Association president Carla McKern said the event is at the historic Coal Wharf.

Mrs McKern said the history of the Coal Wharf was integral to the history - including the discovery - of the Port Macquarie-Hastings region.

"When John Oxley discovered the Hastings, he was limited in his exploration of the river near the mouth as he didn't have a suitable boat," Mrs McKern said.

"He recounted seeing the Birpai people on the North Shore.

"At the request of the Governor he returned to explore more widely with a team and compared both sides of the river in terms of vegetation and agricultural suitability.

"In later years people rowed over to Coal Wharf to picnic and fish.

"The North Shore was then farmed by convicts assigned to the officers to grow vegetable crops."

Although Oxley found the river mouth suitable for navigation, constant silting and changes in the river flow caused difficulties and shipwrecks in subsequent years, the association president said. 

"Eventually a decision was made to build the North Wall and Coal Wharf became an important site for quarrying and rail construction," Mrs McKern added.

The Progress Association has long argued that the North Shore infrastructure has not been valued over the years.

"The Commonwealth Government and the cCouncil have made grants to the Progress Association to improve the area which has been notorious for vandalism over the past few years.

"This work has included tree planting, installation of fire pits and other works which all add value to the local littoral rainforest.

"We are working on presenting this historic Coal Wharf and the North Shore as a pleasant recreation area."

The Northside Progress Association's John Oxley Was Here event is on Sunday April 22, from 3pm at the Coal Wharf (eastern end).

Read more: North Shore plans for a ‘positive place’