MOREE NSW

Moree is a town in northern New South Wales located on the banks of the Mehi River with a population of 7,500.     The name comes from an Aboriginal word for “rising sun” and was established in 1862.

It’s an agricultural centre, noted for its part in the Australian cotton-growing industry which was established in early 1960.

It’s also home to artesian hot spring baths famous for it’s healing qualities.

The Weraerai and Kamilaroi Aboriginal peoples, who’s descendants are still in the town, were the early inhabitants of the area.

In 1851 James and Mary Brand arrived and built a general store on the banks of the river in 1852. A post office was added the following year. The family sold up and moved to the  Hunter Region of NSW in 1857 but James died in 1858, leaving Mary with six children.

So she returned, opened another business and in 1861, she opened the towns first Inn. Go Mary!

I just love reading about all these pioneering people that started up in these places, then went on to build more places, especially in those times…….on her own, with 6 children no less!  

Wheat cultivation increased after WW1, with a flour mill built at Moree in 1951, and the first commercial Pecan Nut farm was also established east of Moree in 1966, being the largest Pecan farm in the Southern Hemisphere , growing about 

75,000 trees!

In 1994 the Gwydir Olive Grove Co was also established when two Moree families starting producing Olive Oil from the Olives grown in the rich black soil plains.

Moree was one of the destinations of the famous 1965 “Freedom Bus ride”

An historic trip through northern NSW led by Charles Perkins, (an Aboriginal Activist,) to bring media attention to discrimination against Indigenous  Australians. 

It brought racial segregation in rural Australia to the attention of urban Australians, in particular at the Moree Hot Baths and Swimming Pool as well as pubs and theatres, where Aborigines were refused entry.

At the Moree swimming pool, after a confrontation with the council and management, it was agreed that Indigenous children could swim in the pool outside school hours. Quite sad really.

I just thought I would copy all of that as Moree has such an interesting history….as does all the towns, but those in particular just caught my eye. 

That’s an aerial shot of the town, but it was the horizon that was so interesting as it’s so flat. It certainly is “in the middle of nowhere” 

Stay safe🦋🦋

******* I was really interested to find out more about our Mary Brand….that I googled her. 

If you are interested, it’s such an interesting story of her life, starting where she was born in Scotland. 

What a woman she was. 🦋🦋