Much of the early history of the Swan Creek area is inevitably bound to the first family of the area. From the first settlement in the area throughout the rest of the 19th century, the Small family was prominent.
The first man to discover the Clarence Valley and recognise its potential as a cedar-getting and pastoral area was Richard Craig. He informed the Governor of the time but the Governor did not appear very enthusiastic about it. Craig then mentioned it in discussions he had with Mr. Thomas Small, of Kissing Point, and Mr. Francis Girard.
Thomas Small, of Kissing Point, was a son of Sergeant John Small, who came to New South Wales as doctor's dispenser on Governor Phillip's flagship, the Sirius, in 1788. Both of these gentlemen became interested and Girard despatched the "Taree" and Small despatched the "Susan" to the Big River. It is thought that the "Taree" was first to reach the mouth of the river, but refused to negotiate the bar at the entrance, The "Susan," on the other hand, was successful and so this vessel, with the Small party on board, was the first boat to enter the Clarence River.
Of the Small's connected with Swan Creek, the most prominent was William. At the time of the establishment of the Swan Creek Station, in 1840, William was only 12 years old. He was born on December 14th, 1828. He had an elder brother, Thomas, who settled in the Ulmarra area. It is believed that Susan and Elizabeth Islands in the Clarence River were named after two of William's elder sisters by the same names.
While Thomas Small senior regarded Kissing Point as his home, there is evidence to suggest that he spent a considerable amount of time, if not all his time up to the marriage of William, at Swan Creek. Claims were made against him in the Court of Requests by John Avery for payment of timber and Henry Alderson who claimed that Thomas Small junior had unlawfully possessed himself of Alderson's bullock. Thomas Small junior claimed that he had bought the bullock from Thomas Small senior of Swan Creek.
However, it was around the time of William's first marriage that Thomas Small senior left Swan Creek and returned to Kissing Point, where he died on November 12th, 1863. It is reported that Thomas Small senior weighed between 23 and 26 stone.
William Small married Miss Ellen Wilcox in 1852 and she bore him a son, Thomas, before dying in 1855. It is generally regarded that from the time of William's marriage the management of the Swan Creek Station was left to him. It was around the time of this first marriage that the house, on the hill on the western side of the highway and overlooking Swan Creek, was built. The original house still stands to-day and is now owned by Mr. Cecil Want. The house is made of cedar, felled and pit-sawn on the property: the bricks being made from clay quarried from a hole near the road at the present Swan Creek bridge.
After his first wife's death William made many trips to Sydney. It was on one of these trips that he met Elizabeth Mary Neale whom he married at her father's home in Parramatta on August 12th, 1858. His second wife bore him four sons and five daughters.
William Small was made a magistrate before 1859; he was Returning Officer for the Clarence Electorate for some time; he gave the land for the old Swan Creek Public School; he was one of the first shareholders in the C, & R.R.S.N. Co. and one of the founders of the C. P. & A. Society.
His brother-in-law, George Neale, came to South Grafton and was a successful storekeeper. In 1861 he and William Small advertised beef for sale at one penny halfpenny per pound.
William Small appears to have been a prolific buyer and breeder of stock. It has been said that the Swan Creek stud of drought stock was looked upon as one of the best in the colony-certainly not surpassed in Northern New South Wales. As far as cattle were concerned, he believed in Shorthorns. Some of the horses owned by him were Prince Imperial, Honesty, Royal Lincoln, Plantation, Perfection, Agnes Rose and True Briton. Most of these, if not all of them, were purchased in England and transported to New South Wales. This was a costly business as evidenced by the complete price of 540/13/3 pounds for Prince Imperial. William was an excellent horseman and it is believed that his balance as a horseman was so good, that it is said he usually did without a girth to his saddle.
During the seventh decade of the 19th century there was considerable agitation in the district for the construction of a school. It is interesting to note that William Small purchased a Shorthorn bull in the latter half of the 60's, the bull being calved on January 4th, 1865. The fact that he named the bull "School Master" would signify the agitation for a school.
On September 21st, 1868, William Small wrote a letter, signed by himself and other residents, to the Secretary for the Council of Education requesting that a school be erected at Swan Creek. On November 17th, 1868, William Small received a letter from R. E, Webster, for the Secretary for Council of Education, informing him that the funds voted by Parliament for public instruction for the current year would not justify the Council in incurring any new expenditure. It was only five months later that a decision to build a school was made. One further point of interest in connection with the school is an account for school fees received by William Small in 1876. The fees for Master George and Master Edward were 6/6 each with books 2/- for the quarter ending June 23rd.
William Small was a large landowner in the area and it is interesting to note that in 1885 for Portion 413 which was 200 acres of grassland he paid 18/- in rates, the Fair Average Annual Value of the property being assessed at £18.
Mr. William Small was a leading citizen of the district and earned a name for open handed generosity and kindness which endears his memory. He never, at any time, visited the Richmond River area. The old Small home at Kissing Point was left to James Devlin, who was a half brother to William and Thomas Small.
By Crown Sales and selections the station lost all the Ulmarra and Clarenza flats very early, but a greater misfortune came about through the Belmore Sugar Mill at Ulmarra. This was the first sugar mill on the Clarence. It was completed in 1869 and turned out disastrously for all concerned. The shareholders lost their capital and two directors, William Small and Edward Creer, who had become personally responsible, were heavy losers as guarantors. By this and other responsibilities undertaken for others, William Small became deeply involved, and was finally left a poor man. His declining years were clouded with financial difficulties. He died in 1905 at the age of 77.
While you are visiting the area check out the interesting memorial gate across the road but beware crossing the highway -t can be very busy and dangerous.