Maclean, New South Wales

Infobox Australian Place | type = town
name = Maclean
state = nsw


caption = Maclean main street
lga = Clarence Valley Council
postcode = 2463
est =
pop = 3,232
elevation=
maxtemp =
mintemp =
rainfall =
stategov = Clarence
fedgov = Cowper
dist1 = 658
dir1 = NE
location1= Sydney
dist2 = 46
dir2 = NE
location2= Grafton
dist3 = 18
dir3 = SW
location3= Yamba

Maclean is a town in Clarence Valley Local Government Area in the North Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. It is on the Clarence River and near the Pacific Highway. At the 2001 census, Maclean had a population of 3,232.Census 2001 AUS|id=UCL149200|name=Maclean (Urban Centre/Locality)|accessdate=2007-06-30|quick=on] Its industries are tourism, sugar cane production, farming and river-prawn trawling.

Maclean hosts a popular Highland Gathering each year, where participants contest traditional Scottish athletic and cultural competitions, such as caber tossing, highland dancing and the bagpipes. The local chamber of commerce has tapped into Maclean's strong Scottish origins and street signs are now written in English and Scottish Gaelic. Light poles are painted with argyle patterns.

History

The area was originally inhabited by the Gumbaingirr or Yaygir Aboriginal peoples. Matthew Flinders landed near the mouth of the Clarence River in 1789.

Cedar cutting began in the area in the 1830s. The Maclean area was known as Rocky Mouth in 1850s. The township was officially laid out in 1862 and named after Alexander Maclean, the Surveyor General. The sugar industry began to develop around 1865.

References

External links

* [http://www.heritageaustralia.com.au/search.php?state=NSW&region=11&view=585#a Australian Heritage Magazine]