Maclean Museum

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Maclean Museum Maclean District Historical Society collects stories, photos and family information so we can show our past history to future generations ( CLOSED XMAS)

We are a volunteer museum and historical Society where we showcase our past- for the future. We collect and also share the information, photos and family histories we store. (Research fee applies) We welcome anyone with a similar interest.

Most people who like museums would generally agree that old stuff is fascinating. Every now and then you have an item th...
12/10/2026

Most people who like museums would generally agree that old stuff is fascinating. Every now and then you have an item that is not just old, but comes with answers to the more interesting questions like who and when and where.

This 10/20 McCormick Deering tractor owned by the Maclean District Historical Society came to the Society in the 1990s with copies of the original purchase orders and family stories.

"Spikey" as it was known by the family and now the Museum, was acquired in 1937 for £240 cash and £100 trade-in on an older Fordson tractor. Its order specifications included "standard equipment" plus 52 five-inch "imported steel spade crips", which were spikes on the tractor wheels for extra traction in soft soils.

Spikey was shipped from Sydney on the North Coast Steam Navigation Co boat "Pulganbar" to local agent WR Davis of Harwood Island for Duncan Cameron of "Highfield", James Creek. Spikey also worked at the Camerons' Martins Point farm.

Maclean District Museum is open 9.00am - 12.00noon, Tuesday, 1.00pm - 4.00pm Wednesday and,1.00pm - 4.00pm Saturday.

Photo - another of Neville Cayley Snr's paintings in the Stone Cottage Museum in Maclean.Following our post about the So...
07/10/2026

Photo - another of Neville Cayley Snr's paintings in the Stone Cottage Museum in Maclean.
Following our post about the Society's painting by Neville Cayley Snr (Neville Henry Pen*ston Cayley 1854-1903) of Yamba Township 1886 featuring the SS Iolanthe, some folk sought clarification on his relationship to Neville Cayley Jnr (Neville William Cayley 1886-1950) who published the well-known book What Bird is That?
Neville Snr had married Lois Gregory in Sydney in 1885, and Neville Jnr was born in 1886 at "Kookaburra Cottage, Yamba, Clarence Heads" according to the Clarence and Richmond Examiner.
Neville Snr's paintings of Australian birds were included in the 1893 World Exhibition in Chicago and published as cards for Christmas that year.
The family moved to Sydney in the 1890s where Neville Jnr eventually studied art and became involved in the surf life saving movement. From the late 1910s he was publishing bird pictures culminating in What Bird is That? in 1931. One of his works was presented to King George V in 1932.
What Bird is That? was the first comprehensive field guide to Australian birds, combining both artistic merit and scientific observation. It became a best seller and continues in print today.
Neville Snr signed his works "Neville Cayley". Neville Jnr signed "Neville W Cayley".

Photo: Painting by Neville Cayley Snr, Yamba Township 1886, featuring the SS Iolanthe Iolanthe versionThe Maclean Distr...
28/09/2026

Photo: Painting by Neville Cayley Snr, Yamba Township 1886, featuring the SS Iolanthe

Iolanthe version

The Maclean District Historical Society collection includes a painting Yamba Township 1886 by Neville Henry Cayley (1854-1903), a noted artist and bird painter. The painting features the SS Iolanthe which had only commenced travelling on the Clarence River at Easter 1886. This boat was built in Sydney the previous year and served the Clarence River under different firms for much of the next forty years.

Neville Snr visited the Clarence River from the early 1880s and for a time he and his family lived at the Wooli Hotel in Yamba. The painting in the Society's collection was donated by a descendant of the hotel keeper Walter Black.

11/09/2026

On Tuesday 25 August the Maclean District Historical Society was host to a visit from the Hannah family. Three brothers had gathered from Perth, Melbourne and Sydney. A fourth brother from Brisbane was not able to attend.
The Hannah family wished to present to the Society a silver key given to their grandmother in 1926.
As the wife of Mayor E.D.T. Hannah, Mrs Hannah was Mayoress of Maclean and officially opened the Kitchen Block of the Lower Clarence Hospital on 21 October 1926. The Deputy Mayor Ald L.A. McDonald presided and presented a silver key to Mrs Hannah on behalf of the matron and nursing staff. She spoke of her own times as a patient in the hospital and the pride of her husband as a member of the Hospital Committee.
That little silver key has been treasured by the family since and the grandsons were keen to return it to Maclean. It comes in its original box, notably from F. Wicks & Co of the Goldsmith Hall, still identified as such in the main street of Maclean.

HISTORY WEEK 2026-Wanted for our records: Stories of the MV Beardmore for a planned display- email to museum@macleanhist...
04/09/2026

HISTORY WEEK 2026-Wanted for our records: Stories of the MV Beardmore for a planned display- email to [email protected].

04/09/2026

History Week starts 5th September.
Theme: Keeping Stories

PhotosCane exhibition showing shin sticks, trip hooks and gauging rodsTwo sides of 1893 medal from Maclean Show for loca...
25/08/2026

Photos
Cane exhibition showing shin sticks, trip hooks and gauging rods
Two sides of 1893 medal from Maclean Show for locally made sugar samples
One of the strengths of the Maclean Museum is its collection of artefacts relating to the Lower Clarence sugar cane industry. There is a current exhibition of cane industry photographs and a model of past cane festival queens in her regalia.
The permanent exhibitions include examples of the "gauging rods" used on the cane punts to measure how much water was displaced by the cane loaded into the punt. This enabled a calculation of the weight of the cane from which it was determined how much the farmers and cane cutters were paid. This system was used from the 1870s to the 1970s when river transport ceased.
The collection also includes examples of "trip hooks" used on cane derricks. Adam Albert from Tyndale developed the derrick as a means of loading bundles of cane into punts rather than having to carry it in armfuls or with a "shin stick" held against the body. When a bundle of cane was wrapped by wire rope attached to the derrick and lifted from a cart, the derrick was moved to position it over the punt. The trip hook was then released by throwing a stick of cane at it, dropping the cane bundle into the punt.
Mr Albert built a prototype around 1913 and derricks were rolled out across the banks of the Clarence cane fields in the 1920s. He spent much time perfecting the trip mechanism and expert derrickmen got very good at hitting it.
Amongst the many smaller items is one of the earliest medals from the Lower Clarence Agricultural Society - the Maclean Show. It was awarded in 1893 to Alex Anderson for a "collection of raw sugar" from his private mill at Warregah Island.

The Maclean Museum is open Tuesday 9.00am to 12noon, Wednesday 1.00 to 4.00 pm and Saturday 1.00 to 4.00pm

The Evan Fischer Trophy Collection.Maclean has a long and distinguished record of involvement in rowing and sculling.A v...
16/08/2026

The Evan Fischer Trophy Collection.

Maclean has a long and distinguished record of involvement in rowing and sculling.

A very fine collection of silver trophies is on display to commemorate Evan Fischer's time as World Champion sculler from 1953 to 1957. His 1950 Clarence River Championship Cup is also on display.

From his school boy days Evan Fischer regularly rowed a flat-bottomed boat from Chatsworth Island to Woombah School for himself and his siblings. His grandmother was a sister of the great Henry Searle (1866-89), world champion sculler in the 1880s.

Retiring as World Champion at the age of 26 in 1958, Fischer was undefeated and continued to hold both the large official RC Hagon Cup as well as his personal trophy. Fischer's backing in the championships came from the people of Maclean and he returned some of his winnings to the community, so it is fitting that his trophy collection is now on display at the Maclean Museum.

You can also see an original Butcher's Boat and a racing skiff displayed in the museum, and other items relating to Maclean High School rowing over the years.

The Maclean Museum currently has an exhibition of Girl Guides uniforms, badges, photographs and other artefacts. Based o...
10/08/2026

The Maclean Museum currently has an exhibition of Girl Guides uniforms, badges, photographs and other artefacts. Based on the collections of Robyne Plater, who has been active in the Guides all her life as well as encouraging her children and grandchildren to belong as well, the display includes a Camp Blanket and a hat covered in dozens of Guides badges.

Display books include extensive information about the activities of the Maclean Girl Guides, including a 1947 letter addressed to "My dear Guides of Maclean" from Olave Baden-Powell (1889-1977). At the time Baroness Baden-Powell was World Chief Guide and touring Australia. She wrote from Grafton that "it was jolly seeing you here at the Rally today", and referred to earlier correspondence she had written from England to the Maclean Guides.

The Brownies were also active in Maclean and the display includes a uniform from 1941. It belonged to seven-year-old Phyllis Phelps. There is a collection of excellent Brownies Diaries dating from 1940 to 1960 written by Miss Melba Eagleton known as "Barn Owl".

Address

Corner Of Wharf And Grafton Streets
Maclean, NSW
2463

Opening Hours

Tuesday 9am - 12pm
Wednesday 1pm - 4pm
Saturday 1pm - 4pm

Telephone

0266453416

Website

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