Residents Revel In Relaxing Lifestyle

Newcastle Herald

Friday July 22, 2005

GABRIEL FOWLER

THE seaside fishing village of Harrington, characterised by a long breakwall stretching along the Manning River, is home to about 2000 people.

Its population is likely to more than double soon.

At its western extremity is a major development, Harrington Waters, of 1100 housing blocks on 172 hectares by the river.

Several hundred residents have moved in to the development, which includes a shopping centre and a marina.

The development consists of duplexes, two-storey buildings, single-storey houses and adjoins a golf course under construction.

A larger shopping centre is on its way, across from the centre, as well as a tavern which is expected to open in January.

New Vision Realty principal Darrell Roche said the Harrington Waters development had been "pretty well received".

"The development has been established for between four and five years and in that time 200 homes have been built," he said.

"The whole emphasis has been on a lifestyle."

One of the first inhabitants of Harrington Waters, Barry Skinner, said he could not be happier.

Mr Skinner moved to Harrington from Wingham, where he had lived for 44 years, when the timber yard he was running was closed down.

"I know the secrets of Harrington," he said.

"I know what a nice place it is. There's always something to do."

Mr Skinner plays tennis, golf, rides a pushbike and is busy socially.

He said there had been a "fair bit" of controversy over the development but he regarded Harrington Waters as a well designed, upmarket development.

"What we have got is something that will lead to some of the services that we want here, such as a police station," he said.

"We could have had a developer come in here and cut it up into little squares and sell it off, and instead we have had a developer come in and put a lot of thought into it and come up with something very special."

Joan Hall, a longer-term resident of Harrington, said little had changed in Harrington, except for the rising price of real estate.

The house in which she and her husband Charlie Sumner have lived for 26 years is no exception. They bought their block of land for $26,000.

There were only four other houses in the street which now has houses on most lots.

"This area hasn't changed so much except there's more traffic and because of Harrington Waters we have more of a mix of people, a younger group of retirees," Ms Hall said.

HARRINGTON

POPULATION: 2000

GROWTH: 1.55 per cent

(LGA-wide between 1996 and 2001)

HISTORY:

? In 1818 famous explorer John Oxley conferred

the name Harrington Lake on what he thought

was an inlet.

? The fi rst settlers were looking for good agricultural

land, but fi nding rich stands of red cedar, timbercutters

opened up the valley in the late 1820s.

? The Manning River had one of the most treacherous

bars; more than 50 ships were wrecked here.

? A maritime pilot, appointed in 1860, and his crew

guided many ships safely across the bar and

rescued passengers and crew.

? Between 1894 and 1904 a breakwater wall was

constructed at the mouth of the river. Harrington

achieved village status in 1896.

? Harrington?s lovely beaches and opportunities

for safe water sports made it popular with

holiday-makers, especially from Hunter Valley

mining towns.

? A school opened in 1872, closed and reopened

several times.

? In 1920 mail was delivered by coach.

? Power was connected in 1950 and town water in

1969.

? The rutile sand mining industry began in the early

1950s and closed in 1992.

(Source: Local historian and author Rebecca Linton)

© 2005 Newcastle Herald

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