Why Lake Cathie?
What 2445 has that nowhere else does. Every fact sourced.
- A lake fed by the ocean every day
Lake Cathie is a tidal lake that the ocean feeds daily. Several times a year shifting sands close it off, and tannins from local plants turn the water dark.Source: Wikipedia
- John Oxley camped here in 1818
In 1818 explorer John Oxley camped on a sandy beach now known as Bartlett's Beach at Bonny Hills.Source: Wikipedia
- Say it 'Cat-eye', not 'Cathy'
Settler Sally Pead renamed Cati Creek as Lake Cathie but kept the old pronunciation, 'Cat-eye'. The new name took over around 1957, when a telephone exchange was put into her shop.Source: Port Macquarie News
- Bonny Hills got its name by a vote
The town was first called Green Hills, but there were too many Green Hills to get a post office. A woman suggested 'Bonny Hills' and it won the vote.Source: Wikipedia
And the whole area: Why Port?
Big river, bigger story. Every fact sourced.
- Koalas get their own hospital
Port Macquarie's Koala Hospital was the first dedicated koala hospital in Australia.Source: Koala Conservation Australia
- Birpai Country
The Birpai people are recognised as the Traditional Custodians of the Port Macquarie area.Source: Wikipedia
- A lighthouse from 1879
Tacking Point Lighthouse was built in 1879 to a design by Colonial Architect James Barnet.Source: Wikipedia
- Started as a penal settlement
Port Macquarie was founded as a penal settlement in 1821, named by explorer John Oxley after Governor Lachlan Macquarie.Source: Wikipedia
- Wauchope timber in the Opera House
Timber from the Yarras Plywood Sawmill near Wauchope was used in building the Sydney Opera House.Source: Wikipedia
Know a fact we've missed? Tell us.