga Barraba  Barrington Tops  Batemans Bay  Bathurst  Batlow  Bega Bell  Bellbrook  Bellingen  Belmont  Bemboka Bendemeer  Bermagui  Berridale  Berrigan  Berrima  Berry Bilpin Binalong  Bingara  Binnaway  Blaxland  Blayney Bodalla Boggabilla  Boggabri  Bombala  Boorowa  Bourke Bowenfels  Bowral  Bowraville  Boydtown Broadwalk Business Brokers  Braidwood Brewarrina  Broadwater  Broken Hill  Broulee  Brunswick Heads  Bulahdelah  Bulli Bundanoon Bungendore  Bungonia Burrawang  Burrinjuck  Byrock  Byron Bay  Campbelltown Canowindra  Capertee Carcoar Casino  Cassilis  Cattai  Central Tilba Cessnock  Clarence Town  Cobar  Cabargo Coffs Harbour Coleambally Collarenabri  Condobolin  Coolah  Coolamon Cooma  Coonabarabran  Coonamble Cooranbong  Cootamundra Coraki Corowa  Cowra  Crescent Head  Crookwell Culburra-Orient Point  Culcairn Dalgety  Darlington Point  Delegate Delungra  Deniliquin Denman  Dorrigo  Dubbo Dunedoo Dungog  Durras Ebenezer  Eden Emmaville   Emu Plains Enngonia  Eugowra  Euston  Evans Head  Faulconbridge  Fitzroy Falls  Finley  Fingal Head  Forster-Tuncurry  Forbes Frederickton  Girilambone  Guyra  Gunnedah  Gulargambone  Goulburn  Gosford  Glen Innes  Gulgong  Griffith Glenbrook  Gundy Gresford Grafton  Gilgandra  Gerroa  Greta  Gunning  Gloucester  Gundaroo  Goolgowi  Gerringong Grenfell  Gooloogong  Gundagai Harden Hargraves  Harrington  Hat Head  Hawks Nest  Hay  Hazelbrook  Henty Hill End  Hillgrove  Hillston  Hinton Holbrook  Howlong  Hungerford  Huskisson  Iluka  Inverell  Ivanhoe Jamberoo  Jenolan Caves Jerilderie  Jerrys Plains Jervis Bay  Jindabyne  Jindera Joadja  Jugiong  Junee Kameruka  Kandos Kangaroo Valley Karuah  Katoomba  Kempsey  Kendall  Khancoban  Kiama Kiandra  Kincumber Kingscliff  Koorawatha  Kurnell  Kurrajong Kurri Kurri Kyogle  Lake Bathurst  Lake Cargelligo Lake Macquarie Lake Mungo  Lapstone  Largs  Laurieton  Lawson  Leeton  Lennox Head  Leura  Lightning Ridge Linden  Lismore  Lithgow  Lockhart  Lord Howe Island  Louth  Lucknow  Maude  Macksville  Maclean  Maitland Majors Creek  Manilla  Manly  Marulan  Mathoura  Mendooran  Menindee  Merimbula  Merriwa  Medlow Bath Michelago  Millthorpe  Morpeth  Mudgee  Milparinka  Milton  Mittagong  Moama  Mogo  Mollymook  Molong  Moree Morisset  Moruya  Moss Vale  Moulamein  Mount Kosciuszko National Park  Mount Victoria  Mount Wilson Mullumbimby  Mungindi  Murringo  Murrumbateman  Murrurundi  Murwillumbah  Muswellbrook  Myall Lakes Nabiac Nambucca Heads Narooma  Narrabri Narrandera Narromine Nelligen Nelson Bay Nevertire Newcastle Newnes Nimbin   Nimmitabel Norah Head Nowra Nundle Nyngan The Oaks  Oberon Ophir Orange Pacific Palms Palm Beach Pambula Parkes   Paterson Patonga Peak Hill Pearl Beach Penrith Penrose Perisher Valley Picton Pitt Town Pokolbin Pooncarie Port Macquarie Port Stephens Portland Queanbeyan Quirindi Rankins Springs Raymond Terrace Richmond  Robertson  The Rock Rockley Royal National Park Rylstone Sawtell  Scone Seal Rocks   Shellharbour  Shoalhaven Heads Silverton Singleton Sofala South West Rocks  Springwood  St Albans St Georges Basin Stockinbingal Stockton Stroud  Stuart Town  Sussex Inlet Sutton Forest Swansea  Sydney Tabulam  Talbingo  Tamworth  Taralga  Tarcutta  Taree Tathra  Tea Gardens  Temora  Tenterfield  Terrigal  Thirlmere  Thirroul Thredbo Village  Tibooburra  Tingha  Tocumwal  Tooraweenah  Toronto  Toukley  Trangie  Trunkey Creek  Tumbarumba  Tumut  Tuross Head  Tweed Heads  Ulladulla  Ulmarra  Uralla  Urana  Urbenville  Urunga  Vacy  Wagga Wagga  Wakool  Walcha  Walgett  Walla Walla  Wallabadah  Wallerawang  Wangi Wangi Warialda  Warren Wauchope  Wee Jasper  Wee Waa  Wellington  Wentworth  Wentworth Falls  Werris Creek  West Wyalong  White Cliffs  Whitton  Wilberforce  Wilcannia  Windeyer  Windsor  Wingham  Wisemans Ferry  Wollombi  Wollongong  Wombeyan Caves  Woodburn  Woodenbong  Woodford  Woolgoolga  Wooli Woy Woy  Wyong  Yamba  Yarrangobilly  Yarrangobilly Caves  Yass  Yerranderie  Yetman  Young  Broadwalk Business Brokers  Businesses for sale  Caravan parks for sale  Motels for sale  Hotels for sale  Bed & Breakfasts for sale  Management rights  Farms for sale Australian Businesses for sale Businesses for sale Australian Businesses for sale  Businesses Brokers Commercial listings  Business renovations

Nelligen