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TUNCURRY - THE VILLAGE

Tuncurry was proclaimed a village in 1893, some eighteen years after it had been occupied and when the streets were laid out lots of town plots were soon snapped up.

Our sketch (see bottom of page) is an extract of the original landholders of the lots into which the town was subdivided. Our photograph shows the development of Tuncurry in 1907.

To the extreme right the roof of the Bellevue Hotel can be seen, for this was built by Mr. Miles in 1890 for Mr. Underwood, the owner. At the time of our photograph, the publican was Mr. Stephens, who in 1894 had constructed the Bellevue Hall, right next to the hotel and this building formed the centre of social life in the village. Conducted dances, meetings and other gatherings of various types were held in the hall.

In Manning Street on the corner of South Street, the PMG annexed a lot, pending a construction of a Post Office, but so far this has never progressed beyond 'unofficial' offices. (Of course, we now, in 1990s, have a most functional Post Office).

At the time of the photograph the Post Office was being conducted by Mrs. Catherine O'Beirne (nee Smith) the postmistress since 1889, on the verandah room of the building on the corner of Kent and Manning Streets where today stands the Ambulance Station.

Mrs O'Beirne also sold newspapers and conducted a guesthouse. Her husband, Captain Frank O'Beirne, was sea captain for John Wright and commanded such ships as "Marion Mayfield", "Tuncurry I", etc.

Over the road stands the only original house in the picture, that of the Fazio family and remains today (in the 1990s as 'Keepsake Cottage') much as it did in the picture. However, at the rear of this house they once conducted a fruit and confectionery shop and from 1900 to 1913, took over the newsagency. Of great interest is the fact that much of this structure was built from timber salvaged from the wreck of the "Empress of India" which sank at the lake entrance in 1900.

The building on the extreme left is that of Murdock McQuarrie, who opened a newsagency and small shop later.

Just out of the picture in Kent Street is the lot on the corner of Kent and Peel on which the Trustees of the Roman Catholic Church erected their first small church in 1888. Similarly, Ralston and others took up the lots between Bent and Peel Street on South Street and this was the beginning of the Methodist holding in the village.

The war memorial lot was used for the construction of the RSL hall as we call it today and which was Tuncurry's R.S.L. Club before the amalgamation with Forster to form the Forster-Tuncurry Memorial Services Club.

Land set aside for the Mechanics Institute was held by the Department of Education until the mid 60s when they relinquished it in favour of the Shire of Manning for the construction of the Fire Station and Urban Committee Offices.

'PROGRESS'

When you compare our photograph with the existing structures in Tuncurry today, no doubt you will agree changes have been wrought. No doubt even the new structures that have quite recently sprung into existence in our street, will eventually give way to something larger and grander as we 'progress' but a look back occasionally may bring a greater appreciation of what we have.