Kevin Hogan (Page, National Party, Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I'd like to recognise the historical significance of the town of Lawrence in my community. The first record of Lawrence being recognised as an official town was in 1858. Prior to this the area of Lawrence fell within the 15,000 acres of farmland called Larnook Lodge. Gold diggers and farmers would use the stop as the quickest way to get on land from the Clarence. With these travellers came an inn, which later became the very famous Lawrence hotel. The area was also being used as a major port further inland on the Clarence.

With the influx of people arriving by boat the area soon became home to many farming families and soon the Lawrence township formed. The Ensbeys arrived from Cambridgeshire. William, his wife and two sons began farming in the area around Lawrence and Southgate. The family have farmed the famous Clarence sugar cane for generations. Dianne, Rob, Mark and Kelly are still farming the properties around Lawrence today. The Ensbey family has spread throughout the region.

The family of James and Elizabeth Boyle migrated from Kinross, Scotland in 1849. James and Mary took up property on King Creek, farmed sugar cane and set up a sugar mill: the Kinross mill. The Boyles had 11 children. One of them, James, was a boat builder and ran the business on the six acre block on which the 2NR broadcast station was built. He was also the undertaker. Their descendants married into the Want family, another local family. The Reeves family have also farmed the area since before Federation and still live in the area today. Roger was a member of the Maclean shire council. He still lives in Lawrence today. I'd also like to express my condolences to the family after the recent passing of Robert.

The school was founded in 1868. Generations of family went through the school: the Cottons, Ensbeys,Glovers, McPhersons, Reeves, Sheilds and Waylands just to name a few. The Lawrence ferry was built in the 1880s to help residents and businesses move across the Clarence. Many locals will know the Wright family, who were involved with some of the most essential aspects of Lawrence life during the early 20th century. Elijah had a saddlery business in the late 1880s. Lyle worked in the general store before serving in World War I. Lyle and his wife, Maggie, planted many of the trees still standing in Lawrence today. Keith Wright was a dairy farmer in more recent times. The Bancroft and Eggins families are also very well-known family farmers in the area. The Archer family have an interesting history. Three brothers—Allan, Blue and Moot—ran the Archer's butchery until 1979. I also encourage everyone to visit the Lawrence Historical Society. It has one of the best displays I've seen in our region acknowledging the history of our past.

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