Locals and visitors alike will have the opportunity to experience one of the Hunter Valley’s hidden gems this weekend.
Dr Cameron Archer AM is hosting this year’s Paterson Historic Walk on Sunday 20 March from 1pm.
The president of the Paterson Historical Society will take participants around the centre of the village and describe the origins of European settlement.
Buildings date from the 1830s when the core of the township was surveyed and created as an official settlement adjacent to the river to service a wharf.
Paterson was the head of navigation on the Paterson River operating as a vibrant river port until river transport was displaced by rail in 1911.
It also boasts strong ties to indigenous communities, according to Dr Archer.
“Paterson is bountiful and would have supported a considerable population of Aboriginal people but, sadly, few records are available regarding their lives in the area,” he said.
“We do know that the Aboriginal name for the river was Yimmang and that Tocal is derived from an Aboriginal word meaning large or plenty.”
This year marks the 200th anniversary of the establishment of the large land grants in the Paterson district, too.
“Tragically, this caused the displacement of the local Aboriginal peoples from these lands,” Dr Archer said.
“In fact, March, in 1822, was the month when James Webber started at Tocal with his first four convicts.
“It is a milestone we need to recognise but there is also a need to reflect on the upside and downsides, which the next two centuries brought to the district.
“A foreign regime displaced a race who had lived on and with these lands for thousands of years, with a massive impact on Aboriginal people.”
The Paterson Courthouse Museum with its extensive display of district history and memorabilia will be open as well.
The cost for the walk is $10 per adult including museum entry and afternoon tea.
There is no charge for children.
Bookings are not required.
The walk starts at the museum at 1pm.
A hat and walking shoes are recommended, while reasonable mobility is required.
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