A Taste of History: Butcher Boats and Colonial Rations

Join Max Burns-McRuvie an expert heritage guide as he reveals the stories of food on the Lower Hawkesbury River- from the Singleton's 1820's tidal mill at Mill Creek, Gunderman to cabbage tree huts, wheat and maize production and the early barter systems. Drawing from historical records and the diaries of Mrs Sarah Felton Mathews we walk and evoke the past.

We visit the route hacked out by the No 3 iron gang in 1827-1832 - one of Gov. Darling's 'Great Roads' at Finch's Line - now part of a joint World Heritage listing and finish at the enchanted bend of the Hawkesbury River known as Trollops Reach.

Our tour starts at the Hawkesbury Duck where we hear about the convict and colonial menu - wonga pigeon pie, hominy porridge, wallaby tail soup anyone? Taste a colonial brew and a native plant believed to be a cure for scurvy.

Our explorations continue to Finch’s line one of Governor Darling’s great routes from Sydney to the Hunter, abandoned in 1829. Hear about the rigours and rations of the no 3 chain iron gang hacking out the route north amidst an abundance of native yams, tubers, figs, grapes and berries regularly eaten by the local Aboriginal people. Walking here is moderate about 7kms return.

We travel to Mill Creek along the creek where Singleton’s tidal mill operated in the 1830s grinding wheat and maize for the convict stores. At Trollop Reach gain insights into the butcher and bread boats - the floating stores delivering food to the communities of the lower Hawkesbury when the river was the highway. A Taste of History is a Spencer hub event for the Harvest Festival, Central Coast Council.