Wallalong, New South Wales facts for kids
Quick facts for kids WallalongNew South Wales |
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 Wallalong
Location in New South Wales
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| Population | 938 (2011 census) | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | 86.9/km2 (225/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2320 | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 6 m (20 ft) | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 10.8 km2 (4.2 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Time zone | AEST (UTC+10) | ||||||||||||||
| • Summer (DST) | AEDT (UTC+11) | ||||||||||||||
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | Port Stephens Council | ||||||||||||||
| Region | Hunter | ||||||||||||||
| County | Durham | ||||||||||||||
| Parish | Butterwick | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Port Stephens | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Paterson | ||||||||||||||
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Wallalong is a small rural area in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia. It's part of the Port Stephens Council local government area. A main road called High Street runs through Wallalong. Along this road, you'll find a small residential area where about 938 people live. Outside this area, Wallalong is mostly farmland and open country.
Contents
Wallalong's First People
Long before European settlers arrived, the land around Wallalong was home to the Worimi people. They were the traditional owners of this area.
The Worimi Way of Life
The Worimi people were skilled food gatherers. They found their food from nature, both plants and animals. They did not farm the land. Their territory stretched from the Hawkesbury River in the south to the Manning River in the north. The ocean was their eastern border. They traveled inland as far as the junction of Glendon Brook and the Hunter River.
The Worimi spoke a language called Kattang. Their culture included something called totemism. This meant that each person, and even groups of people, had a special animal or plant called a totem. People would not hunt or gather their own totem.
The Worimi were very clever at making tools. They made strong bags from native twine to carry food. They also used scoop nets for fishing. To carry water, they used hollowed-out pieces of wood or bark. Their fishing hooks were made from shells.
Changes After Settlement
When the first European settlers came to the Wallalong area, they took over the hunting grounds of the Worimi people. The newcomers did not understand the Worimi language or their culture. This caused great sadness and difficulty for the Aboriginal people. Their sacred lands were used differently, and their way of life was disrespected.
Sadly, the arrival of settlers led to a decline in the Aboriginal population. While some areas had very violent events, the records for Seaham, a nearby district, do not mention direct violence against white settlers. However, the impact of settlement was still very hard on the Worimi people.
A Difficult Event in Wallalong's History
In 1877, a story was shared about a sad event that happened in Wallalong. Some settlers decided to punish Aboriginal people for taking corn from their fields. They found a camp where men, women, and children were staying. The settlers fired at them, killing some and hurting others. The rest tried to escape through the bush and into the water. Some of these poor people drowned.
Later, it was discovered that none of the people who were supposedly taking corn were among those attacked. This event was a very sad and unfair part of Wallalong's past. It reminds us of the difficult times and injustices faced by the Aboriginal people during settlement. The exact spot of this event is not known, but it may have happened near Barties Swamp, between Wallalong and what is now Brandy Hill.
Bowthorne Butter Factory
Wallalong was once home to a butter factory called the Bowthorne Butter Factory. It was located on High Street.
How the Factory Started
The factory was first opened by John Lavis. It was called the Bowthorne Creamery and Refrigeration Works. The building was quite large, about 35 feet long and 25 feet wide. It had an 8-horsepower engine. This engine was powerful enough to process 350 gallons of milk every hour!
Becoming a Cooperative
In December 1906, the factory became a cooperative. This means that many local farmers owned and ran it together. They renamed it the Bowthorne Co-operative Butter Factory LTD. The cooperative bought the factory from John Lavis in January 1907 for £3,934. Even though he sold it, John Lavis stayed on as the manager.
The cooperative also bought another butter factory in a town called Morpeth. By 1910, Morpeth became the main office for the cooperative.
