| FLAME TREES AND JACARANDAS | BIG RIVERS |
 CROWN MOTEL GRAFTON |
 BELLINGER SHIRE COUNCIL AND MUSEUM |
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While other elements of the family are travelling far and wide, we took a trip down the Mid North Coast. First stop was the CLARENCE , the huge river of which I have known so little till this year. I don’t know of any family contact in Grafton but it was RICHARD CRAIG (not known to be connected to us) who having escaped Moreton Bay as a young convict ,lived for a time with the Aboriginal People of the Coast and then having found his way to white settlement led the first known party of white folk back over the mountains to the Clarence. Also one of the Sanders Lads, my Great Uncle,brother of Grandfather John George Sanders, was named CLARENCE MACLEAY SANDERS. |
From Grafton we went South to the BELLINGER which IS significant to the Family. BRAITHWAITES are early settlers in this town. Joyce and Bruce Bell spent their honeymoon in Urunga at the Mouth of the Bellinger and the family have lived on Bellinger since the early 1970s and married into local families. Kati B and IMM live there now as do the BRAITHWAITES – Doreen and Gordon.
KALANG HILLS |
 HUT MUSEUM IN MACKSVILLE ON THE NAMBUCCA. From Kalang on the Bellinger – well actually on the KALANG which is one arm thereof – we took a day trip to Bowraville and MACKSVILLE where my father BRUCE SANDERS spent childhood holidays at the home of his cousins, the ROWE family.
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 WATER RAT RIVER CRUISES AT URUNGA ON THE BELLINGER.  METHODIST SECTION OF URUNGA CEMETERY LOOKING OUT TO SEA OVER THE LAGOON. |
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BOATSMAN’S COTTAGE SOUTH WEST ROCKS |
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FROM the Bellinger we went south to South West Rocks to see the Boatsmen’s Cottages where one of the Sanders went to live after the mouth of the Macleay was changed. Took a look at TRIAL BAY GAOL and then came on through KINCHELA on the MACLEAY, the Macleay being one of the major rivers in the family history, |
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 A RESTORED HOUSE IN KINCHELA. |
 HISTORY OF KINCHELA CREEK. |
 ACROSS THE MACLEAY NEAR KINCHELA |
 SMITHTOWN HALL |
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On the Macleay past Kinchela is SMITHTOWN. Pete Lawson from PASPALUM wrote a song about SMITHTOWN his home song and its on the STICKY GRASS PUDDING PASPALUM CD. |
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 FREDO PIE SHOP FREDERICKTON |
We pressed on for lunch to Frederickton, where the SANDERS family and many connections are laid to rest. Lunch, I decided was worth a try at FREDO’s PIES even as Vegetarians. Haven’t seen it for a good few years and it is expanded without losing any flavour at all. Good Seating, delightful service and a range of vego pies which perfectly suited our taste. That on top of all the meat varieties. For dessert – GRAMMAR PIE with REAL CREAM. |
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Thence to FREDERICKTON CEMETERY. I was told years ago that it was because of flood danger that the Cemetery was set here on the hill and not on the flat ground near the river in Kinchela and other low lying areas. |
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HEADSTONES AT FREDERICKTON CEMETERY |
EDRED SANDERS
