"Old Banks' on the Paterson: not exactly Sydney but an interesting early extension of Colonial administration

History of Paterson and its people

'Old Banks' is the name of a site on the western bank of the Paterson River that was the hub of early European activities and settlement in the district.[1] It appears near the bottom of the map of Paterson Plains c1830, and is indicated on Dangar's 1828 map by the symbol of a tent with a flag on top.

In 1804 a permanent penal settlement was established at Newcastle for convicts who had re-offended in the colony. In that same year convict timber-cutters began operating on 'Patersons River' where they were 'severely beat-up by black natives'.[2]