Wragg and Simpson Street

Where is the Wragg and Simpson Pause Place Located?

This Pause Place is located at the intersection of Wragg and Simpson Streets. A few minutes’ walk will take you to the Somerset village centre with its shops, cafes, and bus stops. This link will take you to the bus timetable.

An 8 minute walk down Falmouth Street (head down Simpson Street away from the village centre and then first left) will take you to our beautiful beach, the Shared Coastal Pathway and the Beams and Trafford Pause Place, celebrating the Somerset Community Shed, its founders and the Shed’s great contribution to this community.

A 10 minute walk away from here is the ANZAC Memorial Park & All Abilities Playground which is a beautiful place for all to rest and relax at the mouth of the Cam River. To get there head down Simpson Street away from the village centre and then first left which is Falmouth Street, when you cross the highway turn right along Bells Parade.

The History of Wragg and Simpson

The traditional custodians of this land are the Tommeginer tribe of Table Cape. They were one of the eight tribes that made up the north west linguistic group of Aborigines, a loose knit, social and economic confederation of maritime tribes that occupied a coastal strip extending from Table Cape to Cape Grim, and then down the West Coast to just north of the Macquarie Harbour.

The way they interpreted this land, used it, and respected its intrinsic values adds a layer of history that is a fascinating foundation to the story of this place. This foundation is not lost but understanding it is difficult for many of us, who are unfamiliar with the lore and culture of the first peoples. A little more of the indigenous history of this region can be found on the Waratah-Wynyard Council’s website.

Acknowledgement

We acknowledge the history of this land extends far beyond the time of European settlement and that this land has been looked on and lived on by people from different cultures and with different perspectives. We appreciate that the history shared on this website has gaps, telling some stories in far more detail than others. In particular, we are aware that there are many stories to be told of the first peoples of this land and that these fascinating and important stories warrant respectfully celebrating.

Consequently, please consider this website as a work in progress. We will seek to improve our understanding and share as much of these insights and stories as can be done in a manner that is appropriate and respects the first peoples of this land.

Thank you for your patience.

Modern History of Wragg and Simpson

The Wynyard Historical Society kindly provided us with the following insights into the area’s history. The European history of the area started in 1827 when the river around which the town was to develop was named by Cam by Henry Hellyer. The town was surveyed in 1856 by Peter Lette, but the origin of the name is not certain and developed as a port. At its peak in the mid 1800s, the port of Somerset rivalled both the Inglis and Emu Bay.

One notable resident was Captain Thomas Lewis who was a sea captain trading between the north west coast of Tasmania and Melbourne, Warrnambool and Portland in Victoria. He established his home, called the Ferry House, at what was then called Port Maldon on the eastern bank of the Cam River in 1858. He built several ships, including the Maldon Lewis in 1867 and the larger John Lewis in 1875. In partnership with Captain John Gibson, he built the largest ship built on the Cam – the 150-ton Schooner Mary Bannatyne.

The Wragg family came to Somerset in 1862 and purchased some of the first blocks of land on the western side of the river. Their first home, Alpha House, was on the corner of Simpson Street and the Esplanade. The Wragg family also operated the first shop and post office, and Thomas Wragg was the first postmaster.

Thomas also built the split-paling church, St Barnabas Church of England. By 1870 Somerset consisted of a cluster of cottages, the shop and wharf on the western bank, and the ferry house on the eastern bank.

The first bridge over the Cam River was built in 1878, just upstream from Capt Lewis’ home. The second bridge was built in 1902 and the third, downstream near the mouth of the river, was completed in 1964.