The Good Old Days – Along the Manning River and Great Lakes (Book 1)

Compiled and written by Jim Revitt

Introduction
“In recent years Australians have been looking at their past with a new awareness of their inheritance. As the nation approaches it’s bi-centenary, there is a growing sense of history that’s not restricted to those whose ancestors played a pioneering role.

In seeking out and understanding the roots of our heritage, it is very enriching to look at local history, as well as the people and events that dominated the national scene. The struggles and achievements of men and women far removed from the major centres of power and settlement are rich sources for anyone seeking a comprehensive picture of the past.

Unfortunately, very few pioneer communities in the bush were blessed with historians and diarists, and later generations recklessly destroyed much valuable material that had been handed down. Yet, despite these handicaps, there is still a great deal of useful historical material waiting to be salvaged by the custodians of local history. Happily, their ranks and resources are growing stronger.

In this book I’ve tried to record for wider appreciation some of the fascinating historical photographs of the past along the Manning River and Great Lakes, including Tuncurry and Forster. I’ve also endeavoured to background the photographs with historical facts, and colour them with human interest stories. A key objective has been to preserve some of these fast-fading images of an important era of our history and, in doing so, stimulate greater interest in local history. The book makes no pretension to be a definitive local history. That important task must eventually be taken by a trained historian.

The production of this book would not have been possible without the tremendous amount of work done over the years by members of the Manning Valley Historical Society, and I am deeply indebted to them. In return, I hope that sales of the book will financially benefit the Societies and encourage greater public support for their work.

I am indebted to the scored of photographers, most of them anonymous, who so faithfully and imaginatively recorded so many facets of the past. The photographs selected for this volume represent only a fraction of those now in public archives and private collections. Perhaps many more will be dug out of family collections as a result of this publication to provide additional material for another volume.

Every effort has been made to trace copyright and any possible infringement is regretted.

Jim Revitt

Second-hand book – fair – good condition

99 pages with black and white photographs

28cm x 21.5cm

Reprinted 1979 (now out of print)

Cost $25.00