Port Macquarie Museum will mark National Archaeology Week with a free talk on Tuesday, May 22.
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The illustrated talk from 10am by Tony Dawson will explore John Oxley’s Journey from Mount Harris to the coast in 1818.The journey may have left few traces but heralded changes in the physical and cultural landscape, particularly at Port Macquarie.
“In May 1818 John Oxley left Sydney to lead an expedition aimed at following the course of the Macquarie River. However, heavy rains flooded the river and by mid-July it was clear that he would have to abandon the attempt,” Clive Smith, Port Macquarie Historical Society president said.
“Instead of returning directly to Bathurst he decided to strike eastwards for the coast and after twelve weeks of difficult travelling reached the sea close to the mouth of the Hastings River. Realising that the place could make a useful harbour he named it Port Macquarie, and less than three years later a penal settlement was established here.
“In this illustrated talk Tony Dawson will re-trace Oxley’s journey and look at the physical and cultural changes to which it led.
“Archaeology can be simply described as the study of things that people made, used and left behind however Oxley and his exploration party left very few physical traces of their journey.”
Find out more about Oxley’s journey 200 years ago, and what happened afterwards.
Entry to the talk is free. Bookings are not necessary. Please note the talk will be upstairs and is not lift accessible.
The Port Macquarie Museum’s new exhibition ‘Celebrating Oxley’ will also open this day.
The exhibition explores the way the people of Port Macquarie have celebrated John Oxley’s journey here and the local legacies that bear his name.
The aim of National Archaeology Week is to increase public awareness of Australian archaeology and the importance of protecting our archaeological heritage. Whilst much of our local archaeological heritage remains hidden underground, some archaeological relics are on exhibition at the Port Macquarie Museum.