Monkerai, New South Wales

Monkerai is a large rural area in the hills in the land between Dungog and Gloucester in Mid-Coast Council, in the Hunter Region, New South Wales, Australia.

Monkerai was traditionally timber and dairy country but in subsequent years has become grazing country. In 1981 the Tanelorn Music Festival was held on the property "Riverwood Downs" at Monkerai hosting 30,000 patrons. Riverwood Downs Mountain Valley Resort is now a major tourist resort and is the largest employer in the area.

Monkerai is in the foothills of World Heritage Barrington Tops and is surrounded by state forests and national parks, including the Black Bulga State Conservation Area. It boasts the following attractions - a public hall and a historic bridge.

Heritage listings[edit]

Monkerai has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

101 Main Road: Monkerai Bridge over Karuah River^[1]

Historical records of Monkerai[edit]

The Greville's Post Office Directory of 1872 lists the following details for Monkerai^[2]

"Distance 142 miles North of Sydney.
Mail closes at General Post Office Monday 5.30 p.m.
Mail arrives at Post Town Wednesday 5 p.m.
Mail leaves for Sydney Wednesday 10.30 a.m
Mail arrives at Sydney Saturday evenings.
Route Steamer to Raymond Terrace, coach Stroud, 15m. Monkerai; or via steamer
Clarence Town, 18m. Monkerai."

SURNAME	CHRISTIAN	OCCUPATION	ADDRESS
BARKWILL	William	farmer	Monkerai
BUGG	James	farmer	Monkerai
COWAN	Colin	farmer	Monkerai
COWAN	Donald	farmer	Monkerai
FORBES	William	farmer	Monkerai
FROST	James	grazier	Monkerai
GRANT	Robert	farmer	Monkerai
HIGGINS	Peter	farmer	Monkerai
MINNES	Roderick	farmer	Monkerai
MRAE	Donald	farmer	Monkerai
MRAE	Elizabeth	farmer	Monkerai
MRAE	Malcolm	farmer	Monkerai
MARTIN	John	farmer	Monkerai
MARTIN	Richard	sawyer	Monkerai
MARTIN	William	farmer	Monkerai
MOORE	Edward	farmer	Monkerai
MOORE	John	labourer	Monkerai
MOORE	William	farmer	Monkerai
MOSS	Miles	teacher	Monkerai
MUDDLE	John	labourer	Monkerai
RELTON	James	farmer	Monkerai
TITCUME	George	farmer	Monkerai
TITCUME	William	farmer	Monkerai
TOMS	John	farmer	Monkerai
WILKINSON	James	farmer	Monkerai

The list shows 26 individuals or families residing officially in Monkerai in 1872.
There is a Moores Rd and Moores Creek in Monkerai, which may be connected to the Edward, John or William Moore listed.

The James Bugg listed is the father of Mary Ann Bugg who lived occasionally in the area and is mostly known for her time spent as a bushranger and her relationship with Captain Thunderbolt.

References[edit]

^ "Monkerai Bridge over Karuah River". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01475. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.
^ Greville, 1872. Greville's official post office directory of New South Wales, Greville & Co., Sydney: p339

32°15′13″S 151°51′30″E / 32.25361°S 151.85833°E / -32.25361; 151.85833

[nswshr-1475-1] "Monkerai Bridge over Karuah River". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01475. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.

[2] Greville, 1872. Greville's official post office directory of New South Wales, Greville & Co., Sydney: p339

[1]

[2]

v t e Towns, suburbs and localities of Mid-Coast Council, in the Hunter & Mid North Coast Regions, New South Wales
Towns, suburbs and localities	Alderley Alderley Creek Allworth Back Creek Bakers Creek Barrington Baxters Ridge Belbora Bennetts Head Bennys Tops Berrico Bindera Black Head Blueys Beach Bobin Bohnock Bombah Point Boolambayte Boomerang Beach Booral Bootawa Booti Booti Bowman Bowman Farm Bretti Brimbin Bucca Wauka Bulahdelah Bulby Brush Bulga Forest Bulliac Bundabah Bundook Bungwahl Bunyah Bunyah Upper Burgess Beach Burraduc Burrell Creek Cabbage Tree Island Caffreys Flat Callaghans Creek Caparra Cape Hawke Caramea Carrington Cedar Party Cells River Charlottes Bay Clareval Cobark Coneac Coolongolook Coomba Coomba Bay Coomba Park Coopernook Cooplacurripa Copeland Coralville Corroboree Flat Craven Craven Plateau Cravens Creek Crawford River Croki Crowdy Bay National Park Crowdy Head Cundle Flat Cundletown Cureeki Creek Curricabark Darawank Dewitt Dewrang Diamond Beach Dingo Forest Dirty Creek Dollys Flat Doon Ayre Dumaresq Island Dungog Dyers Crossing Elands Elizabeth Beach Failford Faulkland Fernhill Firefly Forbesdale Forster Forster Keys Forster Waters Friendship Key Gangat Gereeba Island Ghinni Ghinni Giro Girvan Glen Ward Glenthorne Gloucester Gloucester River Gloucester South Gloucester Tops Green Point Hallidays Point Hannam Vale Harrington Hawks Nest Heatherdale Hillville Invergordon Johns River Johnsons Creek Jones Island Karaak Flat Karuah Kauthi Khatambuhl Kia Ora Killabakh Killawarra Kimbriki Kippaxs Kiwarrak Knorrit Flat Knorrit Forest Koorainghat Krambach Kundibakh Kundle Kundle Langley Vale Lansdowne Lansdowne Forest Legges Camp Lime Kiln Limeburners Creek Lower Bowman Manning Point Mares Run Markwell Marlee Maudville Mayers Flat Melinga Mernot Milbrook Mill Creek Upper Minimbah Mitchells Island Mograni Creek Mograni Mondrook Monkerai Mooral Creek Moorland Moppy Moto Mount George Mount Peerless Mungo Brush Myall Lakes Myall Upper Myra Nabiac Nerong New Forster Newells Creek Nooroo North Arm Cove North Pindimar Nugra Nugramudgee Number One Old Bar Oxley Island Pacific Palms Pampoolah Pindimar Pioneer Park Pipers Bay Pitlochry Possum Brush Purfleet Rainbow Flat Rawdon Vale Red Head Rocky Crossing Rookhurst Rosenthal Saltwater Sandbar Seal Rocks Smiths Lake South Pindimar Stewarts River Stratford Stratford South Strathcedar Stroud Stroud Road Sugarloaf Point Tahlee Tallwoods Village Tamboy Taravale Tarbuck Bay Taree Taree South Tea Gardens Telegherry Terreel The Bight The Branch Tibbuc Tinonee Tiona Tipperary Titaatee Creek Topi Topi Tugrabakh Tuncurry Upper Bowman Upper Karuah River Upper Lansdowne Upper Monkerai Violet Hill Waitui Wallabi Point Wallamba Island Wallanbah Wallingat Wallingat River Wallis Island Wallis Lake Wang Wauk Wapra Wards River Warranulla Washpool Wattley Hill Waukivory Waukivory Upper Weismantels Wherrol Flat Whoota Willina Winda Woppa Wingham Wirradgurie Woko Wootton Yagon Yagon Beach Yarratt Forest Yumbunga
Rivers and other waterways	Avon River Barnard River Barrington River Bowman River Coolongolook River Cooplacurripa River Crawford River Curricabark River Gloucester River Karuah River Mammy Johnsons River Manning River Myall Lakes Myall River Smiths Lake Telegherry River The Branch River Wallamba River Wallingat River Wallis Lake Wards River
National parks	Barrington Tops National Park Booti Booti Ghin-Doo-Ee Myall Lakes Wallingat
Other places and points of interest	Broughton Island Cape Hawke Gloucester Tops Mitchells Island Oxley Island Port Stephens Singing Bridge Tahlee historic property Tops to Myall Heritage Trail