Cape Town Lens: Alstonville. Near Lismore NSW. The first Anglican Church opened in 1896. This fine sandstone church with high vaulted ceilings was built in 1915.The interio view of the staied glass in the rose window. .

A Cape Town District Six Museum tagged image from photographer – denisbin as published on Flickr.

Alstonville. Near Lismore NSW. The first Anglican Church opened in 1896. This fine sandstone church with high vaulted ceilings was built in 1915.The interio view of the staied glass in the rose window. .

Image by denisbin

Alstonville on the plateau. 5,000.
In 1828 when NSW needed new lands for settlers Governor Ralph Darling sent Captain Rous to the north coast to find some. Rous discovered a river which he boated up for 32 kilometres and he named it after a friend, Charles Duke of Richmond. He named a nearby headland Lennox Head after the Duke of Richmond’s family name. Settlement emerged along the river banks (the Richmond and Wilson) but west of what is now Ballina was an escarpment which deterred settlers. From the bottom in just 3 kilometres the escarpment rose 150 metres. The top became Alstonville. On the plateau at the top were thousands of acres of impenetrable rainforest of Australian Red Cedar and other timbers across to the Nightcap Ranges where the tallest peak is 933 metres high. The cedar cutters set up camps on the plateau in the early 1860s. The first white settlers on the plateau were Andrew & Thomas Freeborn and family from Ireland who settled in 1865. Within two years many others followed. The district was called Duck Creek Mountain but this was changed to Alstonville in 1873. Why? Because in 1872 a settler name Perry, whose wife’s maiden name was Alston, opened a general store. He called his property Alstonville after his wife. Settler’s petitioned the government for a Post Office in his store in 1872 and it was Alstonville Post Office from 1st January 1873. Although it was back breaking work to clear the land and deforest it, the fertile volcanic soils made it worthwhile. From the early years sugar cane, arrowroot, peanuts and later tropical fruits were grown. But most farmers also had dairy herds. Today the district is known for its macadamias and avocado plantations. Summerland Farm and visitor’s centre retails local produce and employs around 100 people. It began in 1972.

By the early 1880s Alstonville had six stores, two hotels, saw mills, nine sugar mills and in the 1890s four dairy factories opened. Some of the buildings from the 1890s and early 1900s remain. These include: – the former wooden Anglican Church (1897) which was moved to it’s present location in 1905, the current stone Anglican Church built in 1915 in The Avenue and Crawford House (1910) now a museum. In the Main Street from the eastern end roundabout you can see the former Commercial Bank built as a residence 1896 and leased as a bank from 1902, the wooden Post Office 1902( now 86 on Main), the Federal Hotel 1st January 1901, and the former Bank of NSW built in 1922. Veer to right and there is the Methodist (now Uniting) Church built in 1909 with the foundation stone laid by Mrs Crawford, next is the School of Arts building (1909) but now the R.S.L. and on the next corner is the former Shire Council Offices 1908. Next along the street is the former Presbyterian Church (1939 replacing an 1898 wooden church). Return to Main Street and turn right for the red brick 1955 Catholic Church and school and just beyond it is the Courthouse and Police station (1903). But most of central Alstonville is relatively recent