<p>This study addresses the question: how did social and political divisions influence the
economic and environmental development of Kempsey during the colonial period up
to 1865? Primary documents including personal letters, journals, memoirs, political
and governmental papers, along with a range of colonial newspapers have been
studied and interpreted to form a social historical solution to the question. Due to the
range of sources available for this investigation, a variation of methodologies has been
employed, with particular emphasis on an empirical qualitative analysis. In addition to
considering existing non-scholarly thematic histories of the Macleay Valley, this
thesis draws existing scholarly investigations together and builds upon them, looking
into the interdependence between society and environment, politics and geographical
developments, culture and social movements to piece together the story of Kempsey
and uncover the key events which have led to long lasting impacts on the town. No
other scholarly study of this kind has been undertaken to bring the entire complex and
multifaceted story of Kempsey’s early years into one scholarly investigation.
Implications for this study highlight the important factor that powerful social and
political divisions in a community have when important decisions about town
planning, environmental protection, and issues of social justice need to be addressed.
These divisions can lead to catastrophic outcomes that could impact generations to
follow, as shown in the tumultuous history of Kempsey, New South Wales.</p>