52-504: Kempsey may refer to the following places: Kempsey, New South Wales , Australia Kempsey, Worcestershire , England Kempsey Shire , a local government area in New South Wales [REDACTED] Topics referred to by the same term This disambiguation page lists articles about distinct geographical locations with the same name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change
104-504: A 33-year connection to the Macleay Valley (Fosseys was formerly in town before being rebranded as Target Country). Growing industries include wineries, nut and finger lime production. Kempsey is a service centre for the nearby coastal resorts of South West Rocks , Arakoon , Hat Head , Crescent Head and for the heritage-listed mountain village of Bellbrook , which are popular places for retirees and holiday-makers alike. According to
156-510: A Thunghutti Welcome to Country ceremony followed by stories and local history shared by camp-fire. The visit was facilitated by The YARN initiative with Desert Pea Media showcasing three locally produced films. Sibling music duo VanderAa performed for the trip. The heart of the village, the Bellbrook Hotel holds regular events for locals and tourists. Camping or leasing cottages in Bellbrook
208-540: A government town was surveyed at West Kempsey and government facilities moved there when it became clear that no town would form around the police station and courthouse at Belgrave Falls. Rudder's settlement was renamed East Kempsey. Kempsey initially flourished as a centre for logging and sawmilling. Large reserves of Australian red cedar Toona australis , (sold in Britain and the US as "Indian mahogany") were extracted down until
260-530: A humid, sub-tropical climate with hot, humid summers and cold winters with significant rainfall. Many locals utilise fireplaces during the colder months. Bellbrook is on the traditional lands of the Thunghutti Aboriginal people, some of whom continue to live on the local Aboriginal reserve. It was first settled by Europeans in the mid-1830s, and there was "very active antagonism" between the Europeans and
312-483: A long loop of the Macleay River at the top of the floodplain . It is famous for its floods. The 1949 flood was particularly destructive, having washed away a large part of the town centre when the railway viaduct (which was acting as a dam-wall due to a build-up of debris against the approaches to the railway bridge) gave way. The area most affected by this flood is now the site of playing fields. The shire council has
364-465: A massacre which took place at Kunderang Brook in 1840. The war ended with the establishment of a force of native police at Nulla Nulla in 1851. However, by that time, attrition had devastated tribal numbers. Of the 4,000 Aboriginal people in the area before the settlements, one third are thought to have been killed in a little over two decades. A description of the Djangadi and other Aboriginal groups in
416-631: A new 14.5 kilometre bypass opened on 27 March 2013, the Pacific Highway passed through Kempsey. The former alignment is now known as the Macleay Valley Way . The new bypass included a 3.2 kilometre Macleay River Bridge , the longest bridge in Australia. Kempsey railway station is located on the North Coast line providing a connection to Sydney and Brisbane . Kempsey Airport (ICAO: YKMP)
468-445: A policy of buying up land in areas designated as flood plains and many houses have been transported to higher ground in recent years. Other major floods occurred in 1949, 1950, 1963, 2001, 2009, 2013, 2021, late February to March 2022 Kempsey has a history of economic problems and disadvantage. Of the 10,374 residents in the area 1,573 worked full-time and 1,105 worked part-time. The area has an unemployment rate significantly higher than
520-539: A policy of taking land from Aboriginal farmers and putting it in the hands of white farmers (by sale or lease). His protests to no avail, Moseley was forced to share-farm on a property he formerly owned. In October 1925, Moseley and Jimmy Linwood addressed a meeting at Kempsey showground organised by the Aborigines Progressive Association . Around 1930, other members of the Moseley family joined John on
572-539: A popular Upriver Drumming event held each month at the historic Bellbrook School of Arts Hall (Est. ~1922). Due to Bellbrook's untouched hinterland and close proximity to surf beaches such as Crescent Head, it is an increasingly popular destination for nature enthusiasts, either as residents or campers. The growing 'Vanlife' movement and the subject of the 2019 film documentary 'The Meaning of Vanlife' held their 2016 gathering in Bellbrook NSW. The trip began with
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#1732848108595624-405: A population of 339 as of the 2021 census. An expansion of 21% from the 2016 census population of 273. The town was laid out and gazetted as Bellbrook in 1892. Caroline McMaugh, wife of early settler John McMaugh, named the village. At that time, and still today, the distinctive call of bellbirds could be heard echoing through the dense scrub they inhabited along Nulla Nulla Creek. In 1882,
676-585: A private town, with the first blocks sold in November 1836. He called it Kempsey because the surrounding areas reminded him of the Kempsey Valley in Worcestershire . The collapse in red cedar prices in the early 1840s nearly led to the failure of the town. The main (and most flood-prone) part of Kempsey was founded by John Verge , sub-dividing a grant on the flood-plain opposite Rudder's settlement. 1854,
728-521: A travel book by the publisher of Australian Bush Pubs, titled, ' Historic Pubs, New South Wales '. The Bellbrook General Store is located in Main Street, with the store and post office relocating to the Bellbrook Hotel in late 2019. It was the location of the Country Women's Association for many years in addition to catering for functions, meetings and local gatherings. The General Store is situated in
780-565: Is Rugby league . The town has produced many NRL stars including Amos Roberts , Aiden Tolman , Albert Kelly , James Roberts and former Australian centre and Indigenous All Stars captain Greg Inglis , the latter 3 of whom are cousins. A local team, the Macleay Valley Mustangs, play in the Group 3 Rugby League competition, with their home ground being Verge St Oval. Another local team,
832-429: Is a popular attraction particularly with 4WD holidaymakers due to its untouched hinterland and popular fishing grounds. Bellbrook and its surrounds are renowned for quality bass fishing. One of Australia's first bass lures was appropriately called the 'Bellbrook Wobbler'. A popular lodge up-river from the town of Bellbrook is called Bass Lodge and offers fishing stays. Many visitors bring kayaks or canoes to enjoy
884-426: Is estimated that around 15 massacres took place in the region targeting Aboriginal people of the area. The Djangadi and other tribes affected adopted guerilla tactics to fight the usurpation of their land, by attacking shepherds, hit-and-run raids on homesteads and duffing sheep and cattle livestock before retreating into the gorges where pursuit was difficult. Some 2 to 3 dozen people were killed for rustling sheep at
936-414: Is located at Aldavilla approximately 8.5 kilometres west of the town centre, Kempsey Airport is available 24 hours a day for Private Aircraft and Charter Flights as well as being a valuable community asset that is used frequently for Aeromedical Services and Aerial Firefighting. Tom Keneally 's novel A River Town, (1995), a mystery novel centred on the lives of an Irish settler Tim Shea and his family in
988-628: The 2021 census , the median age in the Kempsey area is 42. 18.3% of residents are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. 84.4% of people were born in Australia. compared with the national average of 66.9%. The next most common country of birth was England at 1.6%. 71.9% reported having both parents born in Australia; this is significantly higher than the national average of 45.9%. 84.4% of Kempsey residents spoke only English at home. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 35.2%, Catholic 19.4%, and Anglican 15.8%. The most popular sport in Kempsey
1040-628: The Australian Bureau of Statistics ranked Kempsey as one of the poorest Local Government areas in New South Wales. A Coles supermarket development (known as the "Kempsey Central Shopping Centre") has been built and is situated where the Tattersalls Hotel and various small businesses were in Little Belgrave Street. This shopping centre opened on 6 December 2008. Target Country closed their department store on 9 June 2018 - this ends
1092-569: The Macleay River . Opening in 1913, the Bellbrook Hotel is of historical significance, enjoying over one hundred years of service in addition to its notoriety as the watering hole of renowned Country Music Singer Slim Dusty . In 2018, the pub was nominated for the Best Bush Pub category in the Australian Hotels Association 2018 awards for excellence. In the same year, Bellbrook Hotel featured as one of twenty-five historic pubs in
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#17328481085951144-537: The Mid North Coast region of New South Wales , Australia and is the council seat for Kempsey Shire . It is located roughly 16.5 kilometres inland from the coast of the Pacific Ocean , on the Macleay Valley Way near where the Pacific Highway and the North Coast railway line cross the Macleay River . It is roughly 430 kilometres north of Sydney . As of June 2018 Kempsey had a population of 15,309 (2018). At
1196-619: The NSW Police Force revealed crime levels in Kempsey are two times the state average. Break and enter is a particular problem, with a rate three times the state average. From 2014 to 2016, most crimes increased in Kempsey, with domestic violence, robbery with a firearm and break and enters all rising. In 2015 it was reported in the Sydney Morning Herald that Kempsey was experiencing violent crime linked to ice addiction. Offences for methamphetamine trafficking are roughly twice
1248-610: The Stolen Generations . The manager of the reserve tried to take over the Moseleys' land, but after several scuffles, stand-offs, a letter to the local press by Moseley, a visit to Sydney by one of his sons, and intervention by Michael Sawtell, the APB agreed to leave them alone. After John's death in July 1938, Percy continued to make a claim on the land; he was then threatened with expulsion. He
1300-454: The 1920s, and with greater difficulty until the 1960s, by which time the resource was effectively exhausted. Dairying was the major industry in the area until the 1960s, with a Nestlé Milo factory at nearby Smithtown , and several cheese and butter factories. John Moseley was an Aboriginal farmer who moved to Burnt Bridge, Euroka Creek, near Kempsey, in 1892. Like the European farmers in
1352-712: The Lower Macleay Magpies, based in nearby Smithtown , play in the Hastings League . Kempsey have a junior team in the Group 2 Rugby League competition, the Kempsey Dragons. Kempsey Rugby League teams: Kempsey used to have an Australian rules team called the Macleay Valley Eagles, who folded in 2016. In recent decades Kempsey has attracted attention for its high and rising rate of crime when compared with state averages. In 2016 crime figures released by
1404-809: The Macleay area was given by Captain John Macdonald Henderson in 1851. Some Djangadi settled the Shark, Pelican Island and the two Fattorini Islands in the Macleay River, gazette as Aboriginal reserves in 1885, and grew corn there. In 1924 the Fattorini island residents were relocated to Pelican Island, and its status as a reservation was cancelled. Eventually the Djangadi moved to Kinchela Creek Station though an unofficial camp remained at Green Hills, resisting attempts to have them relocated, until they were placed under
1456-407: The Macleay river, paddling upstream, to then be carried back downstream while fishing or taking in the hinterland. With revitalised tennis courts overlooking aged gum trees on the river side of the village, the courts are a unique experience amidst nature. Bookings are made via the local Bellbrook Hotel. There are walking and riding trails around Bellbrook and its reserves. Held each month in
1508-800: The North Coast Railway line in West Kempsey. This area is not subject to the flooding that the CBD occasionally sees and is seen as a second business district with a variety of businesses and banking facilities. Opened in July 2004, the Mid North Coast Correctional Centre , a minimum to medium prison for 500 male and female inmates , is located in Aldavilla , approximately 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) west of Kempsey. As of 2019 there are plans to add extra housing for more inmates by 2020. Until
1560-524: The School of Arts Hall, the Up-River Drumming sessions are a very popular gathering place for the Bellbrook community and visitors. 'Homewood', Bellbrook is the childhood home of country music star Slim Dusty . It is located at Nulla Nulla Creek. Paddy O'Sullivan (dec. 1993) was a past manager of historic local farm Pee Dee Station, receiving an OAM for his services to the beef industry. Pee Dee Station
1612-581: The Thunghutti, which slowed the development of the village. A 36.4-hectare (90-acre) Aboriginal reserve was established at Bellbrook in 1885. It was initially an unsupervised reserve, but was later managed by the Aboriginal Protection Board . Residents "came under intense government surveillance" from the APB and had to sign in and out. Many of the residents worked on local pastoral stations, generally poorly paid. The Bellbrook Hotel overlooks
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1664-469: The administration of a white manager at Burnt Bridge Reserve . Discrimination barriers were finally broken in part when the first Aboriginal children were permitted in 1947 to attend Green Hill Public School, though the white community reacted by shifting their children to West Kempsey. In the 1967 referendum on whether Indigenous people should be counted in the census of the Australian population, Kempsey had
1716-582: The district, he grew maize . In 1900, Aboriginal children were excluded from Euroka Public School. Moseley, his son Percy and others petitioned for an Aboriginal school, which was created at Burnt Bridge in 1905. Under the Aborigines Protection Act 1909 , the Aborigines Protection Board (APB) became responsible for the care and control of Aboriginal people, which included powers to remove children from their families. The APB pursued
1768-603: The farm at Euroka Creek. In 1937 the APB secured a large block next to the farm for the creation of Burnt Bridge Aboriginal Reserve (sometimes referred to as Burnt Bridge Mission ). Aboriginal people from various other communities were moved there and forced to live with inadequate housing or a poor water supply. Children were removed from the Reserve, including girls who were taken to the Cootamundra Domestic Training Home for Aboriginal Girls , and became part of
1820-543: The form of mounds which are up to 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) high. Middens are attested in the Macleay Valley, together with remnants of a fish trap in the Limeburners Creek Nature Reserve and, just slightly north of Crescent Head, at Richardsons Crossing, there is a bora ring. White presence on the Djangadi lands first took off as mostly ex-convict cedar cutters, based at a camp at Euroka Creek established by Captain A. C. Innes in 1827, began exploring
1872-472: The highest number of 'no' votes in the country. Enoch William Rudder is credited with founding the settlement. He arrived from Birmingham in 1834 and bought land on the southern bank of the river in 1836, at what was then the limit of authorised settlement (the boundary of County Macquarie ). He was initially attracted by red cedar cutting opportunities but planned also to profit by selling parts of his land. He had riverside blocks surveyed and established
1924-533: The land increasingly attractive to pastoralists,[20] who by 1847, after the passage of the Imperial Waste Lands Act of the preceding year, and the implementation of the Orders-in-Council (1847) had established 31 stations along the Macleay river from Kempsey inland to Kunderang Brook . This coincided with one of the most violent and sustained examples of warfare in the Macleay gorges, during which it
1976-407: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kempsey&oldid=1209407240 " Category : Place name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Kempsey, New South Wales Kempsey is a town in
2028-455: The local Rural Fire Service for updates. Fires blocked the road to and from Bellbrook. Some locals stayed to prepare for the oncoming bushfire and created containment lines around their properties while other residents were forced to shelter at the local school. Locals were later able to leave under Emergency Service escort once the road was deemed safe. In late November 2020, a travelling photograph exhibition titled, 'Black Summer and Beyond'
2080-734: The local park. The public artwork was dedicated to the late Aboriginal elder and artist, Aunty Esther Quinlin. The sculpture is part of the Dunghutti Story Trail – the Dhanggati Wirriyn Yapang project, which celebrates the Macleay Valley Coast’s significant cultural heritage and "-mark['s] the western gateway into Dunghutti country ." Internationally renowned musician Slim Dusty was a Bellbrook local, growing up at Nulla Nulla Creek . The community hold multiple annual and bi-annual events for locals and tourists, with
2132-521: The middle of the village, opposite the public school and Bellbrook Memorial Park. The Bellbrook School of Arts was built circa 1922 and is opposite the General Store, Bellbrook Memorial Park and tennis courts. In 2005, the town's raw water supply was contaminated by heavy metals and arsenic from former mines in the Hillgrove area. In 2008, water was reportedly having to be trucked into the town because
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2184-434: The name Bellbrook was first adopted as the official title for the original post office. A postal receiving office at Bellbrook opened on 16 January 1882, became a post office on 1 January 1884, and closed on 10 April 1987. The present day post office is located at Bellbrook Hotel. Located within the same post code as Crescent Head , Kempsey , Verges Creek and other unique coastal and hinterland townships, Bellbrook enjoys
2236-490: The national average. A plurality (35.1) of children live in families in which no member works. The median weekly household income is $ 691, nearly half the national average. Despite a period of economic stagnation in past decades compared to nearby coastal centres of growth, Kempsey has a growing local economy based on tourism, farming and service industries. As a local centre it has many shops and services including three major supermarkets and fast food chain stores. In 2014,
2288-597: The period on the eve of Federation , is set in Kempsey. Arakoon NSW , Bellbrook NSW , Crescent Head NSW , South West Rocks NSW Bellbrook, New South Wales Bellbrook is a locality in the Kempsey Shire of New South Wales , Australia along the Macleay River . The mountain village is classified by the National Trust as a heritage village and is part of the Macleay Valley Coast . Bellbrook had
2340-504: The rich resources of the area in the late 1820s. The first European settler in the Kempsey district was named Enoch William Rudder, in 1835, who had purchased a land grant of 802 acres (325 ha) from its first owner, Samuel Onions. In 1836, runs held by squatters lying outside the sphere of colonial jurisdiction were absorbed into the southern legal framework. Within a decade the timber cutters had virtually harvested every stand of this highly prized red gold timber in clearances that made
2392-583: The start of the British arrival the town lay within the area of the Djangadi people's lands. An Aboriginal presence has been attested archaeologically to go back at least 4,000 years, according to the analysis of the materials excavated at the Clybucca midden, a site which the modern-day descendants of the Djangadi and Gumbaynggirr claim native title rights . In the Clybucca area are ancient camp sites with shell beds in
2444-451: The state average. There followed a proactive program of crime prevention and community safety initiatives funded through the Australian, NSW and local government that has seen the town revitalised and crime incidents reduced. The 2016–17 Annual Report of Kempsey Shire Council indicated 80% of residents felt safe in their homes and public spaces. Government buildings such as the council chambers, library and several offices - are located west of
2496-503: The supply was so contaminated. A new $ 700,000 water treatment plant was installed in 2009 to address the issue. In November 2019, Bellbrook locals were forced to evacuate as their community was engulfed by the Carrai East fire which resulted in the loss of some homes. The Nulla Nulla Creek home of country music legend Slim Dusty was saved. Mobile phone coverage was lost in the mountain village with locals relying upon each other and
2548-489: Was built in 1911. In 1930, the current Bellbrook School was built. Carcolla School was moved to Bellbrook school grounds in 1970 and is now the infants department. A former boarding school, the Mirriwinni Gardens Aboriginal Academy, also operated at Bellbrook for more than thirty years. It educated more than 1,500 children, but was forced to close in 2009 after running into financial difficulties. It
2600-471: Was established in 1873 and is now managed by the fourth generation of O'Sullivan's. Education in the district began in 1883 at Midnight Creek, located approximately three kilometres east of Bellbrook, opening initially as a provisional school. The school then moved to half-time with Pee Dee from 1887 to 1890, closed from 1890 to 1910, then re-opened half-time with Nulla Nulla from 1910 to 1911, and has been continually open since then. The first school on site
2652-535: Was granted permissive occupancy of 80 acres (32 ha) of the old reserve in June 1939, but never won title to the land. Kempsey has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: Kempsey features a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen : Cfa ) with very warm, humid, rainy summers and mild, drier winters, albeit with cool nights. The town features 116.6 clear days annually with the bulk of clear weather occurring in late winter. Geographically, Kempsey stretches out around
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#17328481085952704-552: Was hosted at the Bellbrook School of Arts in commemoration of the bushfires. Bellbrook's rich history and unique location has been the subject of many landscape artists, notably award-winning Kempsey born artist Les Graham and Stephen Franks (1942-2002). The Bellbrook community embraces its Thunghutti Aboriginal roots. In December 2018, community members attended the official unveiling of its new sculpture “Wupu Manhatinum”- translation- 'Travelling Star' , which now resides in
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