Termeil Information Report

By Tahlee Begaud
Termeil is a small town in the Shoalhaven
district of NSW and is located 25kms off the
coast of Ulladulla.
It has changed so much from 1850 to now
2015 but has still retained an historical feel.

Based on population, Termeil itself does not

have a very wide community. Its population
currently consists of approximately 500
people.
In 2011, the population census read just 250
people! The town was comprised of 48.8
percent females, with 51.2 percent males.
And, the average age of people around the
area was 50 years.
The weather in Termeil changes with the
seasons, therefore has no particular name
for its specific climate type.
In summer, the average temperatures are
from 9 c - 27 c, with the highest recorded
temp being 39.8 c, where as in Winter, the
average is only 0 c -13 c! The lowest
temperature ever recorded reaches -9 c.
The wettest month is March and the driest of
12 is September!

Termeil is situated 25 kms off the coast of

Ulladulla, and is 197 kms away from the big
city, Sydney!
Its apart of the Shoalhaven city, and located
at the junction of Bawley Point Rd.

Even though Termeil was, and still is a small

town, the children there needed some way of
receiving an education! So, a schoolhouse
was built in 1800s for local kids.
There were roughly 40 (mixed age and
genders) students, with one teacher all in
one classroom!
Everyone would ride a horse to the property,
then the horses would take themselves back
home.
School was very strict, and had many harsh
restrictions towards students.
The teacher would not hold back if a student
was misbehaving! The cane would come out,
and the child would get hit on the hand, how
many times depended on how naughty the
student was.
When lunchtime came around, the children
would entertain themselves on the grass,
with no play or sporting equipment. Just each
other and their food!

The schoolhouse is still there to this day, but

is no longer in use, as society has obviously
grown, and governments have changed.

Termeil was historically known for its large

logging timber industry.
Back in 1880, The Kioloa Mill began to
operate.
The timberfellers would send off all the wood
on ships, which would pull up at the gantry.
With all the supplies aboard, the boats would
then sail off to Sydney Harbour.
In 1928, a huge fire burnt down the mill. As a
result, it was shut down. Most mills on the
South Coast were closed by the 1930s.
The gantry, and small iron rings (which held
the chains to the ships) are still at Bawley
Point Beach today.
The Old Spotty is the largest, tallest tree in
the entire Southern Hemisphere, situated a
few hundred metres off of 18 Mile Peg Rd,
Termeil.
The tree itself has many nicknames, such as
Old Spotty and Old Blotchy.
In the 1900s, after Sunday church, families
and/or workers would go down to the large
tree, to enjoy a nice picnic lunch.

There were considerations of logging the

tree, but it was decided that it was too big of
a job, and such a remarkable landmark,
which is fortunately still there to this day.
Termeil, and societys way of working has
changed so much in the past century.
Trails of history have been left to discover
and let Termeil retain some of its historical
feel, showing the change between then and
now.