Corindi Beach, pronounced Cor-in-"dye" although Cor-in-"dee" is widely used recently, historically also known as Pipeclay Beach until a name change in 1954, Corinda until a forced change to be provided postal service to avoid confusion or by Red Bank as Corindi River was formerly known, is a beach and small seaside farming town located on the

Mid North Coast The Mid North Coast is a country region in the north-east of the state of New South Wales, Australia. The region covers the mid northern coast of the state, beginning from Port Stephens north of Sydney, and extending as far north as Woolgoolg ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. The village is situated north of

Coffs Harbour Coffs Harbour is a city on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, north of Sydney, and south of Brisbane. It is one of the largest urban centres on the North Coast, with a population of 78,759 as per 2021 census. The Gumbaynggirr ...

and south of

Grafton Grafton may refer to: Places Australia * Grafton, New South Wales Canada * Grafton, New Brunswick * Grafton, Nova Scotia * Grafton, Ontario England * Grafton, Cheshire * Grafton, Herefordshire *Grafton, North Yorkshire * Grafton, Oxfordshi ...

. The original village of Corindi is slightly north along the Pacific Highway at Post Office Lane and Casson Close. Corindi means "grey" in local indigenous language referring to the pipeclay on the beach. Corindi is surrounded by the

Tasman Sea The Tasman Sea (Māori: ''Te Tai-o-Rēhua'', ) is a marginal sea of the South Pacific Ocean, situated between Australia and New Zealand. It measures about across and about from north to south. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abe ...

to the east and the Pacific Highway to the west. The 30° south latitude line runs just north of Corindi Beach. At the , Corindi Beach had a population of 1686. It is the site of the Yarrawarra Aboriginal Cultural Centre which provides information on the Gumbayngirr Aboriginal people's history and customs. Corindi and surrounds has become a major blueberry producer, with many locals and tourists working during the peak seasons picking fruit.

Notoriety

* The 30° south latitude crosses the Australian east coast at Corindi Beach. The line runs just north of the town centre along Red Rock Beach. The 30th parallel is also the northern extent of the

and the Southern extent of the

Coral Sea The Coral Sea () is a marginal sea of the South Pacific off the northeast coast of Australia, and classified as an interim Australian bioregion. The Coral Sea extends down the Australian northeast coast. Most of it is protected by the Fre ...

. The town has streets named after each of the adjacent seas as well as the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

. * Corindi has the largest

blueberry Blueberries are a widely distributed and widespread group of perennial flowering plants with blue or purple berries. They are classified in the section ''Cyanococcus'' within the genus ''Vaccinium''. ''Vaccinium'' also includes cranberries, bi ...

farm in Australia. Corindi has a long farming history since being settled by Europeans mainly for cattle and dairy but more recently blueberries. * Corindi has a strong Aboriginal culture, celebrated through the Aboriginal local community and the Aboriginal cultural centre. * The headland is the site of a massacre of the Gumbaynngir indigenous people in the mid 19th century. A memorial has been erected at the base of the headland to commemorate this. The massacre began at Blackadders Creek when mounted police entered the camp. They started shooting and then pursued the survivors to the Corindi River where they continued shooting. Some people were then driven off the headland. The headland may have been named Red Rock because the river went red from the blood of the indigenous people.

Timeline

Gumbaynggir land for at least 30,000 years, possibly 120,000 years, based on recent research.
1840 An out-station o
Captain John Pike
s (a captain in the 73rd Regiment and multiple station owner from the Hunter Region) Glenugie Station.
1863 Corindi Station came to James Devlin after Pike's death.
1879 Corindi Station sold to Samuel Cohen (the first Mayor of Ulmarra).
1880 Land selections by settlers (including first by Casson on 22 July 1880).
1883 Cohen's general store.
1884 School opened.
1886 Casson's mail and passenger coach.
pre-1888 Casson's Accommodation house.
1901 School moved to Upper Corindi location.
1909 Corindi Co-op Cheese Co cheese factory opened.
1909 Recreation and Racecourse Reserve gazetted.
1911 Corindi Public Hall opened.
1913 Corindi Cemetery gazetted.
1915 Corindi Public School moved to current location at Corindi Beach.
1915 Richards' 'Corindi Crossing' Subdivision south of school.
1941 Simmons' 'Pipeclay' Subdivision of Pacific Street 1962 Electricity connected
1980 Highway deviation west of town making Coral St a local road.
1980s Corindi Dam created.
1980s Yarrawarra Aboriginal Corporation established.
1986 Amble Inn opened
1980s Subdivision of inside of Pacific Street.
2002 Corindi Park estate subdivision
2007 Corindi Beach estate subdivision.
2015 Pacific Highway upgrade re-alignment further west starts.

Aboriginal Culture

The Gumbaynggir people have lived on this land for at least 6000 years. The lands extend from the Nambucca River in the south to the Clarence River in the north. The Yarrawarra Corporation was established in the 1980s. The corporation created the Aboriginal art gallery and museum on Red Rock Road to share the local traditional history and culture. Muurrbay Aboriginal Language and Culture Co-operative has recorded the local language to enable it to be taught. Locally significant areas include Red Rock Headland, No Man's Land, The Old Farm, Arrawarra Fish Traps, Old Camp (Pipeclay Lake).

Street Names

McDougall St - Named after Rev. Allan McDougall, of Grafton Presbyterian Church, and daughters who were teachers of the area.

Locally Common Wildlife

Birds

Passerine A passerine () is any bird of the order Passeriformes (; from Latin 'sparrow' and '-shaped'), which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds, passerines are distinguished from other orders of birds by t ...

(perching birds) * Australian Magpie *

Magpie Lark The magpie-lark (''Grallina cyanoleuca''), also known as wee magpie, peewee, peewit or mudlark, is a passerine bird native to Australia, Timor and southern New Guinea. The male and female both have black and white plumage, though with different ...

(Peewee) *

Grey Butcherbird The grey butcherbird (''Cracticus torquatus'') is a widely distributed species endemic to Australia. It occurs in a range of different habitats including arid, semi-arid and temperate zones. It is found across southern Australia, but is absent f ...

Noisy Miner The noisy miner (''Manorina melanocephala'') is a bird in the honeyeater family, Meliphagidae, and is endemic to eastern and southeastern Australia. This miner is a grey bird, with a black head, orange-yellow beak and feet, a distinctive yellow ...

found in noisy groups.

Charadriiformes Charadriiformes (, from ''Charadrius'', the type genus of family Charadriidae) is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 390 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most charadriiform birds live near water an ...

* Masked Lapwing (Plover) * Red capped plover (found breeding by Pipeclay Lake) * Silver Gull (Sea Gull)

Coraciiformes The Coraciiformes are a group of usually colourful birds including the kingfishers, the bee-eaters, the rollers, the motmots, and the todies. They generally have syndactyly, with three forward-pointing toes (and toes 3 & 4 fused at their base) ...

* Kookaburra usually heard at dawn laughing. Parrots *

Yellow-Tailed Black Cockatoo The yellow-tailed black cockatoo (''Zanda funerea'') is a large cockatoo native to the south-east of Australia measuring in length. It has a short crest on the top of its head. Its plumage is mostly brownish black and it has prominent yello ...

and Glossy Black Cockatoo found eating from native trees and flying with loud squawking calls. *

Galah The galah (; ''Eolophus roseicapilla''), also known as the pink and grey cockatoo or rose-breasted cockatoo, is the only species within genus ''Eolophus'' of the cockatoo family. Found throughout Australia, it is among the most common of the co ...

Rainbow Lorikeet The rainbow lorikeet (''Trichoglossus moluccanus'') is a species of parrot found in Australia. It is common along the eastern seaboard, from northern Queensland to South Australia. Its habitat is rainforest, coastal bush and woodland areas. Six ...

and Scaley Breasted Lorikeet usually found in groups. *

Australian King Parrot The Australian king parrot (''Alisterus scapularis'') is a species of parrot endemic to eastern Australia ranging from Cooktown in Queensland to Port Campbell in Victoria. Found in humid and heavily forested upland regions of the eastern portion ...

commonly seen in pairs. * Eastern Rosella

Galliformes Galliformes is an order of heavy-bodied ground-feeding birds that includes turkeys, chickens, quail, and other landfowl. Gallinaceous birds, as they are called, are important in their ecosystems as seed dispersers and predators, and are often ...

(heavy bodied ground birds) *

Brush Turkey Brushturkey, brush-turkey or brush turkey generally refer to birds in three genera in the megapode family, and sometimes to other species such as the Australian bustard: Megapodes ;''Alectura'' * Australian brushturkey, ''Alectura lathami'' ;''Aep ...

Accipitriformes (birds of prey) * Brahminy Kite found gliding high above over the dunes. *

Osprey The osprey (''Pandion haliaetus''), , also called sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor reaching more than in length and across the wings. It is brown o ...

Strigiformes (owls) * Powerful Owl

Frogmouth The frogmouths are a group of nocturnal birds related to owlet-nightjars, swifts, and hummingbirds. Species in the group are distributed in the Indomalayan and Australasian realms. Biology They are named for their large flattened hooked bill and ...

s * Tawny Frogmouth Pelecaniformes * Australian White Ibis

Columbiformes Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily ...

Crested pigeon The crested pigeon (''Ocyphaps lophotes'') is a bird found widely throughout mainland Australia except for the far northern tropical areas. Only two Australian pigeon species possess an erect crest, the crested pigeon and the spinifex pigeon. The ...

Mammals

* Eastern Grey

Kangaroo Kangaroos are four marsupials from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the red kangaroo, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern gre ...

* Swamp Wallaby * Bandicoot *

Brushtail Possum The brushtail possums are the members of the genus ''Trichosurus'' in the Phalangeridae, a family of marsupials. They are native to Australia (including Tasmania) and some small nearby islands. Unique among marsupials, they have shifted the hypax ...

* Echidna *

Microbat Microbats constitute the suborder Microchiroptera within the order Chiroptera (bats). Bats have long been differentiated into Megachiroptera (megabats) and Microchiroptera, based on their size, the use of echolocation by the Microchiroptera a ...

Reptiles and Amphibians

Lace Monitor The lace monitor or tree goanna (''Varanus varius'') is a member of the monitor lizard family native to eastern Australia. A large lizard, it can reach in total length and in weight. The lace monitor is considered to be a least-concern species ...

(Goanna) * Frilled Neck Lizard * Blue Tongued Skink *

Red Bellied Black Snake The red-bellied black snake (''Pseudechis porphyriacus'') is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae, indigenous to Australia. Originally described by George Shaw in 1794 as a species new to science, it is one of eastern Australia ...

Eastern Brown Snake The eastern brown snake (''Pseudonaja textilis''), often referred to as the common brown snake, is a species of highly venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to eastern and central Australia and southern New Guinea. It was ...

* Green Tree Snake * Coastal Carpet Python * Australian Green Tree Frog

Ocean animals

* Wobbegong *

Bottlenose Dolphin Bottlenose dolphins are aquatic mammals in the genus ''Tursiops.'' They are common, cosmopolitan members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphins. Molecular studies show the genus definitively contains two species: the common ...

Humpback Whale The humpback whale (''Megaptera novaeangliae'') is a species of baleen whale. It is a rorqual (a member of the family Balaenopteridae) and is the only species in the genus ''Megaptera''. Adults range in length from and weigh up to . The hump ...

Insects

Huntsman Spider Huntsman spiders, members of the family Sparassidae (formerly Heteropodidae), are known by this name because of their speed and mode of hunting. They are also called giant crab spiders because of their size and appearance. Larger species sometim ...

* Redback Spider *

Australian native bees Australia has over 1,700 species of native bee. Bees collect pollen from flowers to feed their young. Flies do not do this, although they may be seen ''eating'' pollen, so identification is not always easy. Sting or no sting, solitary vs ...

Pest and Introduced Animals

Releasing exotic animals into the wild may damage the environment. * Common Myna *

Feral Pigeon Feral pigeons (''Columba livia domestica'' or ''Columba livia forma urbana''), also called city doves, city pigeons, or street pigeons,Nagy, Kelsi, and Johnson, Phillip David. ''Trash animals: how we live with natures filthy, feral, invasive, an ...

Wild Pig A wild pig may be: *Suina, a suborder of even-toed mammals, including: **Suidae, a family of animals that are pigs or pig-like, including the Suinae and more distantly related extinct Old World tribes ***Suinae, a subfamily which includes the ''S ...

Hare Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus ''Lepus''. They are herbivores, and live solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are able to fend for themselves shortly after birth. The ge ...

Rabbit Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit speci ...

* Fallow Deer *

Red Fox The red fox (''Vulpes vulpes'') is the largest of the true foxes and one of the most widely distributed members of the Order (biology), order Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe ...

Locally Common Plantlife

Common Natives

Melaleuca ''Melaleuca'' () is a genus of nearly 300 species of plants in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, commonly known as paperbarks, honey-myrtles or tea-trees (although the last name is also applied to species of '' Leptospermum''). They range in size ...

(Paper Bark) found in low swamp land. *

Pandanus ''Pandanus'' is a genus of monocots with some 750 accepted species. They are palm-like, dioecious trees and shrubs native to the Old World tropics and subtropics. The greatest number of species are found in Madagascar and Malaysia. Common names ...

found on Corindi headland. * Banksia shrub found behind dunes. * Carpobrutus (Pigface) is a succulent found on the sandy dunes. * Spinifex can be seen tumbling along the beach during winds. * Brush Cherry is Coffs Harbour City Council's floral emblem. * Mangroves found around Pipeclay Lake

Pest and Introduced plants

Bitou Bush ''Osteospermum moniliferum'' ''(Chrysanthemoides monilifera)'' is an evergreen flowering shrub or small tree of the Asteraceae (daisy) family that is native to South Africa, such as the Cape Flats Dune Strandveld habitat. Most subspecies have wo ...

dominates native dune covering plants. * Fireweed is poisonous to livestock. * Lantana is toxic to livestock. *

Asparagus Fern Asparagus fern is a common name given to several plants in the genus ''Asparagus''. It may refer to: *''Asparagus aethiopicus'' *''Asparagus densiflorus'' *'' Asparagus plumosus'' *''Asparagus setaceus'' *'' Asparagus virgatus'' {{Plant common nam ...

is very invasive after escaping from gardens. * Senna (excluding senna acclinis is native) is invasive dominating native vegetation.

Industry

Farming
Dairying was the main farming practice early on in the Corindi area. Oats and lucerne grew well as a crop for feeding the dairy cattle. Sugar cane planted in the 1880s. Fruit and corn also had been successfully grown in the 1890s in the "formation of soils superior to Woolgoolga". Bananas grown since the 1930s during the depression when timber slowed down and many moved to dairying. Timber
Timber was a major industry in the past and some continues now. Mining
Mining for gold was attempted starting in the late 1800s. Horse racing The Corindi Reserve was gazetted with a I racecourse in 1909 but was used in the 1880s. Zulu, the race horse, was ridden by Billy Morto, a stockman on the Corindi Station, in a maiden stakes in Grafton in July 1880. Zulu went on to win the 1881 Melbourne Cup at 100-1 odds. John Casson also picked Zulu not being a thoroughbred horse. Zulu Place is named for the local horse racing and stockman history of the area. Brumbies still roam in the wild throughout Barcoongere State Forest just north of Corindi
Jack Thompson
Australian Horse Racing Hall of Famer, would visit his parents in Corindi.

Transport

Corindi Creek Bridge
Location decided for bridge over Redbank River 1886. Bridge location discussion. Bridge underconstruction May 1888. The bridge is completed by Mr Taylor in Sep 1888. Crossing of Corindi Creek location selection 1899. A preferred location at Cohen's 1899. Site for a bridge surveyed in 1910.
The current concrete bridge on Coral Street was constructed in 2006 after the timber bridge was condemned. Roads *1887 Tenders requested for road from Moonee Creek-Woolgoolga-Corindi. *1936 Pacific Highway to Pipeclay Beach Reserve emergency relief repairs requested. *1948 Repairs expected on road to Pipeclay in particular the deviation from the old road. *1985 Arrawarra Creek to Tasman St Pacific Highway upgrade

Amenities

Corindi School
There have been 3 locations for the school. One near the old Corindi cemetery, location two near Upper Corindi Road, and the current location near Red Rock Road.
July 1883 arrangements were made for the school
October 1883 tender accepted to build the school
December 1883 building is complete
February 1884 school is being completed
April 1884 School duties commenced with Mr McKay as teacher with 26 pupils enrolled
January 1885 Alex D. McPhee is new teacher
July 1885 George McIver is new teacher
July 1888 Mr Thomas J. Connor is the new teacher at Woolgoolga and Corindi halftime schools
July 1889 Miss Flora McLean starts as teacher at Corindi to allow full-time school
Jun 1890 Eliza Dewing appointed teacher.
1900-1901 School moved to Upper Corindi previous location revoked on 1910 parish map.
1900 Miss Annie J Really replaces Mr E Gentle as teacher.
February 1903 Mr J Lyons appointed teacher April 1915 Steps being taken to move school
1915 Temporary school in a building lent by James Simmons during relocation
October 1915 moved to 'lower' Corindi at current position and dedicated in 1916 on 1910 parish map.
1941 John Fitz Chambers is teacher.
1943 Miss J Griffin teacher replacing Keith Neal when he joined the RAAF. Corindi Cheese factory
Apr 1899 Butter factory shares canvassed by Mr McDougall for Corindi and Woolgoolga Apr 1899.
Nov 1909 Corindi Cheese Factory opened 24 November 1909 opposite Upper Corindi Road near the school site
Jul 1912 Corindi Cheese Factory producing a ton of cheese transported to South Grafton
Oct 1913 Working full-time after being at halftime over winter.
Feb 1915 closing of cheese factory
Dec 1917 Talks of reopening the factory by sale by current owner to local farmer co-operative in Dec 1917. Corindi Racecourse
January 1888 Anniversary sports race day at Corindi
March 1889 Racecourse proposed
May 1909 discussion over Racecourse Reserve
July 1909 Trustees gazetted for the 100 acre reserve
April 1911 Race meet to be held at Corindi was abandoned due to rain.
May 1912 Races held at Corindi
June 1915 Bridle races held at Corindi in aid of the Belgian Fund
April 1928 Corindi Picnic Race Club annual meeting held
August 1941 Accidental death of Mr N Morris
May 1944 Corindi Comforts Fund Easter Saturday sports meeting
March 1951 Corindi Jubilee Cup
September 1952 Spring race meet Corindi Cemetery
April 1912 Surveyor is to design a cemetery at Corindi
August 1912 Notified on 1910 Parish map.
April 1913 Trustees gazetted for Corindi Cemetery Corindi Post Office
The original post office was located in Post Office Lane, Corindi. The current location is on Pacific Street, Corindi Beach. Petitioned for mail service in 1881 ignored. The postmaster-General consents to a post office at Corindi based on a name change from Corinda in 1886. Tender for mail service request starting Jan 1888. Mr Casson currently delivering mail by horse and contemplating a mail coach. Tender accepted for carrying mail 1897. Request for a Post Office in Sep 1888 and hence tenders called for Corindi Post Office in Oct 1888. Post Office established in the 1890s. Conveyance of mail by A. M. Fletcher tender acceptance from 1890. Proposed changes to postal service for change of days of delivery in 1892. Mail contract awarded to Mr F Casson Oct 1896. Mail contract awarded to Mr Kenny in 1899. Mail coach passes the sea by 2 miles in 1903. Mrs Toms the postmistress to 1909. Post and Telegraph office kept by John Casson in 1909. Mrs R. M. Loader was the post mistress to 1929. Lightning storm damaged the communications in 1929. Telephone
Telephonic communication recommended between Corindi and Woolgoolga in Sep 1888.
c. 2019 Mobile phone tower construction off Kangaroo Trail Road Corindi Public Hall
July 1911 Hall opened and ball held
Dec 1911 Boxing Day events planned Tennis Court
1929 Corindi Tennis Club opened

Organisations

Corindi Cricketers
Win over Ulmarra in 1885. Playing in 1902. Win over Coffs in 1954. Corindi Footballers
Maiden match vs Woolgoolga in August 1910.
Corindi Clarence Progress Association
No longer active.
Pipeclay Reserve Trust
Currently active as the Corindi Beach Reserve Trust
Corindi P&C Association
Currently active.
Corindi Tennis Club
Nov 1929 Opening of Corindi Tennis Club Corindi Community Group Currently active Corindi Red Rock Breakers Soccer Club Established in 1997 and currently active Corindi Bears Rugby League Club Established 1998, dissolved soon after. Red Rock-Corindi Surf Life Saving Club Established in 1991. Currently active.

Natural Events

* 1884 Drought * 1936 Fires * 1942 Bushfire * 1943 Flood * 1952 Drought * 2012 Australia Day Flood * 2013 February flood

References

{{authority control Towns in New South Wales Beaches of New South Wales Mid North Coast Coastal towns in New South Wales