Hastings Historical Society Museum facts for kids

The Hastings Historical Society Museum is a special old building in Port Macquarie, Australia. It used to be a shop, but now it's a museum! It's located at 22 Clarence Street. This historic building was constructed between 1835 and 1840 by William Stokes. It is also known as the Port Macquarie Historical Society Museum or simply the Port Macquarie Museum. Because of its importance, it was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999.

A Look Back in Time

The building that is now the museum was used as a store for a very long time, even into the 1900s. The land it stands on was bought by Edward McRoberts in 1834. He paid 13 pounds, 8 shillings, and 8 pence for it.

Early Owners and Changes

The oldest part of the building, on the western side, was likely built between 1835 and 1840. William Stokes owned it for a while after 1834. We know more about it from January 17, 1853. On this date, Samuel H. and Elizabeth Cohen, who were storekeepers, sold the building to another storekeeper named William Killion for 75 pounds.

Killion then sold it to James H. Young, another storekeeper, in 1868 for 60 pounds. Young sold it to Francis Marchment in 1881 for 120 pounds. Around this time, the eastern part of the building was added. The Marchment family owned the property until 1925.

The Marchment Family Store

Francis Marchment (1843-1923) ran his business from this building between 1881 and 1925. He moved to Australia from England in 1862 and arrived in Port Macquarie in 1869. He and his business partner, George Day, used a small boat called a cutter. They traded goods along the Hastings River, especially to places like Rawdon Island and Beechwood. Day later left the business.

Francis Marchment's trade was mostly by barter. This means people exchanged goods instead of using money. Settlers would give him things like cedar logs, animal hides, chickens, and corn. In return, he would give them sugar, flour, tea, salt, and clothes. He would tow the cedar logs in rafts behind his cutter. His special horn sound was a welcome signal for settlers. His boat was often their only way to get supplies and connect with the outside world.

Francis Marchment met his wife, Christina Newberry (1855-1911), at Rawdon Island. They had seven sons and two daughters. Most of their children were born in this very building.

Becoming a Museum

The Hastings Historical Society took over the building in 1959. They slowly restored it and added new parts in 1968 and 1977. During the first renovations, they found signs of older changes to the building. They also found bricks with special marks from convicts who might have made them. More extensions were added later for research, storage, displays, and offices.

In 2013, the Society worked with Kevin Williams to create a plan for cultural tourism. This plan suggested ways to help the museum continue its important work.

What the Museum Looks Like

The museum building has an architectural style called Old Colonial Georgian. This means it looks like buildings from the early colonial period. It's a simple two-story building made of painted bricks. These bricks were made by hand! It has a hipped iron roof, which used to be made of shingles. There are also two chimneys. The roof used to be a different shape, but it changed when a 13-foot extension was added to the eastern end in the late 1800s.

A smaller roofed area, called a skillion, used to be along the back wall for a kitchen. Inside, the ceilings and upstairs walls are covered with boards. When the Hastings District Historical Society leased the building in 1959, it was in poor condition. They fixed it up, adding new floors downstairs, a new staircase, fresh paint, and gutters. They also replaced fireplace surrounds and built an extra room. More big additions were made on the south side in 1968 and 1977. Even more extensions were added to the back of the building in 1988.

The building was in excellent shape in 2004. There's also a good chance of finding old items buried underneath. During renovations, they found convict-made bricks and signs of earlier building changes.

Building Changes Over Time

Here's a quick look at how the building has changed:

• 1834 – The original store was built.
• 1880s – An extension was added to the eastern side.
• 1959 – The building was renovated.
• 1968 – An extension was added on the south side.
• 1977 – Another extension was added on the south side.
• 1988 – More extensions were built at the back of the building.

Why It's a Heritage Site

The museum building is important because it shows what buildings looked like when people first started settling freely in Port Macquarie. It's one of the few very old commercial and residential buildings left in the area. It's also near other historic places like the Courthouse and The Garrison. As a museum, it continues to be a central place for learning about history and preserving heritage in the community.

The Hastings Historical Society Museum was officially listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999.

See also

• Old Port Macquarie Courthouse
• St Thomas' Anglican Church
• Port Macquarie Government House Site
• Port Macquarie First Burying Ground
• Port Macquarie Second Burying Ground
• Overseers' Cottages Remains
• Lake Innes House Ruins