Telegraph Point is a small village on the North Coast of

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 ...

. It is located on the Pacific Highway north of

Port Macquarie Port Macquarie is a coastal town in the local government area of Port Macquarie-Hastings. It is located on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, about north of Sydney, and south of Brisbane. The town is located on the Tasman Sea co ...

, and on the North Coast railway line. The village spans both sides of the Wilson River.

Demography

In the , Telegraph Point recorded a population of 609 people, 52.4% male and 47.6% female. A total of 250 private dwellings was recorded with an average of 2.6 people per household. The internet was not accessed by 16.9% of dwellings. The median weekly household income was $1,199. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,345 and the median weekly rent was $310. 84.4% of people in Telegraph Point were born in Australia. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people made up 3.1% of the population. 21.6% of the local population had either one or both parents born overseas. In the , Telegraph Point recorded a population of 619 people, 52.7% male and 48.3% female. The median/average age of the Telegraph Point population is 46 years — 9 years above the Australian average. The country of birth of Telegraph Point residents is 3.2% England, 0.5% Germany, 0.6% Fiji, 0.5% Denmark, 2.4% New Zealand. 94% of people spoke only English at home; the next most common languages were 0.5% Lao, 0.5% German, 0.5% Fijian Hindustani, 0.5% Danish, 0.5% Spanish. The religious make up of Telegraph Point is 30.2% Anglican, 4% Presbyterian and Reformed, 2.6% Uniting Church, 20.7% No Religion, 26.3% Catholic. 51.7% of people are married, 29.3% have never married and 11.8% are separated or divorced. There are 18 widowed people living in Telegraph Point. The median individual income is $449.00 per week and the median household income is $1068.00 per week. 37.2% are fully owned, and 45.1% are in the process of being purchased by home loan mortgage. 13.5% of homes are rented. The median rent in Telegraph Point is $150 per week and the median mortgage repayment is $1560 per month.

Facilities

The Telegraph Point Public School is a primary school from k to grade six. Local activities include

waterski Water skiing (also waterskiing or water-skiing) is a Surface water sports, surface water sport in which an individual is pulled behind a boat or a Cable skiing, cable ski installation over a body of water, skimming the surface on two skis or ...

ing,

mountain bike A mountain bike (MTB) or mountain bicycle is a bicycle designed for off-road cycling. Mountain bikes share some similarities with other bicycles, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain, which ...

riding,

bush walking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

, four-wheel-driving,

camping Camping is an outdoor activity involving overnight stays away from home, either without shelter or using basic shelter such as a tent, or a recreational vehicle. Typically, participants leave developed areas to spend time outdoors in more nat ...

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

, rock hopping in streams and creeks and

picnic A picnic is a meal taken outdoors ( ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event such as preceding ...

king. The village lies between two areas of

state forest A state forest or national forest is a forest that is administered or protected by some agency of a sovereign or federated state, or territory. Background The precise application of the terms vary by jurisdiction. For example: * In Australia, a ...

with a range of different bushwalking and scenic drive trails. South of the village is Cairncross State Forest, while to the north is Ballengarra State Forest. During the summer months, the local man-made lake and holiday park Stoney Park is turned into a Fun Park at Stoney Aqua Park. Regular community activities are held at the Community Hall including a local book club, history association, craft activities, yoga, and all-ages fitness classes. The local sports field, Charlie Watt Reserve, is the home of the Port Macquarie Dog Club and the training field for the Western Phoenix Soccer club.

History

The

traditional owners Native title is the designation given to the common law doctrine of Aboriginal title in Australia, which is the recognition by Australian law that Indigenous Australians (both Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander people) have rights ...

of country throughout the Telegraph Point and Rollands Plains region are the

Ngaku The Ngaku were an Indigenous Australians, Australian Aboriginal tribe located around the Macleay River of New South Wales. They were a predominantly coastal people. Although Ngako language, their language was not recorded, it was described as a dia ...

people (north of the Wilson River along the coast and inland to Kemps Pinnacle in the Willi Willi National Park), and the Ngambaa peoples (south of the Upper Wilson River, inland through Bril Bril towards the Manning). The first European land grants in the Telegraph Point area were issued in the region then-known as ‘Prospect’ in 1832. The name derives from the

telegraph line Electrical telegraphs were point-to-point text messaging systems, primarily used from the 1840s until the late 20th century. It was the first electrical telecommunications system and the most widely used of a number of early messaging systems ...

which crossed the river in 1869. The river played an important role in the

logging Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks or skeleton cars. Logging is the beginning of a supply chain ...

of the surrounding forests and there are the remains of several old

wharves A wharf, quay (, also ), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more berths (mooring location ...

to be seen, the best-preserved of which is on the south bank beside the traffic bridge in Log Wharf Reserve. A railway station was located in the town between 1917 and 1983. In April 1974, the town was bypassed by the Pacific Highway with the construction of a 555 metre 15 span bridge as part of a six kilometre deviation.New Bridge and Deviation at Telegraph Point '' Main Roads'' June 1974 pages 98-101

References

External links

Telegraph Point Demographics (NSW) Local Stats
* * {{authority control Mid North Coast Towns in New South Wales Coastal towns in New South Wales Port Macquarie-Hastings Council North Coast railway line, New South Wales