Tinonee was founded in 1854, as it was on the important route from Sydney to Brisbane, on what is now The Bucketts Way. A punt ferried people, and later vehicles, from 'Punt Hill' [Tinonee] to Taree Estate.
Tinonee was one of the earliest settlements of the Manning Valley, and boasts a Primary School established in 1860.
[It was on the main route from Sydney/Newcastle to Brisbane and the north coast, with a punt crossing over the Manning River (as depicted in the Welcome sign).]
Various interpretations of the origin of the village's name include: Deep Water Shark, Big Shark, and Place of Sharks; from the local indigenous Biripi tongue. A respected elder, Pr Russell Saunders AOM, lives, and runs the "Deep Water Shark Gallery" Art Gallery in Tinonee.
There had been an official Post Office, that is now the … [Currently the Licenced Post Office (LPO) runs out of what been 'Ye Olde Butcher Shoppe']. A local store also sells petrol, at what is a very reasonable price for Unleaded/E10. There is also a Tinonee Historical Society Museum that has good displays on the history of Tinonee.
"At the height of Tinonee’s prosperity there were churches, a public school, post office, blacksmiths, furniture and cabinet makers, saddlers, boot makers, stores, hotels, carpenters, shinglers, shipwrights, wheelwrights, barbers, milners, dressmakers, butchers, bakers, auctioneers, fruit shop proprietors, broom factory and police station." St Luke's Anglican Church website: (
visit link)
Currently Tinonee is only home to one operating Church building, being the St Luke's Anglican Church in Winter Street. There is another congregation, that meets in the Public School on Sundays.
There is large oval, popular for cricket in summer, and football in winter, with a well appoint playground, and twin Tennis Courts that have night lighting.
Tinonee Cemetery is just on the outskirts of Tinonee as you head to Gloucester.
Tinonee also has an active volunteer Bush Fire Brigade.
Personally: I moved here in 2005 with my family into a two-storey house that 'we' built, but unfortunately things did not work out with the marriage, and I was left with my sons in 2009. So some of the photos of Tinonee are from various stages.