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The McC arthy family have d had a long anto ry is h ed esteem e er h er b m ti with ast o C h on the Nort of NSW. ”
“ What was Glenreagh like in the early days? How have you seen the region change? Glenreagh was first settled in 1858, when John Campbell Shannon built “Glen Righ” homestead on his sheep and cattle run. Gold was discovered on upper Tallawudjah Creek in 1881, but the rush was short-lived and was over by the turn of the century. A few of the miners saw potential in the area and settled, cleared the land and with others, assisted in building a community. Glenreagh became known as a timber town, rather than for its brief history of gold. Railways
82 coffs coast focus.
were spreading out over the state, and there was a demand for sleepers and girders. Bullock wagons well loaded travelled to South Grafton, from where the timber was sent by boat to Sydney. The main North Coast Line from Brisbane to Sydney wasn't completed until 1922. Glenreagh was a town that had quite a number of sawmills around the district; these sawmills extended along the Glenreagh to Dorrigo rail line. Glenreagh was the main hub, with a siding at its rail station and a large locomotive turntable to orientate the engines for shunting and directional departing.
Ray McCarthy spent time in Glenreagh and decided to buy land in the area during the '80s. The land on Tallawudjah Creek Road is now the site of all the timber processing that the business carries out, which is adjacent to Tallawudjah Creek where the gold rush originally took place in the 1800s. How many family members are involved with the business? What is your history
with timber? The McCarthy family have had a long and esteemed history with timber here on the North Coast of NSW. The area has always been and still is one of Australia’s best for growing good quality hardwood timber. This made it a common choice amongst early settlers in the area to make a living from. Not only did Ray choose timber as a form of employment, but so did many of his McCarthy relatives before him - who were not only