In that year Captain Robert Andrew Wauch (whose father dropped the 'ope' from the end of his name as a result of a family dispute) paid a deposit on 760 acres (3.1 km2) on King Creek.

Robert Wauch died in the Macleay area in 1866, and the Government Gazette published the deeds of his properties, specifying that they should be called Wauchope.

[citation needed] The largest recorded flood in the Hastings River at Wauchope occurred on 13 January 1968 and reached a peak level of 9.1 metres (30 ft) above the Australian height datum (m AHD).

Increasingly, Wauchope and its surrounding villages and farms are becoming known for gourmet produce, including cheeses, wines and organic fruits and vegetables.

The Hastings Farmers Markets are held at the Wauchope Showground on the 4th Saturday of every month and showcase a wide variety of local produce.

Timbertown, the town's best-known tourist attraction, is a colonial-era themed village, which is located on the outskirts of Wauchope.

It features static displays and attractions such as a working steam train, bullock team, and a Cobb and Co stage coach.

[6][7] The Big Bull was a notable tourist attraction between Wauchope and Port Macquarie for twenty years, but was removed in 2007.

[6] Wauchope railway station serves as an interchange for passengers travelling to nearby coastal centres such as Port Macquarie.

The main street includes the Co-op general store (previously Parkers) and a number of smaller businesses and local bank branches.

A wharf was built at the northern end of Cameron Street for shipping produce downstream to Port Macquarie, but this no longer exists.

South of the main shopping area is the Wauchope Golf Course and Country Club, which occupies a premium site within the middle of the town.