Grafton is a little more than an hour north of Coffs Harbour and lies on the Clarence River. Grafton and the Clarence Valley were discovered by an escaped convict named Richard Craig in 1831. Astutely, he managed to use the information to his advantage by obtaining a pardon and a sum of money for leading others to this site plentiful in good cedar wood.
Governor Fitzroy named the place after his grandfather, the Duke of Grafton. By 1885, it had been proclaimed a city. As early as 1866, Grafton was starting to pass by laws to protect its trees, so that there are now many trees within the city area. Jacarandas flower in purple profusion.
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