On this page members of the Maitland and District Historical Society are sharing their research into a variety of aspects of the history of our locality. New stories will be added as they become available.
Use search to find stories about the person, place, topic or keyword you are interested in.
Maitland, circa 1830
By 1830 the convict farming settlement of Wallis Plains had become a small town. Development was beginning in East Maitland and Morpeth as well, and the Hunter Valley had been opened up for commercial farming.
Those magnificent men and their cycling machines
Bicycle racing, organised by the Maitland Bicycle Club, was once popular as it was in other parts of Australia. It attracted substantial crowds to cheer on the race participants.
The Falls: first river crossing point at Maitland
Crossing the Hunter River from Wallis Plains (the site of today’s Maitland) in the early years of European settlement was no easy matter. In most places the river was deeper than it now is, and its silty, sandy, shifting bed made it difficult for horses, bullocks, wagons and drays to get purchase except at a few locations.
The Long Bridges
An overview of the succession of Long Bridges in Maitland’s history, and concerns that the current one will be compromised as an evacuation route in the event of a severe flood.
