Port Macquarie Museum

02/06/2026

Object of the Week.
Postcard, The Big Bull, 1990s. The Big Bull was a large (14m x 21m) fibreglass model Holstein Friesan bull complete with a pair of swinging testicles. Located at Redbank, just off the Oxley Highway, the tourist attraction opened in 1987. The Big Bull included an animal nursery, children's playground, educational hayride, gift shop and restaurant. Dairy farmer John Eggert built the attraction on his working farm to draw more tourists to the area. The Big Bull was one of Australia's 'big things' and whilst many of them are now works of folk art and have been heritage-listed, not so The Big Bull, it was demolished in 2007.
Whilst we are closed for repairs and conservation works, you can explore more of Port Macquarie's tourism history at our online exhibition: Tourists Paradise https://touristsparadise.com.au/.

28/05/2026

Port Macquarie Nippers and supporters, May 1971. The photo was taken at the annual presentation day of the Port Macquarie Juvenile SLSA held at Flynn's Beach. Neil Smith was named 'Nipper of the Year' and Grant Mitchell won the overall handicap point score for the second year in succession.

27/05/2026

Over the past week, we have been preparing the ground floor rooms of our historic Store building for repairs and conservation works. They are now ready for the builders to commence work.

26/05/2026

Object of the Week.
Australian made souvenir boomerang printed with an invitation to the official launch of the 1994 Tooheys Challenge Cup held at Ayers Rock Resort Yulara on 27 January 1994. Keith Uptin [1938-2021] received the invitation in his capacity as an Alderman of Hastings Council and attended the event.

The Tooheys Challenge Cup was a knockout competition run by the NSW Rugby League between 1978 and 1995. Competition matches were hosted by capital cities and regional towns across Australia. including Port Macquarie. Two Round 1 competition matches were played at the Regional Stadium on 12 February 1994 in front of 7,562 spectators. The Dragons defeated the Sharks 7-6 and the Rabbitohs defeated the Magpies 16-10.
New South Wales Rugby League Greater Port Macquarie

21/05/2026

Oxley Beach and the Flagstaff, 1971. At the time it was noted a big slip on the southern side of the Flagstaff had started where a shelf had been cut to carry a septic pipeline from the High School. Public Works had called for tenders to remove the disused septic line and there were community calls for remedial work to the headland to stop the scenic landmark from slowly slipping away.

19/05/2026

Object of the Week.
Toothbrush, c1830s made of bone with engraved handle. The badger hair bristles, which would have been secured by wire, are missing.

This toothbrush is from a collection of archaeological finds excavated at the former Bob Todd Holden site, 18-20 Clarence Street, Port Macquarie in 2007. The finds provide evidence of occupation of the site until the 1860s and analysis reveals a high level of affluence of the occupants.

The site was the location of Port Macquarie's first Post Office, a weatherboard building, erected between 1825 and 1826 to serve the Port Macquarie Penal Settlement. By 1836 a house had been built on the allotment fronting Clarence Street. This house was the family home of Stephen Partridge [1793-1878] Superintendant of Convicts from 1821 to 1830 and then from 1836 to 1846.

This week is National Archaeology Week. You can read more about Port Macquarie's archaeology and the history of Clarence Street, in our new publication 'Clarence Street Port Macquarie'. Available for purchase at BOOK FACE Port Macquarie, or through our website, and also available for loan from Port Macquarie Hastings Libraries.

17/05/2026

14/05/2026

League match between Port Macquarie and Wauchope at Westport Park, May 1971. The young Port Macquarie team defeated the competition favourites Wauchope, 16-14, in what was described as the 'greatest upset of the season'.

12/05/2026

Object of the Week.
Celluloid and tin button badge featuring portrait photographs of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, produced to commemorate their coronation and raise funds for the Hastings District Hospital, Port Macquarie in May 1937.

This badge is one of 1000 badges ordered and produced for the Hastings District Hospital Coronation Appeal. At the time, the community hospital received only small government operating grants with fund raising and public donations vital to keeping the hospital open.

School children, encouraged by their teachers, sold most of the hundreds of badges sold across the District, at a price of 1 shilling each. It appears that only 500 of the badges were sold. Whilst numerous other souvenirs were produced to commemorate the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the button badge was the most affordable.

07/05/2026

Port Macquarie Historical Cemetery garden, May 1971. Port Macquarie Municipal Council had just won the 'Herald' award for the best park over two acres on the Mid North Coast of NSW for the Cemetery garden. The Herald commenting that the garden 'continues to attract many visitors and at the time of judging was having several fresh plantings of annuals in its many beds'.