General store at Wandandian.

 

I remember this store next to the highway at Wandandian, do you? Wandandian  - It has been suggested to be a corruption of Aboriginal word 'Wandrawandian' meaning - 'home of the lost lover'. The area as described back in the 1840’s. ”The area was in a rough state then, and there was no room for men unless they had strong hearts and strong arms to battle with the existing circumstances” The timber industry. ”The saws merry hum resounds through the bush indicative of industry and enterprise”. Wandandian had a thriving timber industry, Bullock teams would haul timber to the timber mill and then after milling it would be conveyed by means of a tram line to the banks of Wandandian Creek, which was dredged to allow small steamers to be loaded and shipped down to St Georges head for shipping to Sydney. 1903. Mr A. Jennings established the first saw mill and it was expected to attract many people to the area. It was now hoped the department of Public Instruction will redeem their implied promise and give a full time public school. it is expected that at least 20 additional families will shortly be located here. 1906. An article in the Shoalhaven Telegraph described the expansion of the timber industry at Wandandian. When Allen Taylor and Co bought the existing mill from Mr A. Jennings the mill was expanded, teams of log haulers and up to thirty five good sleeper getters were advertised for. It was expected to employ several hundred men over the next few years , the whole district must benefit with the introduction of extra capitol and employment of so many men. Two new steamers were acquired for the task of moving the timber, with orders for timber as far away as Japan and Germany to be supplied. The steamers were well known in the district, plying back and forth across the basin and along the Sussex Inlet river loaded with timber.

The small steamer The Advance loaded with timber.	Tracks at saw mill.

Bullock team	Advance being loaded at Wandandian.

Wandandian still has a small timber mill, Wandandian Creek has become quiet once again,  Steamers have been replaced with trucks and the neighborhood no longer rings with the sound of axes.
The general store as seen above has gone and a new wine outlet stands in it’s place.