BE CAPTIVATED BY CONVICT STORIES ON A HERITAGE WALKING TOUR, AND VISIT AUSTRALIA’S THIRD OLDEST LIGHTHOUSE AT TACKING POINT.
Photo John Spencer OEH
Did you know Port Macquarie was once a penal settlement? In 1821 Port Macquarie was founded as a penal settlement for convicts who had committed secondary crimes in New South Wales. By October 1821, there were 92 convicts at Port Macquarie. Some of the settlement’s buildings still survive today.
The Port Macquarie Museum on Clarence Street will take you on a journey from the Birpai people, British settlement in 1821 through to our contemporary history as a tourist and sea change town. Learn more about the region’s rich Aboriginal culture at Sea Acres Rainforest Centre. The interactive exhibition ‘Spirit of the Land’ takes you on a journey through Birpai Country. Innes Ruins is an important remnant of early settlement. Built by Major Archibald Clunes Innes, it contains rich history about the settlement of NSW, convict labour and the culture of the 1800s. Tour bookings are essential. Contact Port Macquarie Visitor Information Centre on 1300 303 155. #portmacquarie or #iloveportmacquarie 35