History

The earliest inhabitants of Port Stephens were the Aborigines of the Worimi Tribe whom Charles Grimes referred to as a taller, stouter race of people than those about Sydney with a completely different language.

Port Stephens was first noted by Europeans in May 1770 when Captain James Cook referred to Port Stephens in his log as "an opening forming a bay". He went on to describe; "Wind southerly in the day and in the night westerly, a gentle breeze and clear weather. At 4pm past at a distance of one mile a low rocky point which I named Point Stephens... on the north side of this point is an inlet which I called Port Stephens that appears from the masthead to be sheltered from all winds".

Despite his description, Cook never entered the Port. It wasnt entered until 1791 when a whaler commissioned as a convict transport called the Salamander entered the Bay. In the year 1795, Captain W.R. Broughton (after whom Broughton Island is named) on HM Providence was driven by bad weather past his destination of Port Jackson into Port Stephens for shelter. He was amazed to discover four white men living amongst the Aborigines, survivors of a party of five convicts who escaped from Parramatta. Numerous plans were made for Port Stephens including locating the Australian Capital at Pindimar on the northern shores and developing Port Stephens as a naval base.

The closest Port Stephens came with grand plans were during the Second World War when the Bay was taken over by General MacArthur and used as a training base. "The Naval Centre will be situated at Nelson Bay, two miles distant from the Army Combined Training Centre and will train naval crews in the elementary handling of craft, will maintain the landing craft and will provide crews as required for combined training". Residents required a pass to move in and out of the area and Tomaree Head became Fort Tomaree complete with radar, gun emplacements and lookout bunkers. These were never used however things were touch and go for a while when Newcastle Harbour was attacked by a Japanese submarine at one point. Today Port Stephens is a pleasant holiday centre with the main source of employment being tourism, fishing and the retail trade. Evidence of the past serve as points of interest for those wanting to visit the area and learn about our interesting history.

Aboriginal History

At the time of white settlement there were about 400 Aborigines living around the estuary of Port Stephens. The tribe had only 50 members in 1873. By 1900 there were very few tribal Aborigines left. White observers at that time left some descriptions of a lifestyle now mostly gone.

One observer wrote that the Port Stephens Aborigines were prone to laughter than tears. They seemed always to regard life as a huge joke to be enjoyed to the utmost.

The local environment was favourable for hunter-gatherer living. Their non-destructive lifestyle was in such sympathy with the environment that it had already lasted tens of thousands of years and would have continued long into the future if the white invasion had not taken place.

Their knowledge of plants and animals has not been surpassed.

Canoes were made from the bark of the Stringybark tree (Punnah) E. obliqua or She Oak. The ends were plugged with clay and when in use a fire always burned on a bed of clay at the back. Paddles made of seasoned hardwood were shaped like a large spoon and these paddles were used in a kneeling position from the middle of the 4.5m canoe. Fishing lines were made from the inner bark of young Kurrajong trees or Sally Wattle twisted, and rendered watertight by soaking in the sap of the Bloodwood tree. Women of the tribe had the first joint of their little finger removed to be dropped in the fishing grounds so that fish would be attracted to that hand. It was forbidden to fish if you had just eaten fruit.

Fishing spears were made from the flowering stem of the Gymea Lily or the Grass Tree and tipped with 4 prongs of ironbark, the lot was held together with yellowgum (grass tree).

Port Stephens Aborigines were fatalistic. They feared attacks by the Myall River natives. All feared the demons of the night, especially Cooen - a terrible invisible being. Fame Cove was taboo after dark Boomerangs were made from wild Myrtle. The young flowering spikes of the Gymea Lily were roasted in the fire after a long soaking in water. The wild Cape Gooseberries that grew on Cabbage Tree Island were highly sought after. Fern root and daisy yam were eaten when fish were scarce.

There are numerous Aboriginal relic sites in the area, the most obvious being the "Canoe Trees" at Little Beach. The exact location of the various sites is restricted information. In the area stretching from Wallis lakes to Newcastle there are 37 recorded Ceremonial Sites (stone arrangements, bora grounds, carved trees and burial sites), 115 recorded campsites (mia mia, scarred tree, open campsite, shelter with deposit, well, fish trap, abraded grooves and quarries) and 97 middens. Four middens and a burial site are located at the base of Yacaaba Head. Middens are located at Fingal Spit, Anna Bay, Schnapper Point, Boat Harbour, Skate Bay and Fishermans Bay. There is a burial site at Skate Bay and grinding grooves at Morna Point.

As sand moves and clearing continues new sites are discovered and old ones covered up.

Descended of Port Stephens Aborigines still live in the area. The race has not gone nor is their culture dead.