Tanilba Bay, New South Wales

Localities around Tanilba Bay:
Port Stephens	Port Stephens	Port Stephens
Oyster Cove, Salt Ash	Tanilba Bay	Mallabula
Salt Ash	Tilligerry Creek	Tilligerry Creek

Tanilba Bay is a town in in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia, in the Port Stephens LGA. It is located on the Tilligerry Peninsula adjacent to Mallabula. 'Tanilba' is said to mean 'place of white flowers', presumably a reference to the flannel flowers which formerly thrived in the area.

[edit] History

Tanilba House

The centrepiece of this small town is Tanilba House: a beautiful and elegant home which is one of Australia's oldest historical buildings. In 1831 Lieut William Caswell, Royal Navy, received a land grant of 50 acres, along with an assignment of convicts who cleared the land and built Tanilba House from locally quarried stone. Ten acres on the eastern side of the hill was used as a vineyard soon after the house was built. An olive tree planted in the vineyard survives to this day.

The Temple

In 1931 Tanilba House was owned by Henry Halloran who designed such structures as "The Temple", which is behind Tanilba House on the road leading to the house, and the elaborate gates at what were then the north and south entrances to the town. Today the town has expanded and the still incomplete gates stand inside the town limits. Tanilba House is surrounded by houses.

[edit] Beaches

Tanilba Bay from Mallabula showing the beaches typical of both suburbs

Most of the town is on the banks of Tanilba Bay. The beaches consist mainly of sand flats that are exposed at low tide and are completely covered at high tide. The water is protected from southerly winds which make it a popular place for skiing. The town is fairly popular with tourists.