TILLIGERRY TRACK

A street named after the shape of the peninsula. In the Worimi Aboriginal Nation’s Gathang language, the word means “tongue”, reflecting the peninsula’s shape when viewed from above.

Lithograph of Tanilba Bay, Port Stephens, by Henry F. Halloran. Sources: Jervis Bay Maritime Museum.

Tilligerry Track

Tilligerry Track is named after the Tilligerry area and was a bush track used by the Aboriginals and the first white settlers to move in and out of the area.

The peninsula is bounded by Port Stephens to the north-east, Tilligerry Creek to the south, and Nelson Bay Road to the west.

Plan of the Australian Agricultural Company 1828. Source: Port Stephens Family History Society.

Surveying the Tilligerry

The first person to survey the area was Deputy Survey Charles Grimes, who in 1795 was sent by Lieutenant Governor Paterson to undertake the work.

Although his map was inaccurate, it clearly shows Lemon Tree Passage and the Tanilba Bay shoreline. The area includes the villages of Oyster Cove, Tanilba Bay, Mallabula, Lemon Tree Passage and part of Salt Ash.

Getting to Tanilba Bay

Salt Ash is the gateway to the Tilligerry Peninsula and has served as a transport access since the early 1800s. As early as 1816, European settlement began, and the first land grant of 640 acres was taken up by James Smith of “Oakfield” in 1837.

Nestled along the pristine shores of the Port Stephens Marine Park, the Tilligerry Peninsula (the Tilligerry) is a haven of natural beauty, surrounded by State Conservation Areas, National Parks, and the serene mangroves of the Tilligerry Creek.

The Tilligerry name is derived from the Indigenous words ‘with tongue’, reflecting the aerial view of the peninsula’s shape.

Early Transport

By 1900 regular boat services from Salt Ash to other parts of Port Stephens were introduced. Travelling by roads was slow and tiresome, due to the deplorable condition of the area’s roads.

Water transport was the preferred means of conveying passengers, mail and fresh supplies as well as a means of getting local produce to market. Tiligerry Creek has been an integral part of the peninsula’s development and a key factor in the communication and servicing of the Myall River and Port Stephens district.