Tanilba Bay is a suburb of the Port Stephens local government area in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the Tilligerry Peninsula adjacent to the bay from which it got its name. "Tanilba" is said to mean "place of white flowers" in a local Indigenous language, presumably a reference to the flannel flowers which formerly thrived in the area. At the Tanilba Bay had a population of 3,237. Tanilba Bay Public School is a co-ed government primary school located at 1A King Albert Avenue. Tanilba House The centerpiece of this small town is Tanilba House, on Caswell Crescent, which is listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register along with The Temple of the Stork nearby. It is one of Australia's oldest buildings and the oldest in Port Stephens. In 1831 Lieut William Caswell, Royal Navy, received a land grant of , along with an assignment of convicts who cleared the land and built Tanilba House from locally quarried quartz porphry stone and lime mortar made on the property from oyster shells. A small gaol was also built on the southern side of the house. Ten acres (4 hectares) on the eastern side of the hill was used as a vineyard soon after the house was built. An olive tree planted in the vineyard survives to this day and is heritage listed. A bunya pine, the wisteria covered pergola and two Port Jackson figs are also specifically listed. William and Susan Caswell had 11 children in total but two young sons died at the house. The Caswells were impacted by drought and deprived of most of their workforce due to the ceasing of transportation of convict labour by the English government and left the house in 1840s. The house was left uninhabited and became derelict until the late 1800s. Significant restoration and repair of the house was conducted by Elizabeth Holmes in the 1890s using the same builder who built Stanley Park in Fullerton Cove. In 1897 it was sold to Elizabeth Holmes who started restoration works. In 1905 W J Ebbeck purchased the property as a holiday home to host fishing parties. In 1913 it was purchased by Walter W Cliff. In 1931 Tanilba House was owned by Henry Halloran who designed such structures as "The Temple", which is behind Tanilba House and which is visible on the main road leading to