Nowra, NSW Australia

Leaving the coastal area, I followed the Shoalhaven River inland to Nowra, the regional hub for the Shoalhaven district. Nowra was settled by Europeans in 1857, with dairy farming and timber as the main industries. Prior to settlement, Nowra was inhabited by the Wodi-Wodi tribe of the Yuin nation, to whom the town’s name meant black cockatoo.  

There are several renowned historical figures in and around Nowra, beginning with Mary Reibey, who appears on Australia’s $20 note. Originally born Molly Haydock, Mary was convicted for stealing a horse in England when she was 13 and shipped to Australia in 1792 to serve as a nursemaid. She married at 17 and built a successful enterprise across various industries with her husband. Mary applied for a land grant in the early 1800s in Burrier, west of Nowra, where her descendants continue to live. Highly respected for her charitable works, Mary’s property in Macquarie Place, Sydney, was the founding location for the Bank of NSW. 

On the northern banks of the Shoalhaven River stands the Bundanon homestead, a double-storey 19th-century sandstone house, once the home of famous artist Arthur Boyd. Purchased in the 1970s and expanded to include a home studio, Boyd painted many Shoalhaven landscapes, capturing the region’s essence. His most significant work is the Great Hall Tapestry in Parliament House, Canberra. Measuring 65ft (20m) long by 30ft (9m) tall, the work features a forest of towering eucalyptus trees from Boyd’s home and pays homage to Australia’s distinctive bush landscape.

Adjoining Bundanon are several other properties, including Eearie Park, once occupied by equally famous artist and Boyd’s brother-in-law, Sir Sidney Nolan, known for his series of 27 paintings depicting bushranger and outlaw Ned Kelly. Another one of his significant works is the 65ft (20m) long mural of the 1854 Eureka Stockade, a miners’ uprising against oppressive mining licences and authority and the struggle for rights and reforms during colonial Australia. A very important event in the country’s history, the painting style was influenced by indigenous Australians’ sandpainting technique using a finger-and-thumb stroke. The artwork hangs in the Reserve Bank of Australia’s Melbourne office.

 

The last famous figure from the area is a Thoroughbred racehorse named Archer. One of the year's biggest events is the Melbourne Cup, where the city itself comes to a standstill as people flock to Flemington Racecourse not just for the race itself but also for the vibrant atmosphere, fashion, socialising, and celebrations accompanying this iconic event. Anyway, Archer was a reddish-brown stallion who arrived in 1860 at Nowra to be trained by Etienne de Mestre. A year later, Archer entered the inaugural 2mi (3km) Melbourne Cup. Neither Archer nor Etienne, as the trainer, was favoured at the races until Archer took first place, winning the very first Melbourne Cup. He won it once again in 1862. Archer has had 8 major wins in his racing career and, in 2017, was inaugurated in the Australian Racing Hall of Fame, while Etienne was added in 2002.