Tinonee, New South Wales

Tinonee is a small town on the banks of the Manning River, near Taree on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales in the City of Greater Taree, Australia. Tinonee was founded in 1854 and in the late 1980s became part of Greater Taree City. At the 2006 census, Tinonee had a population of 734 people.

Tinonee is on a road that previously served as the main road from Sydney to Brisbane, which is now called Bucketts Way. A punt, first built, owned and operated by David Scott Targett, licensee of the "Ferry Inn", once crossed the Manning River between Tinonee and Taree Estate.

Tinonee was once one of the earliest settlements and major commercial hubs on the Manning River.

Name
The name Tinonee is believed to come from the local aboriginal Biripi people's word "Tinobi" which means "big shark", or "Tinobah" meaning "place of sharks".

History
Formerly a major river port town, Tinonee through its history has been the host of such industries as shipbuilding, farming, logging, timber milling and broom making. With such activities, Tinonee would have been quite a hub of activity, and at one time hosted numerous hotels and accommodation houses, to cater for the passing trade. Ships built in Tinonee were known to be taken to sea through the entrance at Harrington, and off to the major ports such as Sydney and further afield. The Tinonee Historical Museum is being established to cover local history.

Attractions
The old post office serves as a craft and flowers shop and boasts a lovely teahouse overlooking the Manning River and Taree Estate. Newsreels and old and new movies are screened at the Terrace Cinema Museum. This 22-seat cinema is the smallest cinema in Australia. This has been noted in the Guinness Book of World Records. It still uses original projecting equipment and has authentic slides that are still shown from time to time. The Deep Water Shark Gallery displays Aboriginal artwork, including works in wood, clay and paint. Tinonee is also home to a llama visitors centre, where visitors can feed and pat the llamas.

On the road form Tinonee to Wingham is the Brushy Cutting Lookout which offers breathtaking views of the Manning Valley. The Manning River at Tinonee is a popular place for waterskiing and boating. Andrew's Reserve is a park on the opposite bank and may be accessed from the Taree by taking Edinburgh Drive through Taree Estate.

Schools
Tinonee Public School is a co-educational school, with classes from Kindergarten to Grade 6, located adjacent to the Manning River in the historical centre of the town. The school first opened on October 1, 1859 with Mrs Eliza Jane Baxter as the first teacher. At the end of that year, the school bosted an enrolment of 25 pupils. The school website covers its history well.

Churches
Tinonee is the home to St Luke's Anglican Church, John Knox Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia, and a Uniting Church congregation, all located near the same intersection, near the highest point in the town.

The current St Luke's Anglican Church was built in 1905, replacing an earlier church dating from the 1860s. Originally a site was set aside on the river flats for an Anglican church allowing people to come to church by boat, but the site was deemed unsuitable because of flooding. St Luke's is situated on a site overlooking the Manning River and was extended in the 1980s when a hall was added to the northern side of the building, allowing wonderful views of the river.

John Knox Presbyterian Church was built in 1880 at the corner of Manchester and Winter Streets. This building is home to a congregation of the Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia, and part of the Parish of the Manning. Before the turn of the 20th century services at John Knox were held in Gaelic.

The Tinonee cemetery is located between the township and Peg Leg Creek on the Bucketts Way.

Sport
The Tinonee Eagles play football on the Tinonee Oval. Being made up of players from junior level, through to the over 35's. Cricket and tennis is also played there.