Milton

Milton is a village in the South Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, within the City of Shoalhaven.

Milton is a village in the South Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, within the City of Shoalhaven. It was founded in 1860, named after the property of post master George Knight and became an important regional centre during the 19th Century. Today, Milton remains one of the two main commercial centres of the Milton-Ulladulla district, with a population at the 2016 census of 1,663. It isa popular stopping place for travellers on the Princes Highway which runs through the centre of town. In recent years, Milton has undergone a resurgence largely influenced by the local tourism industry and an influx of residents to the district seeking a seachange. Several new housing estates are being developed on the fringes of the village and new boutique stores, cafes and bed and breakfast type businesses have located in the town.

The coastal area of the Milton-Ulladulla district was observed by Captain James Cook in 1770 when sailing along the east coast of Australia, before landing at Botany Bay. Cook noted the nearby Pigeon House Mountain, a prominent landmark.

The Reverend Thomas Kendall was the first European settler to the area, issued a land grant in 1827. He named the estate "Kendall Dale" and commenced pastoral activities as well as cutting red cedar found in abundance near Narrawallee Creek. Poet Henry Kendall, the grandson of Thomas Kendall was born at the property near Milton in 1839. Further land grants in the 1830s led to a town site being surveyed in 1837 at Boat Harbour (present day Ulladulla). The district prospered through the 1840s on the back of the timber industry.Former convict, Henry Claydon took possession of 100 acres of land near Milton in 1855, establishing an estate known as Claydon Park. A devout Methodist, Claydon donated land in 1856 to the Wesleyan Church and the following year, the first church in the district was built on the site. The Sarah Claydon retirement village in Milton in named for Henry's wife, who worked as a Midwife in the area until her death in 1876. The village was formally established in 1860 as a private town on land owned by John Booth, soon after followed by the construction of several public buildings, including the Star Hotel (1860), St Peter and St Paul Anglican Church (1860), Uniting and Catholic churches (1872), Town Hall (1871), courthouse and public school (1877) and a post office (1880). As a town, Milton is classified with the Australian National Trust, due to the number of homes and buildings in the town that were built from 1870 onwards. The town has declined in importance as a regional centre through the 20th Century, but remains a popular tourist destination.