Port Macquarie coastal village originally was a penal colony, these days many people retire in Port Macquarie on the NSW coast (4 hours north of Sydney), because of the temperate climate, good fishing & boating and nice beaches. I think it is the pick of the NSW coastal towns.
At the end of this post you will see how one of my distant relatives Helen Gillies arrived in Port Macquarie in 1833 after being convicted for stealing in Glasgow and shipped to Australia. Helen was my grandfather’s grandmother 🙂
Port Macquarie is famous for fresh seafood
Beautiful fresh prawns & delicious oysters, in fact my favourite lunch in Port is prawns & avocado on freshly baked bread with a dozen oysters natural to begin.
Port Macquarie coastal village
As good as it gets. 🙂
The Hastings River
Hastings River is also the name of a small, developing wine region. The main clusters of vineyards are located in Port Macquarie and Wauchope.
The region was first planted with vines in the 1860s but recent history of the area has been pioneered by the Cassegrain family with Verdelho
Hastings River’s cellar door facilities, music events, regional restaurants, coastal attractions and great climate are serving to build interest in the local wine industry.
Beachhouse Pub formally Royal Hotel est 1840
Great place to relax and enjoy a few cold beers on a hot day. 🙂
Vintage cars in Port Macquarie
Everybody loves these old cars.
Love the colour
Certainly not the original colour.
Luxury camper van
On the way to Port Macquarie we saw this luxury vehicle in Coffs Harbour.
My brother Warren lives in Port Macquarie
Warren has lived & worked in Port Macquarie for over 20 years, he & his wife Kerry raised four great children who are now having children of their own. The Herd family has grown incredibly over the last 50 years, I have put a lot of the family history in a post called Following the Herd. My uncle Allan Herd also lived in Port Macquarie for many years, he passed away at the age of 95 in July 2012, his story as a soldier in WW2 is the most dramatic event in our family history, it’s a tale worth reading.
My lovely niece Laura & Jordan Millar.
Laura grew up in Port Macquarie, she is a talented singer/song writer. Here she is with her boyfriend Jordan Millar at The Fig in Port Macquarie.
Family & friends
Three brothers, Warren, Ian, David with Kerry and Chris enjoy dinner in Port Macquarie.
The Wall of China restaurant
Very good Chinese food at this popular restaurant.
Classic council sign
Here is a classic council sign in Port Macquarie on the NSW coast. A friend of mine who works for Trowbridge council in Wiltshire in the U.K. arranged for a couple of these to be erected in Trowbridge, after a couple of months and numerous complaints from the public they took them down.
And I thought the Pommies had a sense of humour.
Helen Gillies
Helen arrived in Port Macquarie in 1833 after being convicted for stealing in Glasgow and shipped to Australia. Helen was my grandfather’s grandmother, she was 4′ 11″ tall. 🙂
Records found in the Old Courthouse in October 1998
- Melbourne
