IF you look at the two photos you will notice that a lot has changed in the 100 years since the 1894 photo was taken of the Salt Ash pupils and their teachers.

These pictures and hundreds of others are kept in the archives of the Port Stephens Family History Society based at the old Lemon Tree Passage School site on the top of the hill beside Club Lemon Tree.

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The society boasts numerous publications and they are well on the way in cobbling together their next book ‘Up the Tilligerry Creek and its Tracks’.

This follows the very successful ‘History and Heritage of Tanilba House’ (2019) which has recently been reprinted
They also need your help to fill in the gaps, particularly early photos and land title documents dating back to the 1830s.

Society president Denise Gaudion explains, “Such was the demand for our initial publication, ‘A History of the Tilligerry Peninsula’ (1996) that it went to a second imprint and rather than go to a third edition, we decided to expand on it.

“Our new book will include more pictures and references to land title holders,” she said.

“If any residents of the peninsula have old photos or mouldering title documents, we would be most grateful if you could share them with us.

“They would fill in the gaps and be preserved for future generations,” she added.

A simple search of ‘Port Stephens Family History Society’ will explain the activities of the society and Denise can be contacted on 0422 303 171.

By Geoff WALKER