Corindi Beach, pronounced Cor-in-"dye" although Cor-in-"dee" is sometimes used, 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 of

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. The village is situated north of

Coffs Harbour Coffs Harbour, locally nicknamed Coffs, is a coastal 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 a ...

and south of Grafton. 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 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 Abel Janszoon Tasman, who in 1642 wa ...

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 1,802. 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 Pacific Ocean, South Pacific off the northeast coast of Australia, and classified as an Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia, interim Australian bioregion. The Coral Sea extends down t ...

. 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 Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

. * 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'' with the genus ''Vaccinium''. Commercial blueberries—both wild (lowbush) ...

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 Gumbaynggirr 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 is named Red Rock because the rocks contain the rock jasper, an opaque silica. * The place is known to local Gumbaynggirr people as Blood Rock and many members of the tribe's descendants now avoid the area as a consequence.

Timeline

Gumbaynggir land for at least 30,000 years, possibly 120,000 years, based on recent research. * 1840 An out-station of Captain John Pike's Glenugie Station. The headland is named Red Rock because the rocks contain the rock jasper, an opaque silica. * 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 tens of thousands of years. The lands extend from the Nambucca River in the south to the Clarence River in the north. Muurrbay Aboriginal Language and Culture Co-operative has recorded the Gumbaynggirr language to enable it to be taught. 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. 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 generally have an anisodactyl arrangement of their ...

(perching birds) *

Australian Magpie The Australian magpie (''Gymnorhina tibicen'') is a black and white passerine bird native to Australia and southern New Guinea, and introduced to New Zealand, and the Fijian island of Taveuni. Although once considered to be three separate ...

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

(Peewee) * Grey Butcherbird * Noisy Miner 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 ...

Masked Lapwing The masked lapwing (''Vanellus miles'') is a large, common and conspicuous bird native to Australia (particularly the northern and eastern parts of the continent), New Zealand and New Guinea. It spends most of its time on the ground searching for ...

(Plover) * Red capped plover (found breeding by Pipeclay Lake) *

Silver Gull The silver gull (''Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae'') is a gull in Oceania. It is the most common gull of Australia. It has been found throughout the continent, but particularly at or near coastal areas. It is smaller than the Pacific gull (''L ...

(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 b ...

Kookaburra Kookaburras (pronounced ) are terrestrial animal, terrestrial tree kingfishers of the genus ''Dacelo'' native to Australia and New Guinea, which grow to between in length and weigh around . The name is a loanword from Wiradjuri language, Wira ...

usually heard at dawn laughing.

Parrot Parrots (Psittaciformes), also known as psittacines (), are birds with a strong curved beak, upright stance, and clawed feet. They are classified in four families that contain roughly 410 species in 101 genus (biology), genera, found mostly in ...

s *

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 yellow ...

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

Galah The galah (; ''Eolophus roseicapilla''), less commonly known as the pink and grey cockatoo or rose-breasted cockatoo, is an Australian species of cockatoo and the only member of the genus ''Eolophus''. The galah is adapted to a wide variety of m ...

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 commonly seen in pairs. * Eastern Rosella

Galliformes Galliformes is an order (biology), order of heavy-bodied ground-feeding birds that includes turkey (bird), turkeys, chickens, Old World quail, quail, and other landfowl. Gallinaceous birds, as they are called, are important in their ecosystems ...

(heavy bodied ground birds) * Brush Turkey

Accipitriformes The Accipitriformes (; ) are an order of birds that includes most of the diurnal birds of prey, including hawks, eagles, vultures, and kites, but not falcons. For a long time, the majority view was to include them with the falcons in the Falc ...

(birds of prey) *

Brahminy Kite The brahminy kite (''Haliastur indus''), also known as the red-backed sea-eagle in Australia, is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal Bird of prey, raptors, such as eagles, buzzards, and h ...

found gliding high above over the dunes. *

Osprey The osprey (; ''Pandion haliaetus''), historically known as 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 a wingspan of . It ...

Strigiformes (owls) * Powerful Owl Frogmouths *

Tawny Frogmouth The tawny frogmouth (''Podargus strigoides'') is a species of frogmouth native to the Australian mainland and Tasmania and found throughout. It is a big-headed, stocky bird often mistaken for an owl due to its nocturnal habits and similar colouri ...

Pelecaniformes The Pelecaniformes are an order of medium-sized and large waterbirds found worldwide. As traditionally (but erroneously) defined, they encompass all birds that have feet with all four toes webbed. Hence, they were formerly also known by such ...

* Australian White Ibis Columbiformes * Crested pigeon

Mammals

* Eastern Grey

Kangaroo Kangaroos are 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 Bandicoots are a group of more than 20 species of small to medium-sized, terrestrial, largely nocturnal marsupial omnivores in the order Peramelemorphia. They are endemic to the Australia–New Guinea region, including the Bismarck Archipela ...

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 hyp ...

Echidna Echidnas (), sometimes known as spiny anteaters, are quill-covered monotremes (egg-laying mammals) belonging to the Family (biology), family Tachyglossidae , living in Australia and New Guinea. The four Extant taxon, extant species of echidnas ...

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 an ...

Reptiles and Amphibians

* Lace Monitor (Goanna) * Frilled Neck Lizard * Blue Tongued Skink * Red Bellied Black Snake * Eastern Brown Snake * Green Tree Snake * Coastal Carpet Python *

Australian Green Tree Frog The Australian green tree frog (''Ranoidea caerulea''/''Litoria caerulea''), also known as simply green tree frog in Australia, White's tree frog, or dumpy tree frog, is a species of tree frog native to Australia and New Guinea, with Introduc ...

Ocean animals

* Wobbegong *

Bottlenose Dolphin The bottlenose dolphin is a toothed whale in the genus ''Tursiops''. They are common, cosmopolitan members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphins. Molecular studies show the genus contains three species: the common bot ...

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 monotypic taxon, only species in the genus ''Megaptera''. Adults range in length from and weigh u ...

Insects

* Huntsman Spider *

Redback Spider The redback spider (''Latrodectus hasselti''), also known as the Australian black widow, is a species of highly venomous spider believed to originate in Australia, but which is now found in Southeast Asia and New Zealand. It has also been fo ...

* Australian native bees

Pest and Introduced Animals

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

Common Myna The common myna or Indian myna (''Acridotheres tristis''), sometimes spelled mynah, is a bird in the Family (biology), family Sturnidae, native to Asia. An omnivorous open woodland bird with a strong territorial instinct, the common myna has ada ...

Feral Pigeon Feral pigeons are birds derived from domesticated populations of the rock dove ''Columba livia'', descendants that have escaped and are living independently from (and often unwanted by) humans, having gone "feral". They are sometimes given the ...

* Wild Pig *

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

Rabbit Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also includes the hares), which is in the order Lagomorpha (which also includes pikas). They are familiar throughout the world as a small herbivore, a prey animal, a domesticated ...

Fallow Deer Fallow deer is the common name for species of deer in the genus ''Dama'' of subfamily Cervinae. There are two living species, the European fallow deer (''Dama dama''), native to Europe and Anatolia, and the Persian fallow deer (''Dama mesopotamic ...

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 Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe and Asia, plus ...

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, bottlebrushes or tea-trees (although the last name is also applied to species of '' Leptospermum''). They ...

(Paper Bark) found in low swamp land. *

Pandanus ''Pandanus'' is a genus of monocots with about 578 accepted species. They are palm-like, dioecious trees and shrubs native to the Old World tropics and subtropics. Common names include pandan, screw palm and screw pine. The genus is classified ...

found on Corindi headland. *

Banksia ''Banksia'' is a genus of around 170 species of flowering plants in the family Proteaceae. These Australian wildflowers and popular garden plants are easily recognised by their characteristic flower spikes, and woody fruiting "cones" and head ...

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. *

Mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows mainly in coastal saline water, saline or brackish water. Mangroves grow in an equatorial climate, typically along coastlines and tidal rivers. They have particular adaptations to take in extra oxygen a ...

s found around Pipeclay Lake

Pest and Introduced plants

Bitou Bush ''Osteospermum moniliferum'' (synonym ''Chrysanthemoides monilifera'') is an evergreen flowering shrub or small tree in the daisy family, Asteraceae. It is native to southern Africa, ranging through South Africa and Lesotho to Mozambique and Zimb ...

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

Lantana ''Lantana'' () is a genus of about 150 species of perennial plant, perennial flowering plants in the verbena family, Verbenaceae. They are native to tropics, tropical regions of the Americas and Africa but exist as an introduced species in num ...

is toxic to livestock. * Asparagus Fern 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 The Melbourne Cup is an annual Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne, Australia, at the Flemington Racecourse. It is a 3200-metre race for three-year-olds and older, conducted by the Victoria Racing Club that forms part of the ...

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. * 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

Notes

References

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