Folk Museum - History
The Bowraville Folk Museum is steeped in history. Also known as the Bowraville and District Historical Society, set up by Eliza and Joseph Newman who gifted the building to the Nambucca Shire Council. What great visionaries these people were.
A local committee was formed of entheuiastic people who wanted to preserve history by co-ordinating a collection of valuable items, documents and displays of significant importance relating to the folk history of the Nambucca Valley.
The museum opened in 1970 and is now in it's 40th year.
Progressively over many years our displays have developed to a point where we are now regarded as one of the best rural museums in New South Wales, or even Australia.
- old street scene looking north. Museum is on the left. You can email us.
Bowraville's history:
The original inhabitance were nomadic Aboriginals in the Nambucca Valley who had established the Gumbaynggirr tribe in an area bounded by the Nambucca River, The Clarence River (Grafton) and inland to the foot of the Great Dividing Range. This Aboriginal (Koori) culture remains strong in the Nambucca today with communities at Nambucca Heads, Macksville and Bowraville.
KNOWN TIMELINE:
1842 Cedar getters arrive
1865 Town established
1870 Wesleyan Church built in George Street (the original main street) and Bowra Post Office established.
1872 First school built at Capeharrow Hill
1875 Capeharrow Hill school closed and Bowra Public School opened
1885 Bowra declared a village & CBC Bank opened. The Presbyterian Church was built (now in the grounds of the museum)
1890 Bowra's name changed to Bowraville
1899 Courthouse & Police Station opened and Church of England Church consecrated.
1907 Butter factory built
1910 First Hospital opened in Carbin St.
1917 Methodist Church built
1927 Catholic Church built in Carbin St.
1934 Electricity turned on
1952 Town water supply
1966 Sewerage connected
1970 Bowraville Folk Museum opened
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