Eden, New South Wales

Eden, New South Wales
New South Wales

Horses and the town in the background
Eden, New South Wales
Coordinates 37°04′0″S 149°54′0″E / 37.06667°S 149.90000°E / -37.06667; 149.90000Coordinates: 37°04′0″S 149°54′0″E / 37.06667°S 149.90000°E / -37.06667; 149.90000
Population 3,043 (2011 census)[1]
Postcode(s) 2551
Location
LGA(s) Bega Valley Shire
County Auckland
State electorate(s) Bega
Federal Division(s) Eden-Monaro

Eden is a coastal town in the South Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. The town is 478 kilometres (297 mi) south of the state capital Sydney and is the most southerly town in New South Wales, located between Nullica Bay to the south and Calle Calle Bay, the northern reach of Twofold Bay,[2][3] and built on undulating land adjacent to the third-deepest natural harbour in the southern hemisphere, and Snug Cove on its western boundary. At the 2011 census, Eden had a population of 3,043.[1]

The eastern coastline has rugged cliffs at the southern end and a wide, sandy surf beach, Aslings Beach, north of the cliffs. The beach ends at the entrance to Lake Curalo, a safe boating inlet of Twofold Bay.[3] Although the urban settlement of Eden commenced in 1843 the settlement was not officially proclaimed as a township until 20 March 1885.[4] The town's main industries include fishing, forestry, and tourism.

History

The local Aboriginal people who lived in the region prior to the arrival of Europeans were the Thaua, or Thawa, people[5][6] of the Yuin nation.

Whaling ships had been operating in the area in 1791. George Bass first took shelter in Twofold Bay on the return leg of a voyage to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) in February, 1798, having noted the bay on the southward leg of this same voyage in December 1797.[5] Later, in September of that year, on a subsequent voyage with Matthew Flinders, he and Flinders surveyed the bay for the first time.[7] They also made first contact with the local Thawa Aboriginal people on this occasion.

The Australian botanist, Allan Cunningham, landed at Snug Cove in December 1817 so that he could collect botanical specimens from the district.[7]

The first whaling station, for shore whaling, was established in the area by John Raine in 1828.[5][7] Local Aboriginal people were employed in the whaling industry. In 1834 the Imlay brothers, Alexander, George and Peter, set up a whaling station at Snug Cove. Nearby they built a small slab and bark hut, the first-known building erected at Eden. Sketches of the hut were made by Sir Oswald Brierly in 1842 and by Captain Owen Stanley from HMS Rattlesnake in 1843.[7] Circa 1860 Davidson commenced a partnership with the Solomon family of Eden-Monaro. Initially the prevalent orcas were seen by the partnership as a nuisance. But the boat crews employed, Yuin aboriginals, refused to kill orcas, and a new policy encouraged collaboration between whalers and the killer whales; the killer whales would trap humpback whales that entered Twofold Bay, the whales would then be harpooned, and the orcas rewarded with prize pieces of the humpback carcasses.[8]

The graziers from the Monaro district inland from Twofold Bay were seeking a better way to transport their cattle to Hobart, Tasmania. It was decided to establish cattle-handling facilities and an accompanying township on an appropriate site on Twofold Bay. Thus, in 1834, the Home Government authorised the captain of HMS Alligator to seek an appropriate site for a settlement on Twofold Bay.[9] Early in 1835 the Governor of New South Wales, Governor Richard Bourke, visited Twofold Bay and the site of the proposed new settlement on board HMS Hyacinth.[10]

Eventually the area for the proposed town, to be called Eden, was surveyed in 1842 by Mr Thomas Townsend, the Government Surveyor. The main street, Imlay Street, was named after the Imlay brothers who were early pioneers to the district. Other streets were named after Lieutenant Flinders, George Bass, Queen Victoria and her consort, Prince Albert. A wharf was built out into a cove, now named Cattle Bay, from a site on the western edge of Eden, where cattle could be grazed prior to their being loaded onto the ships. Cattle were also grazed on Lookout Point until 1853, then this land was subdivided for housing.[3][7]

Eden was named after George Eden, 1st Earl of Auckland, the British Secretary for the Colonies, Baron Auckland, whose family name was Eden.[5] After the town plan was finalised the first blocks were auctioned on 9 March 1843. The land was sold to Thomas Aspinall, Benjamin Boyd, S. Clinton, Lewes Gordon, W. Hirst, James Kirwan, J.P. Robinson and T.A. Townsend.[7]

The first postmaster was appointed in 1843 but the first post office did not open until 1847. The Customs House was built in Eden in 1848. Earlier the first customs officer was appointed in 1846 but he was located at East Boyd initially, until the customs house was constructed.

Eden grew in the 1850s following the decline of nearby Boydtown, and the discovery of gold in Kiandra, which led to the 1859-1860 gold rush. For a few hectic months hundreds of gold seekers landed at Eden, replenished their supplies then headed for Kiandra. With the winter snow falls at Kiandra came the hurried exodus of those same people keen to leave the district as soon as possible. For a short period Eden flourished, only to quickly return to its usual quiet pace again.[7]

In the 1850s there were four hotels in Eden. One of these hotels, the Crown and Anchor first licensed in 1845, still stands. It is no longer licensed but it still provides accommodation to travellers. Just south of this building is another built in 1850 as a commercial premises. Various businesses occupied the site. The building is now used as a private dwelling. The first government school started in 1857. The school attached to St Joseph's Roman Catholic church commenced in 1888. There were also several private tutors in Eden.[7]

The shipping of cattle from Eden ceased in the late 1890s. Prior to that the business had expanded to include the shipping of cattle to South Australia, Queensland and to New Zealand.[7]

Because Eden is equidistant between Sydney and both Melbourne and Tasmania, the port town was considered as a location for the Australian capital following Australian Federation in 1901. However, the ‘Limestone Plains’ in southern New South Wales were chosen instead as the location of the new city of Canberra.

Whaling declined in the 1920s and ended in 1930.

Court house built under the Colonial Architect, Alexander Dawson in 1858
Lake Curaldo at dusk
Catholic Church

Government

From its inception Eden was located in the County of Auckland, named earlier after the Earl of Auckland from whom Eden also took its name. However, the County of Auckland was not considered to be within the bounds of the Colony of New South Wales until many years after the settlement of Eden commenced.[7]

The town of Eden lies within the Bega Valley Shire local government area. It is within the federal electorate of Eden-Monaro, which has for a long time been a key marginal seat, resulting in significant focus by the media and political parties during election campaigns. It is represented in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly by the electorate of Bega.

Industry

Horse-racing commenced in Eden in the mid-1850s and continued until the mid-1920s. The racecourse was located on the northern bank of Lake Curalo.[7]

A number of industries are based in the town in the mid-2000s. These are mainly related to the tourist industry and include a wide variety of accommodation, places to eat and entertainment, especially fishing and sailing.[3] As well, cruises of Twofold Bay and for whale-watching leave the Eden Wharf located in Snug Cove.[2] The cruise of Nullica Bay, Twofold Bay, allows close views of the two major wharves mentioned in the article on Twofold Bay.

Tourism contributes AU$180 million yearly to the economy of the shire, which includes Bega and several other towns. The area receives 550,000 visitors annually. Many people visit Eden for whale watching as whales migrate from Antarctic to tropical waters in June and July, and back again later in the year.

A significant fishing fleet is based in the harbour (Snug Cove). A tuna cannery opened in the town in 1949. It was closed in 1999, at the cost of many jobs. Sawmilling of timber has also been an important local industry for most of the life of the town. For over one hundred years the collection and export of wattle-bark was also a major local industry.

Whaling played a very important role in the town's economy for over 100 years before its decline in the area in the 1920s and its end in 1930. [Eden’s Killer Whale Museum] informs visitors of the history of whaling in the area and the role of orcas (killer whales) led by Old Tom in herding whales into the harbour and helping whalers kill them.[11] The whalers rewarded the orcas by allowing them to eat the lips and tongues of the dead whales.[12][13]

Port of Eden

Main article: Port of Eden

The Port of Eden is one of two regional ports in New South Wales administered by the New South Wales Maritime Authority, the other is at Yamba on the North Coast. The Port of Eden is the largest fishing port in New South Wales. The major export handled by the port is woodchips. The port is shared with the Department of Defence who have constructed a large wharf for the servicing of their warships. The port also handles cruise ships.[14]

From the 1850s to 1950s the port was serviced by the Illawarra Steam Navigation Company.

Notable people

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Eden (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 2016-11-29.
  2. 1 2 Guide to Twofold Bay cruises
  3. 1 2 3 4 Eden Tourist Guide
  4. ↑ New South Wales Government Gazette - but need to cite year and volume for this to be a useful reference
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Eden, New South Wales". Travel. Sydney Morning Herald. 8 February 2004. Retrieved 2008-01-21.
  6. ↑ Tindale, Norman (2003). "Thaua (NSW)". N.B. Tindale's Aboriginal Tribes of Australia (1974). South Australian Museum. Retrieved 2008-01-22. From north of Merimbula south to Green Cape; west to the scarp of the Dividing Range. Their hordes were divided into two groups, the ['Katungal] 'sea coast people,' and the ['Baianbal] or ['Paienbara], the 'tomahawk people,' those who lived in the forests; a third group, the Bemerigal or mountain people at Cooma belonged to the Ngarigo with whom the inland Thaua had some associations. An early writer whose reference I have lost described the Twofold Bay people, whom he called Nulliker, as diminutive in stature as compared with inland aborigines. They had folded bark canoes and ventured out to sea. Their huts were trigonal bark shelters.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Wellings, H.P. Eden and Twofold Bay: Discovery, Early History and Points of Interest 1797-1965 (Second ed.). ISBN 0-646-29410-5.
  8. ↑ http://www.jewishhistoryaustralia.net/Nulla_Nulla_Story/A_5_Killers_in_Eden.htm Article with further references
  9. ↑ The Australian 3 June 1834
  10. ↑ Australian 13 February 1835, 13 March 1835
  11. ↑ "Eden, New South Wales". Visit NSW. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
  12. ↑ Killers in Eden Television documentary from America's Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)
  13. ↑ McKee, Greg (2010). "Killers of Eden. The incredible true story of the killer whales of Twofold Bay". Retrieved 30 March 2013.
  14. ↑ "Port of Eden". New South Wales Regional Ports. New South Wales Maritime Authority. 2006. Retrieved 2006-12-14.
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