Sir Henry Parkes Memorial School of Arts
On the corner of Manners and Rouse Sts is the Sir Henry Parkes Memorial School of Arts. The building was completed in 1876 and was used as a working man's institute. In 1889 it became one of the most famous buildings in New South Wales when Henry Parkes (who had been premier of NSW five times) delivered a famous speech about the future federation of Australia. He called for a nation which would be both cohesive and united. Historians regard this speech as the official beginning of the movement which culminated in Federation eleven years later and produced the Australian Commonwealth in 1901. The museum houses a collection of Parkes memorabilia. It is open weekdays from 10.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m., tel: (02) 6736 1454.
Post Office
Over the road is the two-storey, rendered brick post office (1881), a Victorian Classical building with a metal mansard roof, arched colonnades and clock tower. Also at this corner is the Exchange Hotel (1890).
Mill Cottage
At Manners and Crown St is 'The Mill Cottage' (c.1870), a private residence which was formerly a rendered cement flour mill from the days when Tenterfield was a major wheat grower.
Law and Order
Head north along Scott St and turn right into Molesworth St where you will find the masonry courthouse (1882), designed by James Barnet, with an outstanding glass skylight. The trees were planted in the 1880s. To the rear of the courthouse, facing Martin St, are the gaol with its unusual masonry dormer, the police station and the brick police and warden's residences (1874), the whole complex being integrated by fencing and landscaping.
Rouse Street
At the end of the block turn left into Rouse St. To the left is the Criterion Hotel (1872). On the other side of the road is the Masonic Lodge (1877). It was initially headed by Edward Whereat who, in 1842, stood down from the safe seat of Tenterfield so that Henry Parkes could re-enter politics. Cross over Molesworth St. In the next block, to the left, is the State Bank building (1891).
High Street and The Tenterfield Saddler
Turn left into High St, once the town's main thoroughfare. To the right, at no.123, is The Saddler's Shop which achieved widespread fame through the song 'Tenterfield Saddler', written by Tenterfield-born Peter Allen as a tribute to his grandfather, George Woolnough, who plied his business here from 1908 until his retirement in 1960.
Made of locally quarried, hand-cut blue granite with 50-cm thick walls, the building was erected in the 1860s and initially served as a residence before becoming the premises of the Australian Joint Stock Bank in 1874. In original condition, the doors and joinery are of red cedar. It is still a saddlery specialising in quality hand-made saddles and Australian clothing, open from 10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. daily.
Just past the saddlery is Grogans Welding Shop, built in 1867. Opposite are some 19th-century terrace shops.
Centenary Museum and Art Gallery
The Centenary Cottage Museum and Art Gallery is a 7-room stone cottage erected c. 1871 for blacksmith Michael Egan. It now houses a local history collection, including antiquated tools and machinery, both domestic and agricultural. Petrie Cottage, adjacent, is an old worker's slab cottage with period furnishings. The two front rooms were built c. 1860. The museum is open weekends from 12.00 - 4.00 p.m., Wednesdays and public holidays from 10.00 a.m. - 4.00 p.m., or by appointment, tel: (02) 6736 1082.
The art gallery is a memorial to Sir Harry Chauvel who founded the Australian Light Horse Brigade. The money for the building was bequeathed by his sister Lillian whose own artworks are held by the gallery.
Clarence and Wood Sts
Head east along High St then veer left into Clarence St. On the left, at no.14, is Deloraine (1874), a fine stone building possibly intended by its original owner, William Patrick, as a synagogue which could serve as the focal point of the local Jewish community. It is now a bed-and-breakfast, tel: (02) 6736 3404. Opposite is Market Square, a pleasant spot for a picnic.
Turn into Wood St. Numbers 92 and 94 date from the 1870s. The former was once a school. The fine old cork tree in the next block was brought from England and planted in 1861.
Historic Homes
Turn left into Scott St then right into Douglas St. Almost to the immediate left is Claremont House, built c. 1875 as the home of parliamentarian Mr Charles Lee (after whom the town of Leeton is named) and named after his wife Clare.
Continue down Scott St to Clive St and turn left. At Clive and Rouse Sts is Stannum (1888), a beautiful Victorian villa with a Juliet balcony. Built by mining magnate John Holmes Reid it was once a military hospital. It is now open for tours and accommodation, tel: (02) 6736 3770, and is also a restaurant, tel: (02) 6736 3780.
Next door is Salisbury, built by distinguished citizen Isaac Whereat who founded the Agricultural Society and served in numerous public offices.
Railway Museum
The Tenterfield Railway Museum in Railway Ave, at the western edge of town, was built in 1886 when the railway line arrived at Tenterfield. The complex includes the station, station master's residence, goods shed, barracks, railway yard and signalling equipment. The station is made of stone and brick to a design by John Whitton emphasising the gables. The interior is largely original, including cedar joinery.
The station closed in 1989 but has been converted into a museum with railway memorabilia and a photographic collection. It is open Wednesday to Saturday from 10.00 a.m. - 4.00 p.m., Sundays from 12.00 - 4.00 p.m., all school and public holidays, and at other times by appointment. The motorised Trikes of Yesteryear operate on Saturdays, tel: (02) 6736 1082.
Thunderbolt's Hideout and the Brisbane Line
Some of the district's finest attractions lie to the north-east of town along the Mt Lindesay Road (an extension of Logan St).
12 km from town is a sign on the left-hand side of the road indicating the whereabouts of Thunderbolt's Hideout. The path to the hideout is clearly marked. It is about 300 metres from the parking area. Large granite boulders form two caves. It is believed that the bushranger Frederick Ward ['Thunderbolt') used the caves because the location offers an ideal vantage point and attacks on the north-south road can be planned easily. An information sheet at the visitors' centre outlines some exploits and local sites associated with the outlaw.
1 km up the road, to the left of the cement wall, are some upright posts. Designed as tank traps they are remnants of the Brisbane Line fortifications from World War II. This was the second line of defence in case of an invasion from the north. In the course of the war there were up to 10 000 troops stationed in the Tenterfield area.
Boonoo State Forest and Woollool Woollool Aboriginal Place
Further up the road, about 18 km from Tenterfield, you will come to Linbrook Rd, clearly signposted to the right, which leads through the Boonoo State Forest . Within the forest is a rest area known as the Basket Swamp and the Bark Hut Picnic and Camping Area.
Within a 370-ha reserve is Woollool Woollool, an impressive stone outcrop with one mushroom-shaped rock protruding above the other boulders (1040 m above sea-level at its peak). A spot of great natural beauty it is a designated sacred site of the Bundjalung people. Woollool Woollool was a 'wuyangali', a clever man with special rights to this centre of spiritual power. His spirit is reputed to have returned to the site upon his death, rendering it approachable for others.
During his 1840 expedition to the coast Thomas Hewitt noted the feature and decided it resembled the hat worn by Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo, hence its old European name of Wellington Lookout.
A dry weather road comes to within 3 km of the site with a 4WD track leading the remainder of the way. A map is indispensable, tel: (02) 6736 2540.
Boonoo Boonoo National Park
About 22 km from Tenterfield the Mt Lindesay Rd brings you to the locality of Boonoo Boonoo. Here a clearly signposted road on the right heads north-east to Boonoo Boonoo Falls where the Boonoo Boonoo River gathers in beautiful pools amidst green forest before plummeting 210 m into the gorge below. There is a picnic area and a graded walking track descends from the main parking area to a viewing platform with excellent views of the gorge and the falls. Poet 'Banjo' Paterson was a regular visitor here just prior to and after his marriage in 1903.
There are remnants of sluicing operations in the Morgans Gully area, a reminder of the days when there was some goldmining in the area. This is located near the park entrance.
Bald Rock National Park
5 km further north along Mt Lindesay Rd, the Bald Rock Rd heads off to the left, leading to the Bald Rock picnicking and camping area. From here the Bungoona Walk is an easy 2.5-km trek past some interesting granite boulders to the summit of the aptly-named Bald Rock. Signs and white markings lead to a more direct route marked up the north-east face.
Bald Rock is the largest exposed granite monolith in Australia, being 750 m long, 500 m wide and 200 m high (1341 m above sea-level at the highest point of its featureless pate).
South Bald Rock, a smaller granite dome, is a mere 5 km away and can be reached via a marked trail from the rest area. It is actually west over the state border in Girraween National Park.
Undercliffe Falls
Mt Lindesay Rd continues northwards to the locality of Liston (46 km from Tenterfield). At that point there is a right turn signposted for Undercliffe and Rivertree. When you come to the fork veer left and after 4 km there is a right turn signposted for Undercliffe Falls where the water cascades over a 30-m wide rock face into a deep pool ideal for swimming in summer.
Wallangarra
19 km north of Tenterfield is the small town of Wallangarra established in 1888 when the railway line was extended to the state border. Customs excise officers were immediately relocated from Tenterfield and Stanthorpe to a purpose-built customs house where duties were imposed upon those crossing the border. Resentment of these duties helped to fuel the push towards federation. It is now possible to go on a 30-minute guided walk through Customs House Corner precinct and other historic attractions, concluding with lunch or a picnic, tel: (07) 4684 3488.
Mt Mackenzie Granite Drive
Mt Mackenzie Granite Drive provides a fine overview of the town and district from several vantage points to the west of town. It also takes in some of the district's striking granite outcrops. The 38-km (one-hour) circular route to the west of town is detailed in a leaflet available from the visitors' centre which also draws attention to various sites, including Ghost Gully, a dry creek bed featuring some interesting erosion formations, and Mt Mackenzie Lookout (1298 m above sea-level). There is a parking area with picnic and barbecue facilities at the summit.
Bluff Rock
Bluff Rock, 10 km south of Tenterfield via the New England Highway, is an unusual granite outcrop rising steeply from the highway. It is on private property but is clearly visible from the roadside. There is a rest area on the northern side. The rock's speckled appearance is owing to large crystals of pink feldspar.
It is said that in 1844 a shepherd named Robinson was murdered by Aborigines who ultimately fled to the rock, pursued by a posse of whites who then decimated the tribe by throwing them off the top of the rock. Edward Irby, who named the rock St Swithin's Bluff in 1842, wrote of the incident: 'The blacks heard us coming and hid themselves among the rocks. One, in his hurry, dropped poor Robinson's coat, so we knew we were onto the right tribe. If they had taken to their heels they might have got away. Instead of doing so, they got their fighting men together to attack us, so we punished them severely and proved our superiority to them'.
Sundown National Park
This reserve along the Severn River spans the Queensland-New South Wales border and offers excellent bushwalking opportunities through steep rugged gorges, rainforest, cypress and eucalypt forest and alongside remote waterways, although bushwalking is not recommended in summer months due to excessive heat. Sites to explore on foot include Red Rock Falls, Mt Lofty, Red Rock Gorge, Nundubbermere Falls, along the Severn River, Carpenter's Gully, Koina's Tanks (whirlpool eroded holes in the river), the rocky knowll known as Rat's Castle, McAllisters Ceek, Mt Donaldson and Donaldson Creek Falls, Ooline Creek, Blue Gorge, Mt Emily Creek and Gorge Creek.
The park features over 130 bird species and visitors can picnic, camp, canoe, swim or undertake studies of the birdlife or biosystem. Those with a 4WD vehicles can access the northern section of the park by turning off the New England Highway at Ballandean from whence it is 14 km along a gravel road to the park's eastern boundary. From this point it is anywhere from 7 to 20 km along rough 4WD tracks to campsites along the river. There are lookouts, a pit toilet at Red Rock Falls camping area, where the Falls drop 100 metres after rain, and two pit toilets at Burrow's Waterhole and Rat's Castle. The only water supply is the river - when it is flowing. Bushwalkers can leave vehicles just inside the park.
The southern part of the park is accessible by all vehicles. It is 75 km from Stanthorpe via the Stanthorpe-Texas Road then 4 km along a good gravel road to the main campsite. If you are coming from Tenterfield, head north for 5 km then turn west along the Bruxner Highway. At Mingoola (52 km) turn right and it is12 km to the park turnoff. The main campsite is the Broadwater camping area, which has pit toilets, drinking water, fireplaces, an information display, caravan sites and bush showers with a donkey boiler to heat river water. The only time bookings are required are on long weekends.
For further information ring (07) 6737 5235.
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