Spencer Yarns-A Walking Tour

Visit Spencer 'the hub of the universe'. Enjoy a guided tour of the hidden histories of 'Fernleigh' and stories from the famous outdoor pub - the Dunkirk Hotel. Hear about the 1840s stone house on the hill built by 'Black Charlie', the Spencer Trading Company and the history of the floating stores and butcher boats when the river was the highway. Visit the site of 'Ma Hanna's' - the last active fishing boatshed on the river and hear stories of boatbuilding and the infamous Green Man Inn.

Join historyteller extraordinaire Max Burns-McRuvie as he regales you with tales - improbable - fabulous and mainly true. Our tour starts at the Hawkesbury Duck Spencer's new museum workshop space for a heritage morning tea where we hear stories of the characters and lives of 'Fernleigh' at the mouth of Mangrove Creek. Our trail meanders through Spencer village taking in Peter Rush's ephemeral sculpture Serenity and the one teacher school. We learn about boatbuilding on the river and the 19C trading boats when the river was the highway. Visiting the Dunkirk Hotel we may hear a yarn or two from a local as we survey the tales of Arthur Philip's landing at 'a marshy place' on his voyage in search of land, food and where in the world he was. Colonial stories, land speculation and resistance.