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Tenterfield is a small town just near the Queensland border in northern NSW.
Tenterfield is known as the "birthplace of Australian federation". For it was here, in 1889, that the then Prime Minister of New South Wales, Sir Henry Parkes, made his famous speech (the "Tenterfield Oration") advocating the union of all the British colonies in Australia (NSW, Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia) into one nation. Just twelve years later, on 1 January 1901, that is exactly what happened and the new nation, the "Commonwealth of Australia", came into being.
School of Arts
You can visit Tenterfield’s School of Arts where Parkes made the Tenterfield Oration. You can stand in the room where he spoke. The table, chairs and décor remain just as they were back in 1889. The School of Arts also houses a library/museum with details on the speech, on the political background, and on the career of Sir Henry Parkes.
Other Places to Visit in Tenterfield
Centenary Cottage: A local history display.
Petrie Cottage: A restored cottage that once belonged to a worker.
The Sadler’s Shop: A working saddlery that once belong to the grandfather of the Australian singer and entertainer, Peter Allen.
Railway Station (constructed in 1886): Includes a collection of railway memorabilia.
Courthouse (constructed in 1885)
Post Office (constructed in 1881)
Around Tenterfield
In the countryside surrounding the town you can visit the following attractions:
Thunderbolt’s Hideout: A series of caves and overhanging granite rocks that were once one of the hideouts of the Captain Thunderbolt (1835-70), who was the longest roaming bushranger in Australian history.
Girraween National Park: Famous for its spectacular granite outcrops and magnificent springtime wildflowers.
Local wineries: You can visit family-owned vineyards such as Deetswood Wines and Kurrajong Downs.
Bald Rock National Park: This park features the 213 metre high Bald Rock, which is Australia’s second largest monolith (after Uluru). It is also the largest granite monolith in Australia.
Boonoo Boonoo National Park: Here you can see the 210 metre high Boonoo Boonoo Falls.
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Author: David Paul Wagner
(David Paul Wagner on Google+)
