Things to do in the suburb of Spencer: CWA develops tourist guide
If you take a drive to Spencer, the first thing you ask the local store is ‘what is there to do here?’ Now all the hidden gems and historical tales have been revealed by the local CWA.
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The hidden gems and folklore of Spencer have finally been revealed, from the tranquil fishing and bushwalking spots to the fascinating history dating back to settlement.
It has been a pet project of the Country Women’s Association’s Mangrove Mountain evening branch to get the word out about Spencer.
The branch has teamed up with the Spencer Village Store, unveiling a historical display of the area and designing a tourist drive to show the unique and fascinating sights.
It is called ‘When the River was a Highway’ to signify when the Hawkesbury River was the main thoroughfare that connected all the settlements.
“It all started when we heard people were coming into the store asking the owners, ‘what is there to see around here?’” evening branch president Judy Betteridge said.
“The tourist magazines only have the items of people who advertise.
“We wanted to show them more of the history, and formulated a tourist drive to see things.”
Mrs Betteridge said the aim was to show people points of difference as they left the shop, in both directions ending either in Wiseman’s Ferry or back in Kariong.
Some of these include the mangrove trees along the river, holiday locations, fishing spots, the Holy Trinity Church, the old Spencer school as well as bushland with Aboriginal carvings and the entrance to the beautiful Great North Walk.
“We have really enjoyed putting this together,” Mrs Betteridge said.
“This display supports the story of the history of this part of the Hawkesbury River.
“When Australia first settled, within a few weeks people were coming up the Hawkesbury to find a good place to settle on the river. Unfortunately many people don’t even know that we are here.”
The tourist drive gives a history of the area, back when there used to be sandy beaches along the Hawkesbury close to Spencer.
They eventually disappeared following the construction of Warragamba Dam which significantly changed the tides.
According to the locals, the sign came from the Dunkirk Hotel in Ultimo.
When it was undergoing renovations many years ago, someone took it upon themselves to take the sign and put it up in Spencer.
Spencer Village Store owners Andrew and Jacque Goodman said they were thrilled with the historical display at the store, and had a lot of interest from visitors as well as locals.
“This area has such an interesting history,” Mrs Goodman said.
The village store used to be the town hall, where dances and meetings were often held.
Mrs Betteridge said now was an ideal time to showcase the history of the area.
“People can come for the day, walk the Great North Walk, go to the pub at Wiseman’s Ferry and take in the history,” she said.
“Spencer is really a hidden gem.”
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