The Taylors Come To Town
The land was sold to Jane Taylor for 500 pounds in 1854.
The Taylor family leased the land to people by the name of Frost who carried on the dairy business. When the Frost’s gave up the farm and moved away, The Entrance was used as a cattle run only.
When Jane Taylor died in 1872, her son Richard Brown Taylor bought out most of his siblings and became the sole landholder of the property now named “Tuggerah Beach”. Tuggerah being the Aboriginal meaning for bleak and cold. He owned all but 160 acres which was located in the area now known as Long Jetty. He was a grazier who had lived at Tumbi Umbi and Wamberal prior to taking up residence in The Entrance.
He married Norberta Maria Gertrude (Watkins), known as Gertrude, and the couple prospered on their land. They went on to have a large family of six girls and six boys who all lived on the property. The girls were named Adele, Gertrude, Clare, Rene, Vera and Edith. The boys were Leslie, Louis, Vincent, Austin, Irvine and Ray.
“Tuggerah Beach” remained a privately owned property and was only subdivided around the turn of the century for the benefit of the children and ironically for the benefit of tourism.
The way the family developed their property revealed them to be astute speculators. “Tuggerah Beach” offered all of the natural resources that holiday makers needed. It was an untouched wonderland boasting a lake alive with many varieties of fish. An anglers delight, it was offering an abundance of prawns, safe swimming and for the more adventurous, wonderful surfing beaches.
The views from the hills around the district were breathtaking and waterways could be seen as far as the eye could see. It was beginning to attract visitors from far afield.
Richard Brown Taylor was a solid citizen who donated 100 ft (approximately 30m) of land along the foreshores of the channel and lake to posterity. This gift has been appreciated by millions of people ever since. He also donated land for the Public School, the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. Other family members have also donated the land which is now Taylor Park in Park Road.
