NSWPlanned settlement
Port Macquarie
A coastal prison settlement turned seaside regional town.
1821Penal settlement established
WHAT STARTED IT
Governor Macquarie wanted another penal settlement. Captain Francis Allman arrived with convicts at the Hastings River mouth in 1821, where clearing, construction and farming were intended to support the new establishment.
WHAT SUSTAINED IT
Convict labour created an early town and its buildings, including St Thomas’ Church. Free settlement opened around 1830, shifting the place towards agriculture and trade before tourism transformed its coastal appeal.
TURNING POINTS
1821The penal settlement is established.
1830The district opens to free settlers.
2021Port Macquarie commemorated 200 years since the penal settlement was established.
WHAT IT DOES NOW
A coastal regional centre with beaches, visitor businesses and surviving convict-era landmarks. The early settlement can still be traced around the town centre.