Tour - Historic Uki Village - Walking Tour

Historic Uki Village - Walking Tour

Uki, New South Wales 2484, Australia

Created By: Uki and South Arm Historical Society

Tour Information

The walk has audio stories, and slider images for you to enjoy, so please consider downloading the Pocketsights app on your mobile device.

Background

The name Uki is taken from the Aboriginal name "yugoi", meaning ''bandicoot'' in the Ndunguwal language.

Unlike many other villages, Uki, according to a report of the Lands Department, was never officially proclaimed; "it just grew up".

On a map dated 1887, "In the event of a village being proclaimed here, the name Uki might be adopted". Land sales for blocks in Uki village were held on 13 December 1905.

By 1914 the village included;

general store,
school and a church,
Mechanics Institute and School of Arts,
the Norco butter factory,
E.S. & A. Bank,
two butchers and two blacksmiths,
hotel and billiard room,
post office,
guest house,
bakery and tea room and,
sawmill.

Let's get started and we hope you enjoy some stories from our past. You may even see Uki's ghost!

We thank the Tweed Regional Museum for their cooperation on access to the audio and images on this walking tour.

Tour Map

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What You'll See on the Tour

The Buttery, Uki

In 1908 local dairy farmers approached the North Coast Co-operative Butter Company to build a butter factory in Uki. They had sufficient shareholders to guarantee to supply enough cream to make two and a half tons of butter a week and by... Read more

The Uki Butcher

Before refrigeration, the cream carriers would bring in orders from the local farmers. Their meat order would be cut up and wrapped in butcher's paper, with the final layer, a page or two from the local newspaper. The local children would t... Read more

The Old Sawmill. - The Uki Timber Company

In 1909 Lou Parker purchased the sawmill from a firm on the Richmond for £48. The mill was transported by boat to Murwillumbah and then barged up Dunbible Creek. From there, it was loaded onto a bullock dray and travelled over from Stokers... Read more

Does Uki have a Ghost?

The two-storied timber house at 1442 Kyogle Road was built in 1960 for the McIntyre family from timber milled at the Kunghurloo Mill, Kunghur. The house opposite No. 1431 Kyogle Road was built as a residence for the Uki sawmill. Mr Lou Pa... Read more

The Circus Comes to Town

The Catholic Church once owned the paddock where Village &Co cafe now stands. When Gerald Parker donated the land where the current Catholic Church stands, funds from the sale of the paddock financed the church build. Bullocks and other... Read more

The War Memorial

Background The Uki War Memorial was designed by Sir John Sulman and built by Messrs Roberts and Davis of Lismore. The local Postmaster Charlie Milsom and general store owner Len Loder both WW1 Veterans were responsible for organising pu... Read more

Uki Public School

In1895, Rowlands Creek School opened in D. C. Marshall's barn on Rowlands Creek, with eight children enrolled. Children in the area were needed by their parents to milk cows and help on the farm, so the school was a 'half-time' school, mean... Read more

Peate's Store and Holy Trinity Anglican Church

One of the first businesses to operate at Uki 1905 was Peate's Store, owned by John Peate. Peate's originally sold lollies from a tent erected in what was to become the butter factory yard until their shop was built. He sold confectionery, ... Read more

Uki School of Arts

Uki Mechanics' Institute was built in 1904 and is the oldest standing building in Uki. It was built on a reserve for travelling stock with donated material from local farmers, and local saw-millers cut the timber. The Uki School of Arts w... Read more

Uki Post Office

A postal service started at Rowlands Creek as a Receiving Office in 1901. The mail was delivered twice weekly by horseback with an annual fee of £22/15/-. The Uki Post Office opened on April 1st 1910, in leased premises near the old Uki ... Read more

Ryder's Pioneer Store - Uki Supermaket

Early settlers used the services provided by big city stores that provided a mail order service or travelled to Murwillumbah. The first Uki General Store was built in 1909 for F. J. Ryder. He also had a residence on the rear laneway beside ... Read more

The English, Scottish & Australian Bank, now the Fair Trade Shop

Mr Groves, a blacksmith, initially used this site. The building was constructed in 1910 by David Cleaton Marshall, who leased it to the E. S. & A. Bank. The bank opened in 1910. There were stables at the back of the building. Local ... Read more

Mt Warning Hotel

The land was originally owned by Henry Sweetnam. Mr Wern had a share farm there, and it was farmed in 1903 by Mr George Barnes and his family. The original Mount Warning Hotel was built in 1914 with Fowler Fitzhenry and his uncle Fowler Ask... Read more