Alstonville

History

Europeans were first attracted to the area, known as the Big Scrub, in the 1840s by the plentiful supply of red cedar. It was not until 1865 that the first settlers selected land in the area, then known as the parish of Tuckombil. Some notable selections in the first five years include that of the Freeborn, Roberston, Graham, Newborn, Crawford, Mellis, and Newton families. By 1883 Alstonville boasted two pubs, six stores, two black-smiths, nine sugar mills, and four saw mills. The annual Anzac day parade starts at the Paddy Bugden Memorial, which is situated on Bugden Avenue. The village was originally known as "Duck Creek Mountain" after Duck Creek, which flows along the southern edge of town eventually merging with Emigrant Creek and the Richmond River. The name was given by the cedar cutters because of the abundance of wild duck on the upper tidal reaches of the creek. In 1873, due to conflict of the original name with a different duck creek the first postmaster and owner of the general store John Perry proposed the name "Alstonville". Alstonville, also the name of the Perry farm, was derived from Alston the maiden name of his wife Annie Alston.

Most-observed species

• Rainbow Lorikeet

  Trichoglossus haematodus (Linnaeus, 1771) · Aves
  5,828
• Australian Magpie

  Gymnorhina tibicen (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  5,817
• Lewin's Honeyeater

  Meliphaga lewinii (Swainson, 1837) · Aves
  5,590
• Torresian Crow

  Corvus orru Bonaparte, 1850 · Aves
  5,166
• Noisy Miner

  Manorina melanocephala (Latham, 1801) · Aves
  4,926
• koala

  Phascolarctos cinereus (Goldfuss, 1817) · Mammalia
  4,879
• Australasian Figbird

  Sphecotheres vieilloti Vigors & Horsfield, 1827 · Aves
  4,740
• Pied Currawong

  Strepera graculina (Shaw, 1790) · Aves
  4,701