Centenary or Water Gate
Henry F Halloran left an enduring legacy to the people of Port Stephens and in particular to Tanilba Bay. The gates at both ends of the Avenue of the Allies, the Water of Centenary Gate, and the Land Gate are 2 of the physical features that were part of this legacy.
The gates were constructed during the years when the Great Depression when land sales had taken a downturn, Henry Halloran’s attention
What are the Gates Made Of?
Both the Centenary or Water Gate and the Land Gate were built from round and broken quartz porphyry embellished white felspar and held together by cement. The stone was gathered from the Tanilba foreshore and from a quarry at Mallabula.
The mode of construction included pointed joints.
Plaques Added to Water Gate
Henry Halloran had a deep interest in history which motivated him to add 4 plaques to the Water Gate.
- One commemorates the discovery and naming of Port Stephens by Captain James Cook on 11 May 1770.
- Another commemorates Australia’s first naval battle between HMAS Sydney and the German cruiser Emden at the Cocos Islands on 9 November 1914.
- The next commemorates Lieutenant William Caswell’s grant of land on 31 March 1831. He was the first white settler granted land in the area.
- Finally, a plaque commemorating the completion of the gates in 1931.
