Coraki, New South Wales

Coraki New South Wales
The Coraki Hotel on Richmond Terrace, Coraki's main street
Coraki
Population:	1,180(2006)[1]
Established:	1849
Postcode:	2471
Coordinates:	28°59′S 153°18′E / 28.983°S 153.3°E / -28.983; 153.3Coordinates: 28°59′S 153°18′E / 28.983°S 153.3°E / -28.983; 153.3
LGA:	Richmond Valley Council
State District:	Clarence
Federal Division:	Page

Coraki is a small town that sits on the confluence of the Richmond and Wilson Rivers in northern New South Wales, Australia in Richmond Valley Shire. At the 2006 census, Coraki had a population of 1,180 people.^[1] The name Coraki is derived from Bundjalung Gurigay, meaning The meeting of the waters.^[2]

Coraki is positioned centrally to the hub of the Summerland Way Casino (30 kilometres east), the regional city of Lismore (25 kilometres south) and the popular tourist beachside location of Evans Head Evans Head (25 kilometres west). Like many other towns in the area, it is a hub for the local agricultural industries such as cattle, sugar cane and tea tree oil.

Coraki is the home of the annual Coraki Art Prize (formerly the Coraki Tea Tree Art Prize), an art competition and exhibition open to all artists and including painting, drawing, photography, sculpture and printmaking, held late October. Each year, a major fundraising event for the Art Prize, the Coraki Trivia Night is held July/August at the Coraki Golf Club and MC'd by Senator John Faulkner.

In 2010, the first Dylanfest celebrated the music, art and petry of Bob Dylan in October at the Coraki Hotel.

Annually in November, the Tweed Water Skiing Club converges on the Richmond River to contest the 'Coraki Assault' race.

Coraki is a small village with many community facilities: Campbell Hospital, Coraki Fire Station, Coraki Public School, St Joseph's Public School, St Joseph's Church, Coraki Uniting Church, Coraki Anglican Church, Coraki Community Hall, the Rural Transaction Centre, Mid-Richmond Museum, Coraki Library, post office, Mid-Richmond Retirement Village, cemetery, hockey fields, tennis courts, skate park, boat ramp, and the Memorial Park with barbecue, playground and picnic facilities aligning the 'healing stones' riverside path. At the western boundary of Coraki township lies Box Ridge, an indigenous community.

In addition, Coraki has a small and strong contingent of local businesses: the historic Coraki Hotel and Club Hotel, Coraki Bowling Club, Coraki Golf Club, Coraki Butchery, Coraki Bakery, Coraki Pharmacy, Coraki Newsagency and Laundrette, 5 Star Supermarket, Secondhand & Old Wares (antique store), Coraki Hairdressing, Coraki Top Shop, Coraki Medical Centre, Catfish Cafe, Willy Warnes Canvas Creations and Coraki Rural and Hardware Supplies.

The village was founded by William Yabsley in 1849 when Lismore was only a small cattle station and Casino had only one store and a hotel. Yabsley and his family obtained the lease to Brook Station and established the first permanent settlement. He built his shipyard just above The Junction, as it was first called. Many ships and river boats were launched there and Yabsley opened a store for provisions for the cedar cutters who came to the district. Transport at the time was almost entirely by water and Coraki was the busiest port on the Richmond River.

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  Welcome sign on the outskirts of Coraki.

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  Junction of the Richmond and Wilson rivers at Coraki.

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  Tea tree plantation near Coraki.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Coraki (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2006 Census QuickStats. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/LocationSearch?collection=Census&period=2006&areacode=UCL122200&producttype=QuickStats&breadcrumb=PL&action=401. Retrieved 12 July 2009. 
2. ^ Sharpe, Margaret. "Bundjalung". Macquarie Aboriginal Words. Sydney: Macquarie Library. p. 21.