History and Heritage

Up on a hill behind Promontory Way there is a sign stating that there are Aboriginal Artefacts on the site. Last week I published an article by Patricia Neal, whose family built a house at the Cove in the 1950’s. Patricia spoke about the site and said that the piles of rocks on the site were actually put there by army personal when they used the area for training in the late 60’s and 70’s. She said that her family had even dug up an army greatcoat from amongst the rocks. It would be interesting to know the views of...

Sunday 6 May 1918 is the accepted date for when the Port Stephens waterfront village of North Arm Cove began life as Port Stephens City. The celebrated Canadian Town Planner Walter Burley-Griffin designed this location & presented his plan to the Stroud Shire Council on this date 100 years ago which included a railway line, government administrative area ,a port location, all to be developed around his concept of circular roads surrounding important elements of the City , very much in the same way he had designed our National Capital of Canberra some 5 years or so, earlier ....

The struggle for water access in North Arm Cove - including a community boat ramp and jetty - has been a long one which, until now, has always met with disappointment. For almost 50 years the Residents Association (which has over time also been known as the Progress Association and the Village Association) “water access” has been a recurring issue of concern.

Both the Walter Burley Griffin original and Henry F Halloran's subsequent early 20th century designs for "Port Stephens City" included multiple public jetties. Boat ramps in the early 20th century were not, of course, a consideration....