Its history is as rich as any area in NSW and it very nearly became the site of our nation's capital.
Now Tahlee has been granted $156,000 as part of the Australian Government's four-year $10.5 million National Heritage Investment Initiative.
Last Thursday, May 17, Federal Member for Paterson Bob Baldwin presented the grant to Tahlee Ministries Inc in front of a sizeable gathering outside Tahlee House on the shores of Port Stephens.
"This project is important to the entire nation as it is conserving an important part of our shared heritage for future generations to experience," Mr Baldwin said.
"I applaud this significant and practical commitment to protecting Australia's important heritage places as it shows we can all play a part in protecting the places that are special to us."
Tahlee's rich heritage goes as far back as 1826, when Robert Dawson and members of the Australian Agricultural Company (ACC) settled there after emigrating from England.
The company set up its operations at Tahlee and Carrington and built Tahlee House as the home of the company's chief agent.
In 1854 the company sold the estate and moved its headquarters to Stroud and in 1860, Tahlee House burnt down.
Robert White, then Member of Parliament for Gloucester, brought the property in 1880 and invested a huge amount of money to rebuild the site.
Then in 1949 the Gospel Fishermen Mission (now Tahlee Ministries Inc) began leasing the Ball Room, Billiard Room and Waterfront Cottage for camps and conferences and in 1959, brought the site from the White family.
Since that time the site has been steadily revamped, yet the original structures such as Tahlee House, the Ball Room, Billiard Room, Waterfront Cottage and harbour have remained.
The funding provided by the Federal Government will help refurbish and restore these sites to their former glory with the Waterfront Cottage to be completely restored and refitted while the cast-iron lace work that adorned the Ball Room verandah will be replaced and the Boat House, previously at the head of the harbour, will be designed and re-constructed.
Tahlee House, which has already undergone a number of renovations, will also continue to be restored.
Tahlee tour operator John Hutchings said the restoration works were the first step in restoring Tahlee to its former glory.
"This is one of the first steps in 18 months of planned restoration work," he said.
"During that time we will endeavour to gain more grants from the government and Great Lakes Council.
Mr Hutchings said over 800 tourists had visited Tahlee already in 2007 and it was hoped the restoration work would draw still greater numbers of visitors to the site.
"This area has a magnificent past and we must ensure we have a magnificent future," he said.
"We want to make Tahlee the showpiece of Great Lakes Shire."
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