Taree is a town on the Mid North Coast, New South Wales, Australia.
Taree is a town on the Mid North Coast, New South Wales, Australia. Taree and nearby Cundletown were settled in 1831 by William Wynter. Since then Taree has grown to a population of 26,381, and is the centre of a significant agricultural district. It is 16 km from the Tasman Sea coast, and 317 km north of Sydney. Taree can be reached by train via the North Coast Railway, and by the Pacific Highway. Taree railway station is on the North Coast line of the NSW TrainLink network. It is serviced by six NSW TrainLink trains daily: three heading to Sydney, another three heading North to Grafton, Casino or Brisbane.
Taree is within the local government area of Mid-Coast Council, the state electorate of Myall Lakes and the Federal electorate of Lyne.
History
The Biripi were the indigenous people of what is now known as Taree. The Aboriginal population of the Manning River was relatively dense before colonisation by Europeans.In 1826, Assistant Surveyor Henry Dangar was instructed by John Oxley as Surveyor General (and a shareholder in the Australian Agricultural Company) to survey the land between Port Stephens and the Hastings River. During this expedition, Dangar identified that 'Harrington Lake' was a river with two entrances to the sea. Later in 1826, the river was named the Manning River byRobert Dawson for the Deputy Governor of the Australian Agricultural Company, William Manning.In 1829, Governor Darling proclaimed the division of the settlement of the colony of New South Wales into nineteen counties. The northern limit of the settlement was declared to be the Manning River.
Taree was laid out as a private town in 1854 by Henry Flett, the son-in-law of William Wynter who had originally settled the area in 1831. 100 acres (40 ha) had been set aside for the private township and 40 lots were initially sold. Taree was declared a municipality on 26 March 1885 and the first municipal council was elected by the residents. In the early 1800s the road from Newcastle to Port Macquarie came via Gloucester and forded the river near Wingham. Boats could not go further upstream than this due to narrowing of the river and rapids. Hence a town formed at Wingham, about a day's ride from Gloucester. Timber getting, especially cedar, ensured goods were brought to Wingham and then shipped to Newcastle and beyond by boat. Coopernook similarly formed a local shipping hub. In 1844, the government of New South Wales had established Wingham as its administrative centre. When the North Coast railway line came through in 1913, it ended initially at Taree. Even before the rest of the line was completed it became apparent that it was safer to send goods by rail to Newcastle and Sydney rather than hazarding the bar at the outlet to the river at Harrington where many ships had been lost. Although connected to the railway, sea transport continued to dominate along the North Coast until the 1930s. This changed when the Martin Bridge replaced the ferry across the Manning River in 1940. River traffic significantly reduced after this, ensuring Taree's place as the centre of business.
The oldest surviving building in Taree is the old St Paul's Presbyterian Church, built-in 1869 in the Victorian Gothic Revival style, next door to the current building, in Albert Street.A record breaking rain event in March 2021 intensified, sweeping debris such as a water tank and shipping container into the Manning River that struck the Martin Bridge. Properties in Taree South and Glenthorne were inundated as well as the river peaked at 5.7 metres, falling just short of the historical high of 6 metres in 1929.
Weather
Taree experiences a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Climate Classification: Cfa). Taree gets around 102.5 sunny days annually.
Things to do
A local tourist attraction is a building called "The World's Largest Oyster", also called "The Big Oyster". Big Things are a common form of tourist attraction in Australia. Like the Big Merino and Big Banana, the 'Oyster' is an artifact based on local produce; the Manning River produced 1,752,000 oysters during 2013. The Big Oyster was an unsuccessful business venture, known to the locals as a 'Big Mistake', and is now home to a motor dealership.
The Manning Entertainment Centre was built in the 1980s as the cultural centre of the district. It seats 505 people and has previously presented artists such as the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the Australian Ballet and Dame Joan Sutherland. Local performers, including the district eisteddfod and local amateur dramatic societies, use it to provide cultural opportunities for the local community.
Located next to the Entertainment Centre and the Visitor Information Centre at the northern entrance to Taree is the Manning Aquatic and Leisure Centre. This facility includes a 25-metre indoor heated pool with slippery dip and a 50-metre outdoor pool and soon after the time of opening had the second most expensive pool entrance fee in Australia, the most expensive being a pool in Perth, Western Australia. The Aquatic Centre was built in the late 1990s – early 2000s to replace the Taree Pool, which has been redeveloped into a public park with outdoor stage.The Manning Regional Art Gallery is located in a cottage-style building next to Taree Public School. The art gallery hosts a changing selection of works by local artists and visiting exhibitions.
Nearby towns include historic Wingham, Tinonee, and the beachside town of Old Bar.