Located in the centre of town, the Port Macquarie Museum preserves the area’s history from colonial settlement and its dependance on the timber industry to the tourist destination it is today.
Parking is available on street, or you can walk there from your accommodation, depending where you are staying.
The Museum
Divided into eight themed rooms and galleries the museum is well laid out and curated with many interesting exhibits. The room detailing Port Macquarie’s convict past has a full size display of a man receiving the lash as punishment for a misdemeanor. Somewhat graphic, it does show how brutal Australia’s past was.
An interesting room called the Street of Shops displays artifact collections as if they were is a window display. The entire room is setup to look like a street with shop windows. Each window has its own themed display from timepieces to a dentist’s surgery.
Port Macquarie’s past relied heavily on the timber industry; particularly cedar which grew locally. A large room shows how the timber was processed and what it was used for. Unfortunately, the harvesting of so much cedar means it is now a rare tree to find in the wild.
This was an interesting museum to visit and learn more about the local history.
Koala statueMannequin of a British soldierConvict punishmentDomestic life for colonial womenConvict and his bedMuseum displays designed to look like shop frontsClock displayTimber and its importance to Port MacquarieIn-ground water tankDentist displayFirearms displayMuseum displayMaritime History
Preserving Port Macquarie’s maritime history, the Mid-North Coast Maritime Museum occupies two old Pilot Cottages dating from the 1890s. Originally used to house the pilot and the boatmen who assisted him but now repurposed into a museum.
Getting There
Located in Port Macquarie on the NSW mid-north coast at 6 William Street, it has beautiful views over the surrounding coast. This would have been vital to the pilot, so that he could see ships arriving before guiding them into the harbour. Parking is available on-street and is free.
The Museum
Spread across the two cottages are nine themed rooms, along with an outdoor display and an additional room with a shell display.
The first exhibits you see are an anchor collection a sea mine and two of the Hello Koala sculptures. Appropriately one of the koalas is decorated as Lachlan Macquarie, for whom the town is named.
The interior exhibits follow the history of Port Macquarie from the arrival of the first colonial settlers and convicts 1821 through to The Second World War.
One room details the loss of the Wollongbar to a Japanese submarine off Port Macquarie and the efforts of local fishermen to save the crew. Thirty-two crew members died, however 6 were saved.
Voyages along the eastern Australian coast proved dangerous with many ships wrecked. Using photos and wall displays all known losses are listed along with some artifacts.
An interesting museum to visit and it’s great to see this sort of history preserved where it provides a link to the past.
Lachlan MacquarieKoala NoirSea MineAnchor displayEarly Settlement RoomModel ship displayPennants from Royal Australian Navy shipsLighthouse lens from Tacking Point LighthouseDiving Helmet
Now a heritage listed ruin, Trial Bay Gaol originally served as housing for a prisoner labour force to build a nearby breakwater. The breakwater was intended to provide a safe harbour for ships sailing up the eastern Australian coast. Construction of the gaol commenced in 1877, with work on the breakwater following in 1889 after delays caused by funding shortfalls.
Planning however underestimated the strength of local storms with the work constantly washed away. By 1903 only 20% of the breakwater had been completed, but with huge cost over-runs. Improvements in sea-going vessels and with an overland route established, the project was cancelled and the gaol closed.
The gaol found a renewed purpose with the commencement of World War One, when it was used as an internment camp. High ranking Germans and prominent German businessmen were housed here until July 1918 when they were moved to Holsworthy Interment camp.
Following its second closure, all moveable fittings were sold. It then fell into disrepair and became the runs we see today.
Getting There
Located in the Arakoon National Park and managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service Trial Bay Gaol is roughly an hour’s drive north of Port Macquarie on the New South Wales mid-north coast. We drove from Port Macquarie and made it a day trip in the area, including nearby South West Rocks.
Walking through the ruins shows how bleak living here would have been. The cells are small and would have been cold in winter and hot in summer. The roofless buildings and hollow interiors have a haunting atmosphere and were great fun to walk through.
Watch out for the resident kangaroos, there were around ten there when we visited. One even had a joey in its pouch.
Views over the coastline are spectacular especially from the guard towers on the walls.
Once we had finished with the gaol, we drove through the nearby camping ground for a close-up look of the coast. The area is very popular with campers many of them were on the water fishing in boats.
What Did We Think?
We really enjoyed our visit here because of the ruins and spectacular views. Its also easy to get to with many other great things to see nearby.
Entrance to the GaolMain Gaol BuildingCourtyardArchway to the gaol cellsInside the GaolOne of the gaol cellsRusted barred windowKangaroo with a joey in her pouchShoreline at Trial BayShoreline at Trial Bay
To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.
