2025 ‘Times Gone By’ column in review

VARIETY was the theme for the 2025 ‘Times Gone By’ history column, with true stories covering the area’s past residents, businesses, buildings, ships and even a touch of politics to give you fully researched, local stories for your enjoyment.

With the holding of the 2025 Federal election, this theme was continued to explore the candidates, campaign and voting procedures of Cowper’s first Federal election in 1901.

Likewise, Halloween was celebrated with traveller ‘Chas’ experience in 1885 with an apparently haunted house on Bonville Headland.

The histories of other buildings were also recounted and included the jetty area’s highly innovative (now demolished) forestry building, along with Brighton Flats and its family namesakes which comprised a Bucca farm, New Zealand villa and Dublin homestead.

As an early crossing place over Coffs Creek, the highway’s Coffs Creek bridge and its predecessors were also chronicled.

Other past developments were investigated through stories, such as the namesake of Brelsford (Coffs Harbour City Centre’s former name), William Albert Braylesford Greaves, former northern districts surveyor, magistrate and Commissioner for Crown Lands.

The late 1800s struggle to establish local postal services and an inadvertent deception resulting in the opening of the area’s first post office was also narrated, while timber merchant and ship owner, George Nicoll, was remembered for his timber mills in Woolgoolga and Coffs Harbour.

The story of nurse and midwife Rose McGuren’s life-long dedication to her profession, while running a maternity hospital through the 1930s depression, was recounted, as was the short-lived Coffs Harbour Brick and Tile Company, located in Shephard’s lane in the mid-1900s.

The remarkable 18-month, 38,600 km journey of a locally made, new pair of boots to Albania and back to be returned to Wunderlich’s Shoe Store was followed.

The livelihood of Coffs’ residents and amazing circus performers, the De Cean family, a branch of the Perry brother’s family was traced, as was former 1970s-80s tourist attraction, Woolgoolga Adventure Village, known for its miniature houses and railway.

Other biographies of local characters included gold miner and crack billiards player, Bill Levy, who was buried on a vein of quartz after his death.

Farmer and admired horse breaker, Henry Packer, along with James Mitchell, another farmer as well as husband and son of convicts, who were both interred on private property were recalled.

Also recounted was the courtship of Signal Master’s daughter, Maud Dammerel and lighthouse worker John ‘Harry Fisher, via morse code signalling and rowboat. On the topic of maritime safety, the 1888 wreck of the ketch ‘Eliza’ at Red Rock Headland and 1901 wreck of the steamship ‘Wyong’ at South Solitary Island were recounted, along with false reports of a ship in distress in 1928, found to be a passing ship’s foghorn.

There are countless more stories to be told, just as rich and varied as these, all recounted through the ‘Times Gone By’ column in the pages of Coffs Coast News of the Area.

With a new year underway, I look forward to continuing working to bring the past to you, on a fascinating journey of discovery.

By Karen FILEWOOD