Wardell

Coming soon

In the 1850s, Wardell was a cedar getter settlement known as ‘Blackwall’. The team were working in the rich forests at the base of the mountain and being in close proximity to Ballina, could float their logs on a raft down to the cedar depot. In the cities the demand for “dressed” timber grew and it was easier to load onto the ships than round logs. In 1868, Thomas Carter, who operated a sawmill on the Clarence River, built a sawmill at Blackwall for his son Ernest and began operations under the name Richmond River Sawmill & Trading co.
Two former employees from Wyrallah mill set up a second sawmill across the river. four hotels and two sawmills operated and the river trade flourished. As the availability of cedar wood diminished, so the opportunity arose for the planting of sugar cane. 


River Towns