Wednesday 2 July 2014
The city of Grafton is the commercial hub of the Clarence River Valley. Established in 1851, Grafton features many historic buildings and tree-lined streets. Located approximately 630 kilometres north of Sydney and 340 km south of Brisbane, Queensland, Grafton and the Clarence Valley can be reached by road, rail or air. At the 2006 census, Grafton had a population of 17,501 people. Before European settlement, the Clarence River marked the border between the Bundjalung and Gumbainggir nations, and so descendants of both language groups can now be found in the Grafton region. Grafton, like many other settlements in the area, was first opened up to white settlement by the cedar-getters. An escaped convict, Richard Craig, 'discovered' the district in 1831. With the wealth of 'red gold' cedar just waiting for exploitation, he was given a pardon and one hundred pounds to bring a party of cedar-getters on the cutter 'Prince George' to the region. Source
