Camden Haven and Laurieton
Camden Haven
October 1818
Welcome to the Camden
Haven, a diverse landscape of mountains, rivers, lakes and beaches, rich in both plant and animal life.
View from North Brother
Culturally significant indigenous sites confirm the presence of Aboriginal people in this area prior to European settlement.
On the 12th May, 1770, Captain James Cook sailed past and named the local mountains, “The Three Brothers”.
The Camden Haven was later explored by John Oxley in October 1818. The area was settled by Europeans in the 1820s, the first settlers being Soldiers guarding the southern exit to the Port Macquarie Penal Settlement.
The Camden Haven became a thriving community by the late 1821 based on the area's fishing and timber resources. By 1900, the Camden Haven had become the major industrial area for the Port Macquarie-Hastings region. The area now supports a strong tourism industry based on its natural scenery and national parks.
Laurieton
Previously known as the Village of Camden Haven
Laurieton is the most important town in the Camden Haven area. It is scenically located at the base of Dooragan / North Brother Mountain at the mouth of the Camden Haven Inlet in a setting which combines coastal lakes, lagoons and waterways with bushland and some unique views of the Mid-North coastline.
The Aboriginal people have lived in this area for more than 9,000 years. The local area is controlled by the Bunyah Land Council.
Joseph Laurie J.P. (1832–1904) had timber interests in the Laurieton area in partnership with his brothers Andrew and Alexander. He moved to the area from Taree in 1872 and opened the first Laurieton Post Office at his property in Laurie Street on 1 Oct 1875.