As explained in last week’s News Of The Area, the township used to be called Green Hills (also, Greenhills) but in 1947 the Postmaster General refused to make this official because the name was already taken.

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So after some toing and froing, Green Hills was renamed Bonny Hills on November 1, 1948.

The Bonny Hills Progress Association is celebrating what Ian has unearthed from the National Archives by raising a glass to the town at 6pm tonight, 1 November, at the Wauchope-Bonny Hills Surf Life Saving Club.

More of the town’s history will be shared, including this second-part of Ian’s “origin story”.

1880s – 1948

From records commonly quoted, Jack (A.D.) Suters of Wauchope visited the area known as Greenhills (now Bonny Hills) on horseback, in the 1880’s.

He is credited with bringing family members to camp, fish and relax for weekends and summer holidays.

Jack later purchased land and with family members, cleared an area.

He sold 20 acres (approx eight hectares) in 1933 to Tom Bartlett.

Tom farmed this area and had a major influence on the subsequent improvement of Green Hills.

He lobbied the Shire Council to build facilities so others could stay near the beach for holidays.

Tom’s son Arthur wrote his father’s memoir in 1991.

Called “The History of Green Hills – Bonny Hills” it explains the reason for the change of the village’s name.

Arthur recalled that in 1947, when the Adamsons had made an application for offices (a postal and telephone service) they received a letter from the Postal Department stating that until the village’s name was changed they couldn’t have the application approved as there were other places called ‘Green Hills’.

It is thought the first re-submitted application between 1947 and August 1948, included three names, including Suterville and Grants Head.

The Post and Telegraphs Director approved the name Suterville and also the allocation of funding for a trunk line from Laurieton to the postal office.

This PMG trunk cable was initially above ground (later moved underground) and was connected to the already established property of Bob and Tara Adamson on the corner of Jordan Avenue and Hill Street (near Bartlett Reserve.)

Grants Head Progress Association had preferred the name Grants Head as it was on all maps, and so a meeting was called.

“A woman visiting from Armidale, Ellie Young (nee Adamson) suggested ‘Bonny’ and as this was adopted by
the majority of the meeting, we were outvoted,” Arthur wrote in the memoir.

“This was the name submitted to the Postal Department and accepted, so the name Bonny Hills it was called.”

Mr Adamson could now arrange for the installation of a switchboard in the Bonny Hills Post Office.

It would add to his General Store business.

Locals wishing to be connected installed poles to carry wires to their homes and some women were trained to operate the “switch” to receive and direct phone calls.

As a postal service, the same business would receive mail, sort it and later be contracted to deliver it.

It is likely that residents continued to use the more familiar name “Green Hills” and even “Grants Head” when
referring to local news and events.

The Shire Clerk, in his monthly reports to the Hastings Shire Council meetings, continued into the 1950’s to refer to this community as Green Hills.

Earlier research using Trove online (the National Library) and reading copies of the Hastings Shire Gazette (1946-50), produced no evidence of i. A Government Gazette notification of the change of name from Green Hills, ii. An official opening, iii. The name change being recorded in any local newspapers, including Wauchope’s weekly publication of the Hastings Shire Gazette.

Finally, Mr Adamson himself, when deciding to sell the business in 1949, published an advertisement headed.

‘Post Office for Sale Green Hills – Bonny Hills’.

Bonny Hills

The Library’s record of the derivation of place names in the Port Macquarie-Hastings area includes the following:

“Bonny Hills: beachside town between Port Macquarie and Laurieton. Originally known by the European settlers as Greenhills.

“When [an] application was made to build a post office in 1947, the Postal Department wrote to say that as there were other localities known as Greenhills… another name was required before a post office could be built.

“At a special meeting of the Progress Association, the name Grants Head was proposed, however a women visitor suggested Bonny, which the majority of those voting adopted.

“This name was submitted to the Postal Department and accepted.

“Many disputed the choice thinking it should have been named Suterville after A.D. Suters, an early settler.

Another early settler, Tom Bartlett, preferred “Bartlettville.”

By Sue STEPHENSON and Ian RICHARDSON