In the History of Australia ,the Macleay Valley on the mid-north coast of New South Wales remained hidden until the mid 1820s from all but its Aboriginal people. Members of the Dunghutti Language Group were the custodians of this beautiful region and descendants still live in the valley.
John Oxley, explorer and navigator failed to realise the potential of this great river in 1820 when he did not sail far enough up the river to see the magnificent stands of timber and the fertile land. The river was vaguely referred to as the New River from descriptions given by Aborigines. In 1826 Captain Wright travelled overland from Port Macquarie and explored to the head of navigation at Belgrave Falls, a series of rapids to the west of the present town of Kempsey.
Then called Wrights River, the peace was disturbed by cedar cutters who arrived in 1827. The timber cutting was sanctioned by Major Innes, Commandant of Port Macquarie Penal Settlement who officially named the river Macleay as a tribute to the Colonial Secretary Sir Alexander Macleay.
The year 1836 saw the first resident settle where Kempsey was laid out by Enoch William Rudder. The name was given by Rudder who remarked that the river country reminded him of the scenery around the English town of Kempsey in Worcestershire.
Immense grazing runs were soon established in the valley and in the hilly up-river country. Convict workers were assigned to pastoralists to tend sheep and cattle.
The prized timber particularly the cedar was the lure for many settlers. The Government of the day decided to regulate the trade and introduced licences to fell timber and a duty was imposed. It was difficult to keep track of illegal sawyers and in 1839 a Commissioner for Crown Land was stationed in the town in charge of a small force called the Border Police. By this time squatting stations were increasing and the land was under licence or lease for an annual rental.
Shipbuilding came with the sawyers and soon shipyards were established along the river.
The main transport was by ocean going sailing vessels that came as far as Kempsey. One of the dangers feared by pioneers was the dread of shipwreck. Even after the arrival of steam powered ships on the Macleay, commencing with the New Moon in 1858, sea travel remained perilous almost to the end of that century.
The beef industry and maize growing gained prominence and after the turn of the 20th century dairying became important to the economy.