The coming of the white man to the arrea of the Tweed was a slow one, with Captain Cook passing in the 'Endeavour' in 1770. The in late October 1823, Oxley sailed into the shore of Sutherland Point and took refuge in the lee of Cook Island during a storm in his boat, the 'Mermaid'. The next white man to pass through the area was a government surveyor by the name of Clement Hodgkinson who praised the area in his reports to Sydney.
With the onset of the ceddar-getters to the Tweed the new settlers opened up land and it's fertile environmwent proved to be irresistable for the new white expansion in this territory. Cedar-getters, the rugged, tough men who could spen their countless energy and some of their lives, hacking their way to unexulted wealth. But many a 'sly grog shop' was to prove their downfall. However, after felling the beautiful red cedar which was and still is in big demand, it was then dropped into either the river for transporting or as some claimed, a few trees were dropped into Cudgen Creek and sent to the mill near the present bridge that is now straddling it and then sawn. Many trees found its way to a mill by the Bullocky' team as well.
With now a portion of the land cleard, settlers found it easier to travel and set-up their families and homesteads. The early women pioneers were as hard ans as tough as the men, as they had to be. With them came the children and the running of a household, and many set themselves to this task with great courage.
Only a few of the pioneering families of the district are known to us, because many records have been destroyed or lost.
These families included the Clarkes, Guilfoyles, Gaenshirts, Robbs, Caseys, Quirks and Hunferfords.