Ever wondered what the Orara Valley looked like 120 years ago?

In 1904 paspalum grass was established and dairying was being successful with a photo showing dairy cattle on a paddock of paspalum at the farm of Amandus Hoschke – note remaining trees in the background.

In that year Frederick Hoschke acquired his farm, Fairview, which is still in the family and had a tunnel and shaft from where miners were, unsuccessfully, seeking gold. By that time gold mining was on the decline.

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