GERRINGONG HISTORY
Gerringong's origins date back to 1810
The Gerringong district has a proud history all of its own that
stems as far back as 1810 for white settlement and, of course, thousands of years for the
indigenous community. The following history of Gerringong features work researched by
Gerringong and District Historical Society President Margaret Sharpe and an extract
published in the Kiama Independent in 1951, written by Gerringong Town Clerk, the late AM Trevallion.
THE early settlement of Gerringong was closely related to the timber industry and
various primary industries such as cattle, agriculture and dairying.
As early as 1810 the area was visited by cedar getters, wealthy merchants in Sydney
organising the despatch of small vessels to the South Coast where, at various points,
timber was loaded, having been brought in by bullock teams.
The clearing carried out by the sawyers encouraged further clearing for occupation and
agricultural use. The natural richness of the soil was soon apparent in good crops of
corn, maize, barley and, to a lesser degree, tobacco.
The first land grants in the district were made in 1817 including, at Gerringong,
William Smith (600 acres at Omega in 1825).
Lieutenant Thomas Campbell secured 1280 acres from Omega to Mount Pleasant in 1825
before transferring it to his brother-in-law, James Mackay Gray in 1834. James became an
outstanding citizen throughout the Illawarra.
Michael Hindmarsh and his wife Cecilia were the first permanent settlers in the
Gerringong district. Michael obtained a grant of 640 acres in 1827 and later built his
home Alne Bank, which is still occupied by members of the family today.
Robert Miller arrived in Australia from Scotland in 1834 with his wife and six children
and, in 1835, he bought 600 acres from William Smith, naming the property Renfrew Park
after his Scottish home.
He immediately set to work on what was considered an impossible task, draining and
clearing the swamp lands on his property and transforming it into some of the area's
richest pasture lands. (His descendant, Mr JM Miller, later obtained council's permission
for the subdivision of part of his farm to include 280 seaside town blocks, which became
the nucleus of a separate little community - today's Werri Beach. Not bad for an area that
was originally dismissed as valueless swamp!)
Others to follow included the Emery family and Ewan Campbell and his family in 1838.
In 1849 a new road was cleared from Kiama to Gerringong. It was, until that time, only
a rough track. As the Omega swamp was difficult to cross, the early road went into Rose
Valley and around the hills.
When the swamp was drained the main road came up Fern Street, turned into Belinda
Street at the Memorial Hall and down to the present Princes Highway.
PROCLAMATION
In August 1824, Governor Brisbane instructed surveyor James McBrien to survey the
land surrounding "Long Nose Point" (Blackhead, Gerroa).
The governor's instructions were to map the area and lay out areas suitable for land
grants and a township.
He was also to reserve exclusively for the Crown all lands located near the entrance to
harbours, creeks, bays and rivers. The survey resulted in the reservation of 600 acres at
the present day site of the Gerringong township.
While Gerringong was first gazetted as a postal town in 1829, it wasn't until January
17, 1854, that the Governor of NSW proclaimed the site of the "Village of Jerringong".
The street names of Jupiter, Belinda, Blackwood, Greta, Fern, Coal and Percy Streets
were designated on the village plan. (No information can be found from the Lands
Department or Mitchell Library as to why these names were chosen.)
The year after proclamation saw the first town blocks put up for sale the first
purchasers being J Emery, G Gray, R Miller, J Miller, A Armstrong, Margaret Campbell, J
Blow, C Moffit, T Mclntyre, R Boxsell, T Boxsell, W Marks, S Timms, J McLelland, J
Sherwood and J Wilson.
Many of the original business premises were built just south of the present township,
this being because of the closer proximity to Boatharbour.
Businesses included a blacksmith and the Boat Harbour Store. Later came the Ocean View
Inn, which was the place where the horses were changed for the stage coaches going on to
Coolangatta and Nowra. Churches were built in the 1850s, the first began in 1850 when the
Methodists built a slab and bark church. In 1854 the Presbyterian Church was built of
timber, followed by the Church of England in 1856 and the Roman Catholic Church in 1882.
When the first official post office was opened in 1857, Gerringong became the official
spelling for the town.
Gerringong was proclaimed a municipality in 1871, however, prior to
this it came under the banner of the Kiama Municipality in 1859.
SHIPPING
As the production of the district increased, better methods of
transport and marketing were required. In the 1850s small vessels called in at Boatharbour
and, although early difficulties were overcome with the fixing of mooring chains in 1863,
regular visits were not at first made.
A demonstration of the early difficulties was the fact that, in 1870 a
butter wagon was sent from Kiama, travelling as far as Foxground to bring back the kegs of
butter and other products to Kiama Harbour where it was loaded onto steamers bound for
Sydney and elsewhere.
To overcome their problems somewhat, farmers joined together and bought
their own vessels, including the Agenoria and, in 1875, the Dairymaid.
Still, small cargo boats had to be loaded with the produce and taken
out to sea some distance before being loaded onto the larger vessels. The process,
naturally, was painstaking, and work soon began on the construction of a jetty, which was
completed in 1884 with the help of government funding., Extensions were then made by
respected council contractor John Britain Taylor.
As the district prospered and production further increased, the need arose for a
central depot and, eventually, for the manufacture of butter along co-operative lines
(whereby farmers pool their produce).
The Gerringong Cooperative Factory was first worked on September 3,
1888. Today, it is the longest continuing co-op in Australia.
A dairy company was formed at Omega in 1880 and, in 1883, sent its first consignment of
condensed milk to Sydney.
From 1880, regular visits by the Peterborough brought added business to the village.
But the cessation of shipping following extension of the Illawarra railway line to
Gerringong in 1893, saw much of the produce transferred to the railway system and the
reliance on shipping for the export and import of produce slowly dwindled.
The official death knell sounded in 1891 after a great storm smashed the jetty to pieces.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
When the municipality of Kiama was established in 1859, it included the townships
of Kiama centra), Jamberoo, Gerringong and Broughton Vale
There was much dissatisfaction expressed by Gerringong residents with the arrangement,
However. As early as 1859 a meeting was held at Gerringong to discuss the possibility of
having the area break away as a separate municipality.
The discontent continued until 1871when Gerringong property owners were successfully
petitioned for independence. The Gerringong Municipal District was incorporated on April
24, 1871, and the first election held on June 2, when nine councillors were elected, led
by mayor ME Robson. The first meeting was held three days later on June 5 in the
Lanterrick Hotel, which, in the absence of an official meeting place, served as the
council chambers over the ensuing months.
While Jamberoo gained its independence 20 years later, the wheel turned full circle in
June 1954, when the three townships were once again amalgamated under the Kiama Municipal banner.
THE GREAT FIRE
One of the most dramatic events in the history of Gerringong was a great fire that
burnt out most of the commercial district in 1872, leaving the community devastated.
The disaster occurred in July of 1872 when a grass fire started in Willow Vale and,
whipped up by a strong westerly wind, raged across paddocks before destroying a large part
of the town including the Church of England, minister's residence and church school, the
Lanterrick Hotel, the blacksmith's and other buildings.
As there was no water supply and most buildings were made of timber, the devastation was great.
With the Lanterrick Hotel razed, council held its meetings in the offices of the
Gerringong Navigation Company until a council chambers was built in Fern Street in 1877.
EDUCATION
Many outlying schools were built before the Gerringong Public School in the town.
Omega School was built in 1860, Rose Valley in 1868, Toolijooa in 1871 and Foxground
Public School in 1876.
Gerringong Public School was built in Fern Street and opened with Mr Bousfield as
headmaster and 60 pupils in 1876. A student teacher, Miss Catherine Rutledge, was soon appointed.
The school stayed in this location until 1994 when a new school was opened in
Archibald Road, Gerringong.
All outlying schools eventually closed as roads and transport became more accessible.
The only high schools for children up until about1945 were Wollongong and Nowra
Intermediate High School.
OTHER SIGNIFICANT BUILDINGS
The township's first police station - which exists today as a private residence - was
opened in 1882 in Fern Street, It was a handsome brick building with lock-up cells at the back.
The School of Arts was built in 1883 and used for all public functions until the
Gerringong Town Hall was opened in 1958.
POINTS OF INTEREST
- The Australian land speed record was set on the beach at Gerroa in 1929 by a bloke
called Wizard Smith.
- On January 11,1933, Sir Charles Kingsford Smith made the historic flight from Gerroa
Beach to New Plymouth, New Zealand, in a time of 14 hours and 10 minutes. He was sent off
in his plane, the Southern Cross, by great crowds of Gerringong residents who braved the
chilly conditions of the 2.50am departure.
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