History of Port Stephens

First white settlers here were William & Cecelia Cromarty.  Fenced off Aboriginal midden contains bones of mammals, birds and lizards and the shells of molluscs and crustaceans.

The remains of meals eaten by the people of the Waroni tribe, 1240 years old.

1770
Point Stephens, Port Stephens, Stephens Peak and Mount Stephens were all named after the secretary to the British Admiralty 1770.

1795

HMS Providence, British Man-of-war, 1795 sheltered in Shoal Bay. Providence was captained by W. Broughton (after whom Broughton Island was named).

1824
Carrington. First settlement of the Australian Agricultural Company which was set up in 1824 to "produce wool of the finest quality in New South Wales for the markets of Great Britain ...". By 1830 Carrington had a population of 500 and a school for 50 children. This was the first school built in Port Stephens. Port Stephens' first hospital was also situated at Carrington. The A.A. Co. was also responsible for establishing vineyards at Carrington and the first wine was successfully produced in 1831. Visible remains of settlement include a lime kiln (1834), tarring pits, brickyard, claypits, boat harbour & company bell.

1826
Tahlee House. Originally built of sandstock brick in 1826 for Robert Dawson, the first manager of the Aust. Ag. Co. The Bay in front of Tahlee was known as Magone Bay.

1826
From 1826 soldiers were posted here to intercept runaway convicts from Port Macquarie, Newcastle and Sydney.

1838
William Cromarty buried with son John, a convict and an aboriginal, all died at sea 1838.

1862
Cecelia Cromarty died in1862 and is buried in front of 10 Seaview Crescent.

1896
Anna Bay changed from Hannah Bay in 1896.

1918
North Arm Cove. The site for Walter Burley Griffin's great city (the New York of Australia), planned in the expectation that Port Stephens would become the main seaport for New South Wales. The land was purchased by Henry F. Haloran, land developer and surveyor, but the city never eventuated.

Plans for the city show two railway stations, a business district, Federal and State office sites, a factory district, car parks, wharves, parks and playgrounds. The subdivision commenced in 1918, the outline of which can still be seen from the air.

1920
Winda Woppa. Site of a timber mill built in 1920.

1920
Henry F Halloran purchased the land which is now Tanilba Bay from Walter Clift in 1920 with the aim of building a great city.

1931
In 1931 Henry Halloran had the centenary gates and the water arches created to commemorate the centenary of Coswells arrival at Tanilba.

1837
Convict built Tanilba house, 1837, was the home of William Caswell who was granted 50 acres in 1831 for his service in the Napoleonic wars.

1977
Tanilba Bay first known as TENILBA was known as Tanilba up until 1977. Tanilba was the aboriginal name for the area.

1940
A concrete gun emplacement was set up at the East end of Ridgeway Avenue in the1940's.

1942
HMAS Assault 1942 trained troops for landing operations on hostile shores.