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The Story of Stockton.
Newcastle and Stockton were
discovered at the same time but the establishment of a convict settlement
on the south side of Port Hunter in 1804 gave Newcastle an advantage over
its north shore (Stockton). In fact the
Aborigines whose tribal area extended from the Hunter River to Port
Stephens continued to camp on Stockton beach as they had done for thousands
of years until the 1870's.
Then two wealthy settlers, James Mitchell and Alexander Scott, bought the
southern sections of the Stockton peninsular and began to develop the town
of Stockton. By the 1840's they had established a string of industrial
Enterprises along the harbour front including a salt works and an engine
works. Mitchell's chief contribution was a large textile works in the
vicinity of what is now Factory street but it was burnt down in a fierce
southerly gale. Slipways were also established for the building and repair
of the many sailing vessels and early steamships which plied the busy
Newcastle international seaport.
The Stockton Coal Company whose mine was situated near the harbour at the
southern tip of the peninsular came into production in 1886 and mined the
rich Borehole seam which was particularly suited for making gas. But there
were problems with water seepage, and in 1869 a serious mine disaster
occurred when 11 men lost their lives. By the end of the nineteenth century
the Stockton Colliery was running short of coal but by then the town was
well enough established to survive its closure. The days of shipbuilding
were also over and, as its major mining and manufacturing functions died
away, Stockton became a residential suburb of Newcastle as it is today. The
opening of the Walsh Island shipyard in 1913 and the selection of Newcastle
for the
establishment of the B.H.P. steelworks two years later, provided a new
stimulus for Stockton. Workers living there were able to travel very
conveniently to both these sites by ferry. So Stockton changed from an
early
industrial town to a residential suburb housing many of the workers of the
newly established Newcastle
industries.
Today Stockton is a pleasant residential seaside suburb of the city of
Newcastle at the mouth of the Hunter River. If you would like to know more
about Stockton, Newcastle the Hunter Valley and Port Stephens at the
northern end of Stockton beach, look at the following sites.
Where is
Stockton. WWW.calle.com is an excellent site that can
be used to display maps and information about various places around the
world. Look here t see the location of Stockton and links to other sites
about Stockton.
Newcastle-Early
History & Present Attractions. An excellent description
here of the discovery of Newcastle and its early development first as a
convict settlement and then as an industrial city and seaport. Also a good
account of the present day attractions.
Port Stephens. All
about beautiful Port Stephens situated at the northern end of Stockton
beach. A great photo album of the area and information about local
attractions including dolphin and whale watching cruises, surfing and
fishing.
Stockton Historical Society.
A web site being developed by the local history society to promote
the rich
historical story of Stockton.
Newcastle
Australia Information about the city of
Newcastle giving details of History, Climate, Local Government and details
of the exports from the Port of Newcastle. There are also links to
web pages of the University of Newcastle, the Newcastle City Council, and
the Newcastle Port Corporation.
Nobbys
Coal River Precinct A significant historical site
with a focus on the founding of Newcastle and the beginning of convict coal
mining, port development, maritime heritage and later military heritage.
Contains information, images and transcripts of historical documents.
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