Extract from ABC News
David Waite announced late last year that the living museum would close on January 28. (ABC Mid North Coast: Sophia McCaughan)
In short:
Colonial-heritage tourist park Timbertown has closed after almost 50 years of operation on the New South Wales mid-north coast.
The owner of the park for 16 years, David Waite, says he will miss providing the living-museum experience for tourists and school groups.
What's next?
More than 10,000 items from the park will be auctioned in May after attempts to sell the park as a tourist attraction failed.
It was a holiday high point and school excursion for thousands for almost 50 years, but last week, heritage theme park Timbertown closed its doors.
Located in Wauchope, on the New South Wales mid-north coast, Timbertown provided a glimpse of what life was like for Australia's colonial-era pioneers of the timber industry.
The park opened to the public in 1976, and for almost five decades featured a working steam sawmill, bullock teams, a blacksmith, a colonial-era general store, schoolhouse and the crowd favourite, a traditional steam-powered train.
Timbertown gave visitors a glimpse of life in the early timber cutting days, including carting logs with bullocks. (ABC News: Emma Siossian)
In December, owner David Waite announced the park would close its doors in the new year.
The finite opportunity to see or revisit the living museum saw numbers through Timbertown's door surge right up until the end.
"It's been 500 per cent busier since Boxing Day, every single day and it's not quietened down," he said.
Timbertown has been the main attraction in Wauchope for the past 49 years. (ABC Mid North Coast: Sophia McCaughan)
Timbertown's last visitors
People arrived from near and far this week for Timbertown's last day, including Sue Murphy, who travelled from Nowra on the NSW south coast.
Sue Murphy drove five and a half hours to go to Timbertown on its last day. (ABC Mid North Coast: Sophia McCaughan)
"I've always wanted to come here," she said.
"[The closure is] so sad, I couldn't believe it, it's a great place."
Lake Cathie resident Frances Till had a short drive to Timbertown, where she wanted to make one last visit to add to her fond memories of taking her family there in the early 2000s.
Frances Till has fond memories of taking her family to Timbertown. (ABC Mid North Coast: Sophia McCaughan)
"You used to have the bushrangers going out and holding up the train … all the kids wanted to go and do everything," she said.
"My eldest son loved Thomas the Tank Engine and he called the station manager the Fat Controller; he wasn't too impressed."
The steam locomotive was the main attraction for train enthusiast Alex Albans, who travelled from Newcastle for one last experience of Timbertown.
Alex Albans was a big fan of Timbertown. (ABC Mid North Coast: Sophia McCaughan)
"It's not just the steam train I came up for though, it's the heritage of the place and everything else.
"I love everything about the place, you've got the heritage, you've got the history of the timber cutting and of course the gold panning."
Good memories
Mr Waite took over Timbertown in 2010 after the park faced financial struggles and was put up for sale.
He moved his life and family from Marsden Park in Sydney's north-west to Wauchope to carry on Timbertown's legacy.
Timbertown featured a working steam-powered sawmill, a fire station, traditional general store and school house. (ABC Rural)
The decision to close was a difficult one, but one tied to family and years of working seven days a week.
"It was never a financial decision,"Mr Waite said.
"I want more family time. I've got beautiful grandchildren now, I want to have Christmas off, Easter off, I want to see them on the weekend."
Mr Waite said he walked away with fond memories.
"I'm overwhelmed this holiday with the amount of people who have come up and shaken my hand and said, 'Thanks for what you've done for 16 years.'
"A lady this morning put $50 in my pocket and said, 'Make sure you have a few beers on me tonight'; the wife has been sent flowers several times over the last few weeks."
The steam train ride has been the main attraction at the heritage park over the past decade. (ABC Mid North Coast: Sophia McCaughan)
Timbertown was renowned as a school excursion destination for generations of children from as far afield as Sydney, Newcastle, Tamworth and Tweed Heads.
"Quite often you'd get school kids come in a little bit disinterested, but then they start doing gold panning and they find a little gemstone and they'd leave here super excited," Mr Waite said.
"I really will miss that."
Uncertain future
A campaign to sell the park via expressions of interest last year was unsuccessful.
An auction of more than 10,000 items from the park, including the locomotives, will be held in May, with hopes the site will eventually find a buyer.
"All the interest so far has been in the land only, not in Timbertown or its assets," Mr Waite said.
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