Supporting a wide range of environmental habitats from estuarine seagrass beds to koala habitat, Browns Creek is a partly tidal waterway that meanders through the township of Taree.

Over many years the creek became used and abused and vegetation along the creek degraded, becoming infested with exotics, vine weeds, small leafed privet and green cestrum.

Bill Dennis is one of the volunteers who has been cleaning up Browns Creek for the last 10 years.

In 2012 Bill approached Manning Landcare about Browns Creek which led to the raised awareness and support from local business, adjoining residents, MidCoast Council and MidCoast Water.

'The Friends of Browns Creek' was formed and work began on searching for plans and environmental studies that had been completed to gain a complete picture of the issues regarding vegetation management and aquatic health.

"The boardwalk has been a passion for us all because we are all locals and feel as though it is an asset worth having in our community," Bill said.

MidCoast Council provided initial funding for the plan, then the group secured more money from State government with the Stronger Communities Grant.

The boardwalk, which officially opened on Thursday December 2, runs through 300 metres of the natural wetlands in an area of Taree that holds significant historic and Indigenous value.

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At the opening of the boardwalk, Biripi Elder Uncle Russell Saunders said the area around Browns Creek hill is significant to the Biripi people.

"This was the last part of our journey from Burrell Creek. They settled in this area. This was all ti-tree and scrub. This was where the last group of our people were living in the bush.

"That was until they were told that they couldn't live here anymore," Uncle Russell said.

The area was also the original site for boatbuilder William Ryan, who transferred his boats from Oxley Island into Taree last century. (Editor's note: Kay Reid, daughter of Peter Ryan clarified information about W O Ryan's boat building. The original boat building property was on Oxley Island not Mitchell Island.)

William Ryan founded Ryan's Shipyard which built 16 boats for the US and British Navy for use in the South East Pacific. The shipyard had 85 people working on this site at the time.

Bill hopes to name the boardwalk the William Oscar Ryan and Sons Memorial Walk. He revealed there could also be a Biripi name for the creek and this will also be acknowledged when proven.

The team are also working on QR codes to tell these stories at different points along the walk, Bill said.

The plan is to have the boardwalk connect to the Bicentennial Gardens by creating a pathway under the Victoria Street bridge.

The Friends of Browns Creek continue to meet on-site every Wednesday to work on the area.

As part of the Our Places collection, the Manning River Times will bring you a different destination from the Manning Great-Lakes each week accompanied with stunning photographs we have taken over the years.

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