Port Macquarie was established in 1821 after John Oxley in October 1818 followed the Hastings River from the mountains and came across this idyllic port which he proclaimed to be a “paradise of great significance and potential”.
Port Macquarie was initially used as a place of secondary punishment, to receive convicts who had transgressed the law a second time after transportation to the Colony. Port's convict population peaked in 1825, but was then progressively run down until 1830 when the Hastings Valley was opened up to free settlement.
The Homestead and Vineyard
The house was built in 1862 by George Francis and until the early 1990s had been in continuous ownership of family descendants.
The property became known for its significant grape and wine production between 1867 and 1918, receiving several prizes from exhibitions in Bordeaux, Amsterdam, Calcutta and London.
Remnants of formal gardens remain including the pines that line the entrance drive and the dense bamboo clumps. This simple weatherboard building with corrugated iron roof is the oldest remaining timber home in Port Macquarie.
The house and grounds are being restored and are classified by the National Trust of Australia (NSW).
Please bring your own pen and please do not attempt to remove the container from its fixing - just unscrew the lid to access the log roll.