Postkiwi

We’ve just spent a few days down south in Maclean - Australia’s Scottish town in northern New South Wales, Australia.

It was almost like being home in Southland, New Zealand. Much of the area around Maclean, on the Clarence river, was settled by Highlanders driven from their land during the Highland clearances. Around the streets today you can see evidence of the tartans of Scotland. The street signs are in English and in Gaelic. Power poles are painted in the various Highland tartans. There are three poles in MacLeod colours, one in the yellow of Lewis and two in the Ancient colours of MacLeod of Macleod.

The town is full of traditional buildings. There’s the Free Presbyterian Church (Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia) which has been in continuous use since 1867. It originally held worship in two languages: Gaelic and English. The Methodist church established in 1890 is now the Uniting Church. And then of course there are the Presbyterian, Baptist (1907), Salvation Army (1901) Anglican and Catholic (1890) churches. The cemetery is divided into Anglican, Methodist, Salvation Army and General. I didn’t see the Presbyterian and Catholic sections.

We were there at the right time to attend the annual art and craft festival which gave us a chance to meet a few of the locals. I had a chat with the Special Emergency Service volunteer about the history of flooding in Maclean. And with the local woodturner who spinned a few yarns with another tradesman on their involvement in the local building industry. The time to go back is Easter when Maclean hosts the Highland Games.