Hannam Vale

Hannam Vale is a small village located in a forestry and dairy farming area on the Mid North Coast, about 25 miles (40 km) North-West of Taree in New South Wales, Australia.

Hannam Vale is a small village located in a forestry and dairy farming area on the Mid North Coast, about 25 miles (40 km) North-West of Taree in New South Wales, Australia.

Thirty years after the penal colony was established at Sydney, John Oxley, the colony's surveyor-general surveyed the Hastings and Manning River valleys for settlement.Soon after, woodcutters in search of the highly prized red cedar, pushed into the Stewarts River valley and the densely wooded valley that subsequently become known as Hannam Vale.

The first recorded selection of land was by Thomas Crossingham in the Stewarts River area in 1866. G.A Scott chose a block of 40 acres (160,000 m2) in 1873, but was unable to complete the purchase, so the block was regazetted in 1886 and purchased by J. H. Lambert.The first permanent settler in the valley was John Haydon who purchased 50 acres (200,000 m2) along the Stewarts River in 1882. Haydon's son Bill became known locally as the 'Cedar King'. He was the first woodcutter to use a truck as a hauler during the 1930s.

Other settlers followed the woodcutters into the valley, clearing land for growing crops such as maize, arrowroot, potatoes and vegetables. Most of the early settlers also planted a variety of fruit trees, especially oranges, and kept cattle for dairy farming.By the mid-1930s, dairy farming and logging had become the principal activities in the larger Hannam Vale area of Stewarts River, Hannam Vale and Waitui.

Hannam Vale was given its name by Francis Redman, who operated the post office. When he found that the name "Upper Stewarts River" was too long to fit on the mail stamp, he used his farm's name, "Hannam Vale", instead.Redman was also instrumental in having the Hannam Vale School's first teacher appointed by providing a residence on his property.Redman's son subsequently provided a half acre block of land on which the Hannam Vale Community Hall was erected.

The primary school was first established as a one-teacher "provisional" school in 1892. It was afforded permanent status and its original buildings erected in 1907; since then a number of other buildings have been added. Most recently, the Anglican Church in Hannam Vale was donated to the School and is now used as a school hall.