English and Australian Copper Company Smelter

At a ceremony on 11 June 1872 the Mayor of Waratah, Robert Turton, lit the match that ignited the furnaces of the English and Australian Copper Company smelter. It was not the first smelter in Newcastle, one had operated intermittently near Burwood Beach from 1851, and another opened at Port Waratah in 1867. However, the E&A smelter was the longest running and most successful.

The English and Australian Copper Company was formed in 1851 and initially operated in South Australia. In 1869 they announced their intention to build a copper smelter in Newcastle, a district with two key benefits – firstly a port for shipping raw materials and finished product, secondly access to cheap and plentiful coal. Locating the smelter at Broadmeadow allowed a short branch line to be built to the New Lambton Coal Company railway, providing excellent access to both coal and the harbour.

Construction of the smelter commenced in 1870 under the supervision of the first manager, John Penrose Christoe. He purchased land nearby for a manager’s residence on a road that later bore his name, albeit with a slightly different spelling. Extended periods of wet weather and difficulties in obtaining copper ore delayed the opening of the smelter until 1872.

The smelter expanded in 1874, with more furnaces and a second and taller brick chimney. Further enlargement occurred in 1907 with a new furnace building connected to the chimney by an above-ground brick culvert. Although the smelter returned small profits, risks from the volatility in ore supply and wildly fluctuating market prices led to the closure of the plant in 1917 after 45 years of operation. In 1919 the company sold the land to the engineering firm Goninan, who still occupy the site a century later. When the land was sold the smelter chimneys were felled, yielding 150,000 bricks. Presumably the number of bricks was known because they were gathered, counted, and sold for reuse. It would be interesting to know where they are now.

English and Australian Copper Company smelter, 14 January 1909. Photo by Ralph Snowball. Newcastle Libraries Online Collection, Accession Number 001 000992

The Goninan site in Broadmeadow where the copper smelter was located. July 2026.

The article above was first published in the August 2026 edition of The Local.

Summary of Newcastle’s Copper Smelters

Smelter	Dates
Newcastle Burwood Smelting Company (Burwood Beach)	1846 – construction commences 1851 – smelting commences 1853 – smelting ceases 1866 – smelting recommences 1873 – smelting ceases
Wallaroo or Hunter River Copper Works (Port Waratah)	1866 – announced 1867 – commenced 1893 – closed
English and Australian Copper Company (Broadmeadow/Waratah/New Lambton)	1869 – announced 1870 – construction commences 1872 – smelting commences 1917 – smelting ceases 1919 – land sold

Location

Describing the location of the English & Australian Copper Company’s smelter in Newcastle has always been problematic. The site is at the confluence of many localities, and over the years has been variously described as being in New Lambton, Waratah, Broadmeadow, and Georgetown.

The location of the former smelter is now in the modern suburb of Broadmeadow, but at the time the smelter was built Broadmeadow wasn’t a suburb or town – it was a swamp. So the smelter was variously described as being “within a mile of New Lambton” or “near Waratah” or “near Georgetown”, those being the closest townships.

The association of the smelter with New Lambton was reinforced by the fact that the land the smelter was built on was the leasehold property of Messrs. J. and A. Brown, who owned the New Lambton colliery, and who had an exclusive agreement to supply coal to the smelter. The smelter was also connected via a branch line to the New Lambton Coal Company’s railway. For this reason the works were often referred to as “The New Lambton Copper Smelting Works”. When New Lambton Council was formed in 1889, the smelter fell within the municipal boundaries.

The location of the former smelter is in the modern day suburb of Broadmeadow, but is within 500m of five other suburbs: Lambton, Waratah, Georgetown, Hamilton North, New Lambton.

Corporal Barrett’s 1910 map of Newcastle shows the location of the smelter, and also shows that Christo Road was originally called Newtown Road. (Newtown was the original name for Hamilton North.)

1910 Barrett map overlaid on Google Earth, showing the location of the copper smelter near Waratah. University of Newcastle, Living Histories.

Water Board maps 180 and 196 overlaid into Google Earth, showing the location of the E&A smelter, and the branch line from the New Lambton Coal Company railway in the bottom left. University of Newcastle, Living Histories.

Additional Information

At the ordinary general meeting of the English and Australian Copper Company held at the London Tavern, on 25 February 1869 …

The chairman spoke in a very sanguine manner of the future, anticipating that the proposed erection of smelting works at Newcastle (Australia) would be the means of securing the whole of the copper ore of Australia for smelting.
The Newcastle Chronicle, 24 April 1869.

The same article passed on rumours that the works would be “on a most extensive and costly scale”, “that not less than eighty furnaces for smelting operations will be erected”, and that “employment will at once be given to nearly a thousand persons.” These expectations exceeded by far the works that were eventually built. The article also highlighted the two key advantages of the site selected, coal supply and transport facilities.

The easy way in which [coal] can be obtained from several of the collieries, owing to the network of railways, by which the proposed scene of the new works is surrounded is of the very highest importance. The speedy manner in which the ore in its crude state can be conveyed to the works, and after undergoing the various refining processes, be re-conveyed from the works for shipment, is another item of vast import in an undertaking of this kind.
The Newcastle Chronicle, 24 April 1869.

On 10 December 1869 the company purchased about 28 acres of land from Alexander Brown of the New Lambton Coal Company.

Purchase of 28 acres of land by the English and Australian Copper Company from Alexander Brown, 10 December 1869. Vol-Fol 100-105

Construction began almost immediately under the supervision of the first manager of the smelter, John Penrose Christoe. In February the following year the paper reported that …

The works — the erection of which begun about three months ago — are already in a forward state, and should no unforeseen circumstance occur, smelting will be commenced in about two months hence.
The Newcastle Chronicle, 12 February 1870.

This optimistic estimate of two months proved to be wildly inaccurate. Firstly the weather hampered construction.

For upwards of two months there was such an accumulation of water at the establishment as to defy the possibility of the works being proceeded with, and thus the company were unexpectedly debarred from carrying out their design in the contemplated time as regards the inauguration of the process of smelting.
The Newcastle Chronicle, 15 September 1870.

Secondly, the smelter appears to have had difficulty in obtaining copper ore. With no ore to smelt, by April 1871 John Penrose Christie had left to become the manager of the Newcastle Burwood Smelting Company, and the English and Australian Copper Company advertised for a new General Manager in July 1871. In September 1871 a reporter from the local newspaper noted that …

A day or two ago I visited the New Lambton Copper-smelting Works, and learned, with much pleasure, that at last 250 tons of copper ore had arrived in the harbour at Newcastle for smelting at this place, and was expected to arrive at the works during the day… so that now there is a reasonable hope that this fine and valuable property created here at a great expense, will very shortly become utilised.
The Newcastle Chronicle, 9 September 1871.

Despite the ‘reasonable hope’ expressed, nine months later smelting had not yet commenced.

The new smelting works received, last week, a consignment of rich copper ore from Queensland, comprising about 200 tons… It would be a god-send to the neighbourhood if these smelting works would only start and keep on constantly as it would employ much of the labour that is going about and cannot find work to do.
The Newcastle Chronicle, 18 May 1872.

Finally on 11 June 1872 the smelter was officially opened.

On Tuesday last a very interesting ceremony was performed by the Mayor of Waratah in the presence of the local manager of the establishment and a few gentlemen from Newcastle, namely, that of lighting the first fires in two of the copper smelting furnaces of the English and Australian Copper Smelting Company’s works near Waratah.
The Newcastle Chronicle, 15 June 1872.

The supply of ore to the smelter was a continuing problem in the short term.

There appears to be an anomaly existing between our copper-smelting establishments, for while at [the New Lambton smelter] five furnaces are idle for want of ore, at the Hunter River Works, five furnaces are idle here from the want of men acquainted with smelting operations to work them.
The Newcastle Chronicle, 19 October 1872.

Smelting increased in the next couple of years, and the company expanded the works.

We learn that various appliances have been added to the New Lambton Copper Works, which will enable the proprietors to materially extend their operations. The additions include eight new furnaces, and a second chimney stack.
The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser, 2 June 1874.

Undated photo (possibly 1901) of the smelter by Ralph Snowball. Newcastle Libraries Online Collection, Accession Number 001 000134

The photo above is undated, but I have a strong suspicion that it’s from 1901 and that the two men in the foreground are Fred Cast (smelting manager) and his son Fred W Cast (business manager). In August 1901 …

The employees of the English and Australian Copper Works at Waratah presented Mr. F. Cast, manager of the works, with a valuable gold watch and chain to mark their appreciation of him as a master, and to celebrate his long services to the company, of 50 years.
Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, 29 August 1901.

It would be very natural that after a presentation of a gold watch and chain for 50 years of service to the company, to be photographed with his son and colleague standing before the smelter they manage together.

Another interesting detail from this photo are the wagons labelled “N L”, being coal wagons of the New Lambton Coal Company.

Copper exhibit at Newcastle Show, 16 March 1906. Newcastle Libraries Online Collection, Accession Number 001 001588

In 1906 the company made extensive additions and improvements to the smelting works.

The additions consist of one new smelting furnace and one refinery furnace, an overhead culvert 30ft in length, a main culvert some 180ft in length, and a very ornate piece of circular work, which is termed a circle upon a circle, leading into the chamber of the main stack, which is 160ft in height. This new main culvert, which is designed not only to carry the fume from the new furnaces,but also that from the present furnaces into the stack, is built of brick, and banded together with iron. There is also erected a new copper store or strong room, 30ft x 12ft, for storing the refined copper prior to being sent to market.
Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, 23 April 1906.

The iron banded main culvert carrying fumes from the furnace to the stack. Newcastle Libraries Online Collection, Accession Number 001 000992

Skimming and tapping metal at the English and Australian Copper Company’s smelting works at Broadmeadowm 25 January 1909. Newcastle Libraries Online Collection, Accession Number 001 001723

Ladling ingots at the English and Australian Copper Company’s smelting works at Broadmeadow, 6 February 1909. Newcastle Libraries Online Collection, Accession Number 001 001583

The smelter operated for a total of 45 years and closed in 1917.

The business of the company during the past year had to be conducted under conditions of great risk and anxiety, which finally forced the board reluctantly to instruct the manager in Australia to cease making purchases of ore, to smelt out all copper available, and to close the smelting works, a process that has been carried through.
Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, 2 October 1917.

Advertisement for sale of the smelter land. Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, 2 April 1919.

After being advertised from April 1919, the land was sold in October 1919 to A Goninan and Co.

Vol-Fol 2976-63 shows the transfer of 24 acres of land from the English and Australian Copper Company to A Goninan and Co in October 1919.

The long connection of the English and Australian Copper Company, Limited, with the Newcastle district has been finally severed through its having recently sold the land that was the site of the works, known as the Waratah works.
The Maitland Daily Mercury, 6 November 1919.

By May 1920 the chimney stacks had been felled and the Goninan engineering works were under construction.

The laying out of the site for the boiler making foundry, fitting and erecting shops of Messrs. A. Goninan and Company, Ltd., at Broadmeadow, has been commenced. An area of ten acres, formerly the site of the English and Australian Copper Company, has been raised 2½ feet. The chimney stack of the old copper works, which was felled some time ago, gave about 150,000 bricks.
Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, 8 May 1920.

The smelter stacks

The smelter had two brick smoke stacks. The first stack originally constructed for the smelter in 1870 was described as being 120 feet high in 1870, and 160 feet high in 1906. A second stack was constructed as part of enlargements to the smelter in 1874. The two chimney stacks of differing size often appear in the background of photos around Newcastle, and can be a useful aid in locating and/or dating those photos.

View from New Lambton towards Broadmeadow, with copper smelting stacks in the background. circa 1887. University of Newcastle, Living Histories.

View of Waratah copper smelter from Glebe Rd Hamilton South in 1897. University of Newcastle, Living Histories.

The smelter in the background of an 1898 photo taken from Hamilton. University of Newcastle, Living Histories.

The smelter smokestack in the background of an 1898 photo taken from Waratah. University of Newcastle, Living Histories.

Stormwater drain construction at Hamilton North., April 1900, looking towards New Lambton. The tall copper smelter stack is visible in the background. University of Newcastle, Living Histories.

Smelter smoke stack as seen from Newcastle Obelisk, 1906. University of Newcastle, Living Histories.

The copper smelter in the background of a 1906 Ralph Snowball photograph of Waratah. University of Newcastle, Living Histories.

The smelter smokestack in the background of a panoramic photograph taken from the brewery building in Parry Street Newcastle West, circa 1913. Newcastle Museum.

The Perrott sketch of the smelter

The Hunter Living Histories site has an article on Robert Perrott, including some sketches he did of various places around Newcastle in the late 1800s. One of the sketches is of the copper smelting works “near Waratah”.

Copper smelting near Waratah, at Newcastle. (Sketch by Robert Perrott, Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW)

An interesting aspect of the Perrott sketch of the smelter, is how some details are quite accurate, but other details not so accurate, probably for aesthetic reasons. When we compare the sketch with a 1906 Ralph Snowball photograph of Waratah taken from somewhere near the present day Mater hospital, we see that Perrott has reproduced the smelter building and stacks reasonably accurately. However in the sketch the smelter appears to be at the base of a hill, but the smelter was actually located on the flat plain of Broadmeadow, and that hill is Merewether Heights some 4km in the distance. Also Perrott has sketched two tall chimneys instead of a tall and a short chimney.

Sketch of Waratah copper smelter by Robert Perrott.

Photograph of Waratah copper smelter by Ralph Snowball, 1906. University of Newcastle, Living Histories.

Newspaper articles

Article Date Event Date	Notes
24 Apr 1869	The ordinary general meeting of the English and Australian Copper Company was held at the London Tavern, on February 25. The chairman spoke in a very sanguine manner of the future, anticipating that the proposed erection of smelting works at Newcastle (Australia) would be the means of securing the whole of the copper ore of Australia for smelting.
6 Nov 1869	"The English and Australian Copper Company, who carry on extensive smelting works in South Australia, are about to establish similar works within a mile of New Lambton.
12 Feb 1870	Construction of the English and Australian copper smelting works at Broadmeadow has been in progress for three months, and smelting "will be commenced in about two months." (This was a wildly optimistic estimate, as smelting eventually commenced in June 1872, more than two years later.) The manager is "Mr. Christoe, a gentleman of great experience in copper-smelting."
15 Sep 1870	The weather has significantly delayed the opening of the smelter. "For upwards of two months there was such an accumulation of water at the establishment as to defy the possibility of the works being proceeded with, and thus the company were unexpectedly debarred from carrying out their design in the contemplated time as regards the inauguration of the process of smelting." The manager of the smelter is Mr. Christoe.
15 Jul 1871	Advertisement for a General Manager for the New Lambton Smelting works.
9 Sep 1871	250 tons of copper ore have arrived in Newcastle Harbour destined for the New Lambton Copper-smelting Works so "now there is a reasonable hope that this fine and valuable property created here at a great expense, will very shortly become utilised."
6 Feb 1872	Mr Christoe supervising operations at the Burwood Copper Smelter, Glenrock lagoon.
18 May 1872	Copper ore has been received, but smelting has not yet begun.
18 Jun 1872	Lighting the first fires in two of the coppersmelting furnaces of the English and Australian Copper Smelting Company's works near Waratah.
19 Oct 1872	"There appears to be an anomaly existing between our copper- smelting establishments, which time only can set at rest ; for while at this establishment five furnaces are idle for want of ore, at the Hunter River Works, five furnaces are idle here from the want of men acquainted with smelting operations to work them."
2 Jun 1874	"We learn that various appliances have been added to the New Lambton Copper Works, which will enable the proprietors to materially extend their operations. The additions include eight new furnaces, and a second chimney stack."
10 Aug 1893	"For some months past work has also been very slack at the English and Australian Copper Co.'s works, Georgetown; but if rumour be true, there is a prospect of some work in the near future at the instigation of the Cornish Copper-mining Company who are carrying on mining operations at Barraba, near Tamworth, where it is said they have struck a rich lode of ore."
23 Apr 1906	Extensive additions and improvements to the smelting works.
2 Oct 1917	Smelting of ore has ceased. "The business of the company during the past year had to be conducted under conditions of great risk and anxiety, which finally forced the board reluctantly to instruct the manager in Australia to cease making purchases of ore, to smelt out all copper available, and to close the smelting works, a process that has been carried through."
2 Apr 1919	Advertisement for sale of the E&A copper smelter land.
6 Nov 1919	"The long connection of the English and Australian Copper Company, Limited, with the Newcastle district has been finally severed through its having recently sold the land that was the site of the works, known as the Waratah works."
8 May 1920	"The chimney stack of the old copper works, which was felled some time ago, gave about 150,000 bricks."
14 May 1920	"The laying out of the site for the boiler making foundry, fitting and erecting shops of Messrs . A. Goninan and Company, Ltd, at Broadmeadow, has been commenced."

Commonage Street Alignment Stones

Often the artefacts of local history are plainly seen in old buildings or monuments around us, but sometimes history lies unnoticed at our feet. A few months ago, in the back streets of New Lambton, I spotted some old stones in the kerb. What at first appeared to be foundations for a corner shop veranda, turned out to be much more significant – rare examples of the 1888 Commonage street alignment stones.

The Commonage was reserved by the government in 1850 for the purpose of pasturing stock before shipping from the port of Newcastle. It consisted of 1600 acres stretching from Waratah to Adamstown, from Lambton to Hamilton. With the development of nearby collieries many miners erected homes on the Commonage even though it was Crown land. After decades of debate and confusion the government decided to pass legislation to allow people to purchase the land they were occupying.

Before land could be sold however, an accurate survey was needed to mark the alignment of streets and property boundaries. A municipal conference in February 1888 agreed “to use stone blocks for alignment marks instead of wooden posts, on account of the damage done to posts by white ants.” The survey work budgeted for 1400 stones to be placed at street corners, with the colonial government and local councils sharing the cost. Each stone protruded a foot above the ground, was 9 inches square, and had a small hole in the centre to position a surveyor’s pole. Over time most of the stones have been removed due to kerb upgrades or replaced with modern survey marks, and only 49 stones remain today. These are significant relics of an important turning point in Newcastle’s history, when a large tract of land close to the city was opened for private ownership and development. The Broadmeadow Place Strategy endorsed by Newcastle Council in 2025 aims to establish 20,000 new homes, mostly within the area marked out with alignment stones in 1888.

The 1600 acres of the Commonage (Newcastle Pasturage Reserve) where the streets were surveyed and aligned in 1888.

A few of the remaining Commonage alignment stones.

The article above was first published in the November 2025 edition of The Local.

Additional Information

I first encountered the alignment stones when walking down in New Lambton in July 2025, and noticed two stones on the corner of Wickham Road and Gwydir Road.

Stones on the corner of Wickham Road and Gwydir Road, New Lambton. July 2025.

My first impression was that they were the foundation stones for a street veranda of a corner store, as they looked similar to the veranda stones of the Lambton Cooperative Store. However my research drew a blank on there ever being a store at that location. The nature of these stones remained a mystery until some weeks later, when perusing reports of Lambton Council meetings I stumbled upon the following …

From the Department of Lands, respecting the payment of half cost of the alignment of the commonage. Alderman DENT moved, “That the letter be received and department informed that Council prefer stone alignment marks to wood, and are willing to pay half cost of same when the survey of the commonage could be utilised.”
Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, 26 January 1888.

Researching street alignment stones led me to an interesting paper by Fred de Belin presented to the Association of Public Authority Surveyors Conference in 2014 on “The Big Stone Alignment Posts of Ryde”. The paper contained an excerpt of an old map of Ryde that showed the position of some stones, which raised the question of whether old maps of Newcastle also had maps that showed alignment stones?

The University of Newcastle Living Histories site has a collection of old Water Board maps, and checking the map for New Lambton showed that the stones I had found in Wickham Road, were indeed marked with a dot annotated “A.S.”

The Wickham Road alignment stones marked on 1917 Water Board map, Sheet 256. University of Newcastle, Living Histories.

In a custom Google Map I added a place-mark at each location where the water board maps had indicated an alignment stone in the Commonage area. Over the course of six weeks I walked the streets and verified where alignment stones still remained. Of the 958 alignment stones marked on the water board maps, I found only 49 remain – a survival rate of 5%.

In the map below, the stone locations are split into three separate layers …

Extant (green) – The stone still exists in place.
Remnant (yellow) – There is some evidence of where the stone once was, or there is a modern survey mark in its place.
Missing (red) – The stone has been removed or is not visible.

The numbering of the stone place-marks is in the form “SheetNumber-StoneNumber”. For example “211-14” is the 14th stone marked on sheet 211 of the water board maps.

Alignment stones occasionally appear in other maps and plans, for example in the subdivision plan for DP11566 in Hobart Road. The stone highlighted below still exists on the street verge today.

Alignment stones marked on plan for DP11566. Newcastle Libraries Online Collection LHM A333,38/724

It is not clear exactly how many alignment stones were placed in the Commonage originally. At a municipal conference in February 1888, a letter tabled from the Lands Department stated that …

… alignment posts should be put in their proper position at an estimated cost of 15s per post, equal to £1050 for the whole subdivision.

This costing implies that up to 1400 alignment points were planned. The fact that the water board maps have only 958 stones marked is probably due to some of the original 1888 stones having been removed by the time the maps were last updated in the 1910s.

The surveying and placement of the stones in the commonage in 1888 was not without incident. Ralph Snowball, who lived in Clarence Road New Lambton, wrote to the newspaper complaining of the surveyors’ work.

I wish, through the columns of your valuable journal, to draw attention to the manner in which a party of surveyors are executing their work on the New Lambton Commonage. The parties who previously surveyed went though the whole of the work in this particular district and unduly interfered with no fence, trees, etc. But it seems in the majority of instances that I have heard, and my own in particular, that surveyors must go straight through gardens and not have to enter by the usual mode, namely, by the gate, but take their feet or an axe and knock down palings, and leave them off when they go away for goats and pigs to have a parade, as they have done on three occasions at my place. On the 21st, when I arrived home at 7 p.m., I found a valuable Californian pepper tree lopped and mutilated on one side in a disgraceful manner, and, as I keep the branches clear on this of the roof of the verandah owing to wind blowing them, and so making a noise on the iron roof, and the height of the surveyor’s tripod, with theodolite, being not more than 5 feet 6 inches, or 6 feet when set, and also being set within 15 or 20 feet from said tree-I cannot see any reason why it had to be cut nearly to the top of the tree, which is 20 feet or more in height. It was not previously in the road of other surveyors. There is also the annoyance caused by their being two or three hours around close to the house talking, &c., and my wife lying very ill with typhoid fever. Had I been at home I should certainly have tried to get them to act in a more manly way, and leave the fences, &c., as they found them, especially when no one belonging to the house was there to replace the palings, &c.
Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, 23 February 1888.

Lambton Council in a meeting in March 1888 also complained about the placement of stones.

The report of March 20 drew attention to the placing of stone alignment posts on the Commonage, some of them far into the macadamised roadway, and as they were placed a foot above the surface they ran the risk of being smashed. One of them was smashed on Saturday by a three-horse dray colliding with it. He suggested that a yard of broken metal be placed around the stones wherever so exposed.
Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, 22 March 1888.

Alignment stones outside the Commonage

In addition to the commonage area, the municipality of Adamstown (incorporated 31 December 1885) was also surveyed at the same time, with alignment stones one foot high. This work was completed by December 1888, but not to everyone’s satisfaction.

The Mayor [of Adamstown] stated that the alignment posts had been placed in position by the surveyor. He expressed his displeasure at the way a number of the street ends had been left.
Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, 24 December 1888.

Quite a few alignment stones still exist in Adamstown, south of Brunker Road.

A street alignment stone in Victoria Street, Adamstown.

New Lambton Council was incorporated on 9 January 1889, and subsequently set about getting their streets surveyed and aligned. There is a mention in September 1890 of “alignment posts” (presumably wooden) and then a mention of “alignment stones” in December 1892. There are still a few alignment stones in the streets of New Lambton, south of Russell Road.

A street alignment stone in Evescourt Road, New Lambton.

Waratah Council was incorporated on 23 February 1871 and had street alignment posts in place well before the Commonage was surveyed in 1888. Water board map Sheet 208 shows that survey marks in Waratah streets were labelled with “A.P.”, presumably meaning “Alignment Post”.

Alignment posts marked at the corner of High and Bridge Streets, Waratah.

Alignment posts at the corner of High and Bridge Streets, Waratah, c. 1885-1888. Photo by Ralph Snowball. University of Newcastle, Living Histories.

Newspaper articles

Article Date Event Date	Notes
26 Jan 1888 24 Jan 1888	Letter to Lambton Council from the Department of Lands, respecting the payment of half cost of the alignment of the commonage. Alderman DENT moved, "That the letter be received and department informed that Council prefer stone alignment marks to wood, and are willing to pay half cost of same when the survey of the commonage could be utilised."
25 Jan 1888	"Surveyors are now busy at work on the commonages cutting it up into suitable allotments, with a probable view to early disposal. If the terms of sale are fixed at reasonable rates and present holders have preferential rights accorded them, then the satisfactory settlement of a long-standing trouble will be hailed with delight."
3 Feb 1888 2 Feb 1888	Municipal conference: "It is proposed that as the subdivision progresses, alignment posts should be put in their proper position at an estimated cost of 15s per post, equal to £1050 for the whole subdivision." (This costing implies that there were 1400 alignment posts. ) "The Councils interested recommend to the Minister for Lands the advisability, while aligning the streets of the Commonage to use stone blocks for alignment marks instead of wooden posts, on account of the damage done to the posts by the white ants."
10 Feb 1888 9 Feb 1888	Thomas Frith, candidate for Adamstown council elections "referred to the alignment of the streets on the Commonage, and said that if the Government had the power to sell the Common, they should pay for the alignment, and let the rates derived from the property go towards improving the streets of the Commonage."
10 Feb 1888	"The work of surveying the Commonage previous to its disposal to the present occupants is proceeding. The surveyors have, in many instances, laid the streets out so that they take the lines as at present occupied by the houses, and which, if carried out, will necessitate the removal of the structures."
11 Feb 1888 10 Feb 1888	"A deputation, representing a conference of delegates from Adamstown, Hamilton, Lambton, and Waratah Municipal Councils, waited on the Minister for Lands in connection with the alignment of streets." The minister "would agree to the erection of stone pillars instead of wooden posts.”
22 Feb 1888 20 Feb 1888	Waratah Council: Letter "from the Lands Department, stating that the district surveyor has been authorised to obtain about 350 alignment posts (stating dimensions), price not to exceed 3s each, for the alignment of streets in the sub-division of the Newcastle Pasturage Reserve. Stone could be used instead of posts, if Council desired."
23 Feb 1888	Letter of complaint from Ralph Snowball about damage to fences and trees caused by the surveyors.
2 Mar 1888 1 Mar 1888	Adamstown Council meeting: "The clerk stated that he had been informed by one of the surveyors that he had been instructed to survey Adamstown along with the commonage."
22 Mar 1888 20 Mar 1888	Lambton council complaint about the positioning of the Commonage stone alignment posts.
12 May 1888 11 May 1888	Adamstown Council: “The Mayor reported having waited upon Mr. Surveyor Halworth re alignment marks, and submitted two designs for the consideration of the aldermen. After a deal of talk it was resolved, on the motion of Alderman Weir, that the alignment marks be stone, one foot high.”
24 Dec 1888 20 Dec 1888	Adamstown council: "The MAYOR stated that the alignment posts had been placed in position by the surveyor. He expressed his displeasure at the way a number of the street ends had been left."
15 Oct 1940	East Lambton Progress Association: "It was also decided to write to Newcastle Council asking that the alignment stones at the corner of Karoola and Durham Roads be removed and not placed back on the footpath as suggested by the council."

Yankee Doodle Diddle

This 1904 image of a shop in New Lambton is a fine example of Ralph Snowball’s technical and aesthetic excellence in documenting the commercial life of his town. I have long wanted to write a story on Thompson’s store, but my knowledge to date can be expressed in a single sentence: Joseph Thompson operated a store on the south-west corner of Hobart and Wallarah Roads from 1901 to 1910.

However, as with many Snowball photographs a close inspection reveals a wealth of detail, such as the advertisements on the shed wall. Researching them led to some unexpected places. A search of the product names reveals that the United States Trading Company exhibited a collection of Nirvana Tea and Yankee Doodle Jams at the 1903 Newcastle Show. The company was run by Holmes Samuel Chipman, who proved to be a somewhat ‘creative’ entrepreneur.

Chipman was born in Canada in 1850 and moved to the United States in 1868 for study and work. In 1879 he arrived in Australia and established himself as a merchant. From 1881 he began a relentless campaign of registering a multitude of trademarks and patents for an astonishing variety of products: agricultural tools, musical instruments, medicinal remedies, cosmetics, hairbrushes, clocks, heating and illuminating oils, bicycles, carriage parts, and various foods and drinks. In 1883 he registered the trademark “Dr. Scott” to be used for “electric flesh brushes and electric tooth charms.” (The nature of these devices was one rabbit-hole too much for me and I leave them as an exercise for the reader’s imagination.)

In 1904 Chipman’s business empire crashed, having accumulated £27,500 of debt, equivalent to $5M today. In bankruptcy court Chipman admitted setting up multiple companies for the purpose of deceiving banks into providing loans. In August 1905 the US Trading Company was wound up, and Yankee Doodle Jam faded into history except for Snowball’s photo of Thompson’s store. The corner store is long gone, but unfortunately shonky businesses and financial fraud linger on.

Joseph Thompson’s store in New Lambton, 7 May 1904. Photo by Ralph Snowball. University of Newcastle, Living Histories.

A close-up of the advertisements for Nirvana Tea and Yankee Doodle Jam.

The article above was first published in the July 2025 edition of The Local.

Joseph Thompson’s Store

John Gillespie Thompson purchased portion 1451 of the Newcastle Pasturage Reserve, on the south west corner of Hobart Rd and Wallarah Rd, in July 1891. After his death the property passed to his widow Mary in 1898, and then subsequently to her son Joseph in 1902. (Vol-Fol 1021-233)

Portion 1451, purchased by John Gillespie Thompson in 1891. Vol-Vol- 1021-223

There are only a few passing mentions of Thompson’s store in the newspapers from 1901 to 1910. These occur mostly in reports of New Lambton council meetings when referring to the location of road or drain repairs, or location of tram stops.

1 Mar 1901 – Alderman Shepherd suggested that the Commissioners be asked to appoint a stopping place at Thompson’s store.
11 Oct 1901 – Alderman Dunckley moved, “That Mr. Thompson’s offer to supply the stone for the dish gutter, opposite his premises in Hobart-road, be accepted.”
24 Oct 1902 – The Mayor recommended that a mitre drain be cut in Wallarah-road, near Thompson’s store.
1 Nov 1906 – Letter from Mr. W. Atkinson, drawing attention to the state of the crossing over the tramline near Mr. J. Thompson’s store.
31 Oct 1907 – Alderman Beath suggested that a load of gravel be placed near Thompson’s store.
28 Jul 1909 – mention of “Joseph Thompson, of New Lambton, storekeeper”
28 Apr 1910 – Alderman Jordan brought under the notice of the Mayor the state of Hobart-road, near Thompson’s store.

Joseph Thompson’s store can be seen on panel 1 of George Henry Dawkins’ 1904 panorama. University of Newcastle, Living Histories.

Thompson’s store was an ideal location to place full size wall advertisements, as the Newcastle to Wallsend tramline ran past the store on Hobart Rd.

Water Board map showing the Wallsend tramline running along Hobart Rd in front of Thompson’s store, shaded yellow. University of Newcastle, Living Histories.

Holmes Samuel Chipman

Biographical Details

Most of these details are derived from the 1920 publication THE CHIPMAN FAMILY. A GENEALOGY OF The Chipmans In America, 1631-1920.

Chipman was born in Berwick, Nova Scotia, Canada on 22 December 1850. After graduating from school he worked as a school teacher in Nova Scotia 1866-1868. He moved to Boston USA in 1868 where he studied and then taught at the Bryant-Stratton Commercial College. He then worked in a number of jobs in Michigan, New York, New England, Minnesota, and California.

In 1870 he moved to Japan to work in printing and publishing, before returning to the USA in 1876. He moved to Australia in 1879 and set up a “general mercantile business”. Based on addresses given in trademark applications appears to have been initially based in Melbourne before relocating to Sydney in 1884. He married Julia Anna Ventrillion Tortat on 1 August 1882.

A December 1915 article about a house in Sydney that Chipman had at one time occupied, indicates that he had by this time returned to America. [Note that the 1920 genealogy says that Chipman moved to Australia “where he now carries on a business”, implying that he was still in Australia in 1920. I suspect that is incorrect, and due to the author reproducing the sentence from an earlier 1905 geneaology of the Chipmans.]

Chipman died in Oceanside, Nassau County in New York on 9 September 1941 and was then buried in the town of his birth, Berwick, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Holmes Samuel Chipman. From THE CHIPMAN FAMILY. A GENEALOGY OF The Chipmans In America, 1631-1920.

Shonky business

When I first started to write this article I was a little hesitant at characterising Chipman as a shonky businessman, but the more I learned of him the more it became clear that his entrepreneurial actions were of a highly dubuious nature.

The first suspicions arise when noting Chipman’s trademark registrations for “medicinal preparations” such as “St Jacobs Oil”, “Hamburg Tea”, and Minerva Tonic. These were stereotypical ‘snake oil’ medicines, made from inoccuous ingredients but claiming miraculuous powers to cure a wide range of ailments.

ST. JACOBS OIL, is the Most Efficacious Liniment Known. There is no Lotion or Embrocation in the world with which it can be compared, and the sale of it largely exceeds the sale of all other preparations combined which are advertised for similar use. ST. JACOBS OIL is an Established Cure of Marvellous Merit for Rheumatism, Neuralgia, Stiff Joints, Swellings, &c., and a sure relief from all aches and pains of every description. Every bottle of ST. JACOBS OIL Contains a Cure. It has never been puffed, but it has been thoroughly tried and never found wanting. It always does what is claimed for it that it will do. It has SAVED THOUSANDS OF LIVES, relieved Millions of Sufferers, and earned the Gratitude of the Nations.
Adverttisement for St. Jacobs Oil, 19 June 1897.

Many a serious illness might be spared by the knowledge that MINERVA TONIC, taken when the first symptoms of health failure manifest themselves, is a perfect safeguard in cases of Nervous and Physical Weakness, INFLUENZA, PROSTRATION, LOSS OF ENERGY, MENTAL DEPRESSION, ANAEMIA, INSOMNIA, LOSS OF APPETITE, IMPAIRED MEMORY AND VISION, AND SIMILAR WEAKNESSES OF THE SYSTEM. MINERVA TONIC restores the natural waste, and provides the requisite material for building up the system ou a sound and healthy basis. It creates a regular appetite and promotes digestion, acts on nerve and muscle at the same time, inflicts no injury on the constitution, and is in every sense of the word what its name implies – a perfect tonic that may be taken with advantage by patients of either sex. MINERVA TONIC is Necessary to Health. Strongly recommended in cases of BILIOUSNESS, TORPID LIVER, GASTRIC TROUBLES, HEADACHE, DIZZINESS, &c.
Advertisement for Minerva Tonic, 19 June 1897.

A second warning sign is the number of times Chipman is involved in court cases, either as plaintiff or defendant.

4 Sep 1894 – In court over damaged printing paper
24 Aug 1897 – Taken to court by employee for unpaid money
10 Mar 1898 – In court regarding a dispute over Minerva tonic
19 Nov 1903 – In court regarding a disputer over the supply of paper to the “Evening News”

The most damning evidence appears after the collapse of Chipman’s business empire, when he is questioned in the Bankruptcy Court over a number of days. (10 March 1905, 11 March 1905, 17 March 1905, 21 March 1905, 22 March 1905) In this testimony I found much that paralleled the actions of modern day fraudsters and failed business operators when they are brought to justice, in particular the frequent use of ‘convenient amnesia’, answering questions with “I can’t remember.” The court testimony brought to light a slew of financial irregularity and ‘creative’ accounting committed by Chipman.

Setting up of shell companies to obfuscate financial dealings
Avoiding liablities by moving assets to family members
Setting up multiple companies to fraudulently obtain credit from the bank
‘Paying’ debts with worthless shares in worthless companies
Exaggerating the prospects of company profitability
Making ‘guarantees’ of profitability that could not be fulfilled
Investing in mining companies that subsequently failed
Doctoring the company balance sheet by
- Inflating the value of assets
- Counting spurious and disputed ‘debts’ owed by other companies as assets
- Hiding of debts by offloading them to an associated company in New York
- Counting debts owed to him by insolvents as assets
- Counting assets twice
- Valuing assets by what he had originally paid for them, not what they were currently worth

Amongst all of this trickery my favourite discovery was when Chipman paid a cash bonus to a relative in New York. He then included this amount in his Australian company balance-sheet as an asset, because the relative had supposedly agreed to pay back the bonus! Of course, this never happened and the ‘asset’ was written off.

Trademarks and Patents

Applications for trademarks and patents by Holmes Samuel Chipman in Australia in the period 1881 to 1903:

Date	Type	Name	Description
26/8/1881	Trademark	St. Jacobs Oil	Medicinal preparation
28/11/1882	Trademark	Palace	Musical organs
12/12/1882	Trademark	Collins & Co.	Hardware, including shovels, spades, axes, hatchets, and other edged tools.
2/2/1883	Trademark	Buckeye	Mowing machines, combined with table rake or reaper or dropper, reaping and binding machines, threshing machines, and other agricultural implements
2/2/1883	Trademark	Hamburg Tea	Medicinal preparation
22/6/1883	Trademark	Dr. Scott	Electric hair brushes, electric flesh brushes, and electric tooth charms
6/6/1883	Trademark	Ansonia Clock Co.	Horological instruments, such as clocks, chronometers, and watches
6/7/1883	Trademark	Peep o’ Day	Horological instruments, such as clocks, chronometers, and watches
6/7/1883	Trademark	Electric	Electric hair brushes, electric flesh brushes, and electric tooth charms
4/12/1883	Trademark	Hollingsworth	Horse rakes and other agricultural and horticultural implements and machines
4/12/1883	Trademark	Taylor	Horse rakes and other agricultural and horticultural implements and machines
4/12/1883	Trademark	Moline	Ploughs and other agricultural and horticultural implements and machines
4/12/1883	Trademark	Buford	Ploughs and other agricultural and horticultural implements and machines
4/12/1883	Trademark	Goulds	Pumps and machinery of all kinds and parts of machinery including agricultural and horticultural implements and machines
4/12/1883	Trademark	Toledo	Vehicles and wood work as parts of carriages or other vehicles
4/12/1883	Trademark	Acme	Harrows and other agricultural and horticultural implements and machines
9/2/1884	Trademark	Manvel	Windmills
12/8/1884	Trademark	Colonist	Edge tools of every description, and tools or implements used in agriculture, horticulture, and manufacture.
12/8/1884	Trademark	Champion	Edge tools of every description, and tools or implements used in agriculture, horticulture, and manufacture.
21/10/1884	Trademark	CARPENTER	Musical organs
4/12/1884	Patent		Improvements in reaping and binding machines
9/4/1886	Trademark	Kismet	Watches, clocks, and all other horological instruments.
30/7/1886	Trademark	Vestal	Oils, including kerosene, petroleum, benzoline-naptha, and other heating and illuminating oils
30/7/1886	Trademark	Santa Claus	Oils, including kerosene, petroleum, benzoline-naptha, and other heating and illuminating oils
30/7/1886	Trademark	Dew Drop	Oils, including kerosene, petroleum, benzoline-naptha, and other heating and illuminating oils
30/7/1886	Trademark	Liberty	Oils, including Kerosene, Petroleum, Benzoline, Naptha, and other heating and illuminating Oils.
14/10/1887	Trademark	Snowflake	Oils, including kerosene, petroleum, benzoline-naptha, and other heating and illuminating oils
4/8/1888	Patent		Improvements in the treatment of saccharine juices and unrefined sugar.
7/12/1888	Patent		Improvements in the undergear of buggies and such like vehicles.
13/11/1894	Trademark	Minerva	Perfumery (including toilet articles, preparations for the teeth and hair, and perfumed soap)
4/12/1894	Trademark	Minerva	Mineral and aerated water, natural and artificial, including ginger beer.
9/7/1895	Trademark	Melba	Musical instruments
17/12/1895	Trademark	Minerva	Substances used as food or as ingredients in food
13/6/1896	Patent		An improved detective lock, principally useful for locking mail bags, cream cans, and other receptacles.
16/10/1896	Patent		An improvement in balls for ball-nozzles for distributing water and other fluids under pressure.
27/10/1896	Patent		An improved pneumatic carrier receiver and dispatcher for the same.
8/12/1896	Trademark	Greyhound	Bicycles
8/12/1896	Trademark	Explorer	Bicycles
5/1/1897	Trademark	Cyclops	Cycles
5/1/1897	Trademark	Raven	Cycles
5/2/1897	Trademark	The McKinley Bicycle	Cycles
12/1/1897	Trademark	Nirvana	Arrowroot, coffee, coffee and chicory, French coffee, chicory, cocoa, dandelion coffee, dandelion cocoa, carraways, cassia, cinnamon, cloves, chillies, coriander, farine, ginger, groats, ground rice, icing sugar, mace, mixed spice, meal (a mixture of oatenmeal and wheatenmeal), meal (digestive), maizemeal, mustard, nutmegs (whole), nutmegs (ground), oats (cooked rolled), oatmeal, pearl barley, peasemeal, peppers, pimento or allspice, rice split peas, sago, tapioca, tartaric acid, cream of tartar, bi-carbonate of soda, saltpetre, wheatmeal, curry powders and paste, egg powder, jelly, pudding powders, table oils, yeast and custard powders, lime juice cordial, lemon syrup, raspberry syrup, raspberry vinegar, tea, sago, flour, tapioca flour, desiccated cocoanut, honey, cornflour, self-raising flour, flour, hops, condensed milk, condiments, salt, biscuits, infants’ and invalids’ food, tinned meat, tinned fish, dried fish, confectionery, liquorice, macaroni, vermicelli, beer preservatives, butter and food preservatives, butter colouring, malt, dried fruits, crystallised fruits, dates, dog biscuits, extract of meat, finings for beer, wine, and coffee, drink flavourings, gellatine, isinglass, bread and cakes.
16/2/1897	Trademark	Blue Mountain	Cutlery and edge tools
4/6/1897	Trademark	Kumbo	Substances used as food or as ingredients in food
4/6/1897	Trademark	Tamilah	Substances used as food or as ingredients in food
23/11/1897	Trademark	Rhodia	Tea, coffee, coffee and chicory, French coffee, chicory, cocoa, dandelion coffee, dandelion cocoa, arrowroot, carraways, cassia, cinnamon, cloves, chillies, coriander, ginger, groats, ground rice, icing sugar, mace, mixed spice, meal (a mixture of oatmeal and wheatenmeal), meal (digestive), maizemeal, mustard, nutmegs (whole), nutmegs (ground), oats (cooked, rolled), oatmeal, pearl barley, peasemeal, peppers, pimento or allspice^ rice, split peas, sago, tapioca, tartaric acid, cream of tartar, bicarbonate of soda, saltpetre, wheatmeal, curry powders and paste, egg powder, jelly pudding powders, table oils, yeast and custard powders, lime juice cordial, lemon syrup, raspberry syrup, raspberry vinegar, sago flour, tapioca flour, desiccated cocoanut, honey, corn flour, self-raising flour, flour, hops, condensed milk, condiments, salt, biscuits, infants’ and invalids’ food, tinned meat, tinned fish, dried fish, confectionery, liquorice, macaroni, vermicelli, beer preservatives, butter and food preservatives, butter colouring, malt, dried fruits, crystallised fruits, dates, dog biscuits, extract of meat, finings for beer, wine, and coffee, drink flavourings, gelatine, isinglass, bread and cakes.
27/9/1898	Trademark	Quaker	Agricultural and horticultural machinery and parts of such machinery
18/10/1898	Trademark	Extermo	Insect destroying preparation
22/11/1898	Trademark	Karma	Arrowroot, coffee, coffee and chicory, French coffee, chicory, cocoa, dandelion coffee, dandelion cocoa, carraways, cassia, cinnamon, cloves, chillies, coriander, ginger, groats, ground rice, icing sugar, mace, mixed spice, meal (a mixture of oatenmeal and wheatenmeal), meal (digestive), maizemeal, mustard, nutmegs (whole), nutmegs (ground), oats (cooked rolled), oatmeal, pearl barley, peasemeal, peppers, pimento or allspice, rice, split peas, sago, tapioca^ tartaric acid, cream of tartar, bicarbonate of soda, saltpetre, wheatmeal, currie powders and paste, egg powder, “jelly” pudding powders, table oils, yeast and custard powders, lime juice cordial, lemon syrup, raspberry syrup, raspberry vinegar, tea, sago flour, tapioca flour, desiccated cocoanut, honey, cornflour, self raising flour, flour, hops, condensed milk, condiments, salt, biscuits, infants’ and invalids’ food, tinned meat, tinned fish, dried fish, confectionery, liquorice, macaroni, vermicelli, beer preservatives, butter and food preservatives, butter colouring malt, dried fruits, crystallised fruits, dates, dog biscuits extract of meat, finings for beer, wine, and coffee drink flavourings, gelatine, isinglass, bread and cakes
14/3/1899	Patent		Improvements in certain descriptions of oil-lamp burners.
17/10/1899	Trademark	Rem-Sho	Typewriters
10/04/1900	Trademark	Vervos	Patent medicines
22/01/1901	Trademark	Vitos	Manufactured cereal products and cognate substances
29/05/1901	Trademark	Busy Bee	Sewing machines
17/09/1901	Trademark	Countess	Sewing machines
20/05/1902	Trademark	Klenzene	a liquid preparation of ammonia
10/06/1902	Trademark	Coronet	Sewing machines
19/08/1902	Trademark	Bo-Co	Substances used as food or as ingredients in food
9/09/1902	Trademark	White-Pearl	Baking powder
3/02/1903	Trademark	Tamara	Tea and all other substances used as fpod or as ingredients in food
24/02/1903	Trademark	Kandena	Tea and all other substances used as fpod or as ingredients in food
24/02/1903	Trademark	Saratta	Tea and all other substances used as fpod or as ingredients in food

Some of the trademark applications include graphics of the product. The one for “Bo-Co” is weird and quite creepy.

Sportsman’s Arms Hotel, New Lambton

In September 1869 when New Lambton was in its infancy, the Newcastle Chronicle reported there was already two hotels and “a third public-house is in course of erection, and the proprietor, Mr Johns, expects a license for it shortly.” Built on the north-west corner of Regent Street and Portland Place, Nicholas Johns opened the Sportsman’s Arms Hotel for business on 22 January 1870.

After three decades of operation, Marshalls Paddington Brewery purchased the land and building in 1899 and commenced plans for a new hotel building in a different location. In April 1903 the Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate reported: “A large brick hotel is now being erected overlooking the reserve, close to the tram terminus. The roof which is of red tiles, is now completed, and the contractor, Mr. Viggers. is busy finishing the interior to the designs of Mr. Henderson, architect.” In July 1903 the license of the Sportsman’s Arms hotel was transferred to the new two storey building on the corner of Hobart Road and Rugby Road, with William Thompson as licensee.

The old hotel in Regent Street closed and was used as a private dwelling for two years before it was destroyed by fire in June 1905. There are no known photographs of the original hotel. In 1922 the Methodists purchased the site and constructed a church building.

In Hobart Road in 1903, in addition to his new hotel, William Thompson also built a large assembly room and named it the Commonwealth Hall. For a decade it was used for socials, fundraisers, community gatherings, political meetings, and concerts. In 1912 John Sperring, licensee of the Belmont Hotel, purchased the hall and arranged to have it dismantled, transported, and re-erected on a site adjoining his hotel in Belmont. The second Sportsman’s Arms Hotel in New Lambton continued trading until 1987, when the Wests Leagues Club demolished it to allow an extension of their premises.

The Sportsman’s Arms Hotel (left) and Commonwealth Hall (right) in Hobart Rd New Lambton, c. 1908. Photo by Ralph Snowball. University of Newcastle, Living Histories.

Wests New Lambton now occupies the site of the second Sportsman’s Arms Hotel.

The article above was first published in the May 2025 edition of The Local.

Additional Information

See the following sections in my New Lambton Hotels page:

Newspaper articles

Article Date Event Date	Notes
16 Sep 1868	"A third public-house is in course of erection, and the proprietor, Mr. Jones [sic], expects a license for it shortly after it is finished. There will then be three licensed houses at New Lambton - a number quite equal to the wants of the people."
22 Jan 1870	"NICHOLAS JOHNS begs to inform the inhabitants of New Lambton and surrounding districts, that he will commence business as a PUBLICAN in the Sportsman's Arms, New Lambton, on THIS DAY (Saturday), January 22nd."
26 Mar 1902	William Masefield Bostock advertised … "that I desire to obtain and will at the next Quarterly Licensing Court to be holden at Newcastle on the Third Day of April Next apply for a Certificate authorising the issue of a Conditional Publican’s License for premises proposed to be erected and situated at the corner of Alma-road and Lambton-road, and to be known by the sign of 'Sportsman’s Arms,' and containing eleven rooms, exclusive of those required for the use of the family."
15 Apr 1902 14 Apr 1902	At the licensing court held on 14 April 1902, Bostock stated … "that he was an agent for Marshall’s Brewery Company, who had an hotel known as the Sportsman’s Arms Hotel, New Lambton, and he proposed to remove the license of that house to that for which he was applying for a conditional license. He had a guarantee, which he produced, from his company to close the Sportsman’s Arms should the new license be grant ed. The site of the proposed hotel was at the intersection of Alma-road and Lambton-road, opposite Roberts’ store. He did not own the land, but had taken certain steps to procure it."
5 Jul 1902 4 Jul 1902	Application for conditional license for new premises to be constructed for the Sportsman's Arms Hotel.
16 Jul 1902 15 Jul 1902	Licensing court approves conditional license for the new Sportsman's Arms building to be erected in Hobart Road.
17 Apr 1903	"A large brick hotel is now being erected for Mr. Thomson overlooking the reserve, close to the tram terminus. The roof which is of red tiles, is now completed, and the contractor, Mr. Viggers. is busy finishing the interior to the designs of Mr. Henderson, architect."
4 Jul 1903	"The old Sportsman's Arms Hotel in Regent-street, which is one of the oldest buildings in the municipality, and in the early days was considered to be among the best of its class, is now closed, the license having been transferred to the new building recently erected by the Marshall's Brewery Company in Hobart-road."
19 Oct 1903 16 Oct 1903	"The members of the New Lambton Fire Brigade held a social in Thompson's new hall on Friday evening ... the Mayor (Alderman Errington), on behalf of the proprietors, declared the hall open. In doing so he explained that the building was to be known as the Commonwealth Hall."
5 Jun 1905 4 Jun 1905	"Shortly before nine o'clock yesterday morning a fire occurred in an old unoccupied building at the corner of Regent street and Portland Place. The building, which was owned by Marshall's Brewery Co. was formerly known as the Sportsman's Arms Hotel, and about two years the license was transferred to the new hotel belonging to the same firm, situated in Hobart-road. For some time the structure was occupied as a private dwelling, but for the last few months has been untenanted ...After burning for about three-quarters of an hour, the old building collapsed, the debris falling with a crash into the middle of the street. The only portion that remained standing was the chimney and part of the kitchen, which was detached from the main building."
6 Jul 1912	"TENDERS are invited for taking down the Commonwealth Hall, situated at New Lambton, Removing, and Erecting at Belmont. Tenders close 13/7/'12. Lowest or any tender not necessarily accepted. Apply for particulars. John Sperring, Belmont Hotel."
25 Dec 1913	"The town possesses accommodation in the way of halls for entertainment, and within the past year Mr. Sperring, licensee of the Belmont Hotel, has erected a large hall adjoining the hotel grounds. The building is 70 feet long by 30 feet wide, and will seat comfortably about 500 persons. It has a large stage capable of mounting big acts. and the floor is well adapted for dancing. The building was previously the Commonwealth Hall at New Lambton, which Mr. Sperring purchased, and had re-erected, strengthened, and generally improved in its interior decorations. The hall is frequently used by moonlight excursion parties."

New Lambton Panorama

Ralph Snowball’s 2 panel panorama of New Lambton. University of Newcastle, Living Histories.

The exact date of this panoramic photograph is uncertain. When originally loaded into the University’s Flickr site, the photo was ascribed a date of June 1896. This was clearly wrong, as both the General Roberts Hotel and the Sportsmans’ Arms Hotel can be seen, both of which were built in 1903.

Robert Watson suggests that the photographs may have been in a box “marked as June’06, and the transcriber has misread Snowball’s handwriting as June ’96.” Can we confirm that date or get firm evidence for a date range?

The evidence of the Commonwealth Hall

Commonwealth Hall, in Hobart Road. 1903-1912.

In the photograph, to the right of the Sportsmans’ Arms Hotel we see the Commonwealth Hall. This was erected in 1903 by the licensee of the Sportsmans’ Arms. The hall building was subsequently sold, dismantled and moved to Belmont sometime between July 1912 and December 1913. Thus the date of panorama is unambiguously somewhere in the range 1903 to 1913.

The evidence of the Tauranga trees

In March 1909 New Lambton Council “recommended that a row of trees be planted on the east side of Taurangua road, from the intersection of Lambton road to Hobart-road”, and in June 1909 the Mayor reported that “the tree planting in Taurangua-road had been completed, and the park fence had been repaired.” As there is no sign of these trees in the photograph, it strongly suggests the photo was taken before June 1909.

The evidence of the shelter shed

In October 1903 the parks committee of the New Lambton Council recommended “that the council clerk obtain specification and cost of a shelter shed to be erected in the park, 24 x 12, with moveable front awning (2) that the shed be erected between the 5th and 6th tree guards.” At their meeting on 18 November 1903 the council resolved “that the tender of W. Knight be accepted for the erection of a shed in the park for the sum of £31, including labour and material.” The shed had been constructed and in use by the cricket club by August 1904. Snowball’s photograph shows the shed between the 5th and 6th tree guard, so the photo must date from after November 1903 when the tender for construction was accepted.

The evidence of the park tree guards

In a July 1907 meeting of New Lambton council …

The Mayor reported that the work of erecting tree guards in the park had been commenced. Sufficient timber had been ordered to complete 27 guards, 17 of which would be erected in park No. 1 and 10 in park No. 2.
Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, 25 July 1907.

No. 1 Park is Harker Oval today, and No. 2 Park is Regent Park today. We know from the erection of the shelter shed that some tree guards were at the park in 1903, so the 17 guards for No.1 Park mentioned in the 1907 council meeting are additional guards. Snowball’s panorama photo shows a number of tree guards along Hobart Rd whose whiteness indicates they are fairly new, thus suggesting the panorama dates from not long after July 1907.

Conclusion

Based on the evidence above I conclude that the panorama photo is definitely in the range July 1903 to December 1913, almost certainly in the range December 1903 to June 1909, and probably in the range July 1907 to June 1909.

New Lambton Hotels

Posted on March 24, 2025 by Lachlan Wetherall

I have recently completed a page with details of all New Lambton Hotels, previous and current.

(I have previously completed a page on Lambton Hotels.)

Horsfield’s Lease

I recently became aware of an 1886 subdivision map of New Lambton, held in the State Library of NSW archives. One of the interesting aspects of this map is that it shows details of lot leases.

1886 New Lambton subdivision map showing leased lots shaded with cross-hatching. State Library of NSW.

This is important because when the colliery opened in New Lambton in 1868, the coal company only leased their land, and did not start selling land until 1886 after their coal operations there had ceased. This is in contrast to the neighbouring Lambton Colliery, who from their very beginning in 1864 sold land in the Lambton township to miners. So unlike Lambton where it is possible to inspect land title records in the Historical Land Records Viewer to determine who lived where, in New Lambton prior to 1886 determining who occupied what land is much more difficult.

Inspecting the 1886 subdivision map gives a snapshot of land occupation in that year, and in particular throws light on this previously undated Ralph Snowball photograph in the Living Histories site, captioned as “Unidentified family, New Lambton”.

Horsfield’s Lease, New Lambton. c. 1885-1890. Photo by Ralph Snowball. University of Newcastle, Living Histories.

Looking at lots 34-39 in Section S and lots 10-14 in Section Z, we see a roughly rectangular area of land marked as Horsfield’s Lease.

Noting three other leases on the map – Lucas’ Lease in Section S, Gould’s Lease in Section R, and the Wesleyan Church in Section J – we see that these align with the buildings we see in Snowball’s photograph.

In the 1886 map the dividing line between the northern and southern lots in Section S is shown as a straight line. This is where the gully/creek runs down the hill between Addison Rd and St James Rd. This is made clearer in a later 1901 subdivision map, where the line of the creek has been added. The Snowball photograph matches the map, as we see a creek running along the northern border of Horsfield’s lease.

1901 subdivision map of New Lambton. National Library of Australia.

Having established that Snowball’s photo is probably of Horsfield’s Lease, a search of Trove provides confirmation in this 1883 advertisement for the sale of William Horsfield’s Leasehold property.

Advertisement for the sale of William Horsfield’s Leasehold property at New Lambton. Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, 29 September 1883.

We see in Snowball’s photograph the two houses mentioned in the advertisement – the smaller two room house and the larger 5 room house, and a garden between the houses and shed. If you look really closely you can even see one cow in the fenced paddock.

The 1883 advertisement is for 6 acres of land, and notes that it “will be sold in one lot or subdivided.” In the 1886 map the area marked as Horsfield’s measures only 3.5 acres, which suggests that in 1883 only 2.5 acres of leasehold land was sold.

Google Earth view showing the location of Horsfield’ Lease in New Lambton.

Google Earth oblique view showing the location of Horsfield’ Lease in New Lambton.

Approximate location of the Horsfield’s Lease photo, St James Rd, New Lambton, March 2025.

Dating the photograph

In the photo there is no sign of any of the streets in that area having been made yet. In particular the Portland Place road near the Wesleyan Church is not visible. We know that section of road existed in 1896 as New Lambton council voted …

That Portland-place from the New Lambton estate boundary to Cromwell-street be gravelled 21ft wide, at a cost of £25
Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, 13 January 1896.

As Snowball’s photographic career started in 1885, this places the Horsfield Lease photo in the definite range 1885 to 1896.

After New Lambton council formed in 1889 they quickly set about making and improving roads, and thus needed a good supply of gravel. In 1890 they opened up a quarry near Hincks lease at the top of Addison Rd and arranged for the construction of a tramway to carry the gravel 400 yards down the hill. In Snowball’s Horsfield’s lease photo there is no sign of either a roadway to the quarry or a tramway, indicating that the photo is probably before 1890.

Also, a close examination of the buildings in the photo shows that almost all seem to be located on blocks of land marked as leases on the 1886 map. Land sales in this area only commenced in March 1886, and assuming that people would start building houses on their land soon after purchase, this suggests the photo can’t be too many years after 1886.

In conclusion, my best guess for the date of the photo is within the range 1885 to 1890.

Real Estate Riot

Navigating the real estate market today can be a battle, but it’s unlikely to be as dangerous as the New Lambton land sale of 1886. The colliery in this area was established in 1868, with land leased to miners rather than sold outright. After the mine closed, the owners planned a 474-lot subdivision, to be auctioned on-site on 27 February 1886. To entice bidders, a free special train from Newcastle was laid on, and lunch was to be provided. Things did not go well. The Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate reported:

One of the most disorderly scenes ever witnessed in the county occurred at New Lambton on Saturday, when Mr. J. C. Bonarius, the well-known and popular auctioneer, endeavoured to sell the property known as the New Lambton Estate. This land has been occupied for the past 16 or 17 years by tenants who have erected houses, and having lived so long on the land, resent any attempt to dispossess them. Accordingly, as soon as the train arrived, it was met by a hooting, roaring crowd, composed of the old leaseholders shouting, “They’re going to sell the roof over our heads!” On the sale being commenced, by their howling and groaning and making ridiculously small bids, they endeavoured to block the proceedings. The crowd then broke into the luncheon tent, seized the provisions and liquors, and threw the furniture outside. Five different messengers were despatched for the police, but none could be found, they all being away at the Wallsend races. The meeting had become a complete riotous display, and a number of intending buyers were intimidated and threatened. Mr. Bonarius had nothing left but to withdraw the sale.
Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, 1 March 1886.

In the aftermath of the riot another on-site auction was not attempted. Instead, a month later Mr Bonarius held an auction in the Victoria Theatre in Newcastle – this time without food, without alcohol, and without incident.

A poster advertising the New Lambton Estate subdivision sale in 1886, which curiously has a completely different set of street names to those we know today. State Library of NSW.

What might have been – Pitt St and Horsfield St in New Lambton, now Portland St and Regent St. (Image digitally altered.)

The article above was first published in the March 2023 edition of The Local.

Additional Information

The original land sale was heavily promoted by J C Bonarius in the lead up to the on-site auction, with multiple large advertisements in the newspaper. The proprietor of the newspaper also got on board, with more than one editorial ‘puff piece’ praising the impending land sale in glowing terms such as “fine subdivision”, “best land”, “beautiful building sites”, “a more lovely spot is not to be found”, “the beauties of New Lambton Heights are far beyond description”, and “this little paradise”.

Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, 23 January 1886.

On the Monday after the attempted land sale, the Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate had a lengthy report on the disturbance. Because of its sensational nature, the story was reproduced in dozens of other newspapers across the country.

For reasons of space, the newspaper report I quoted in the article published in The Local was a much condensed version of the original, which appears in full below.

RIOT AT LAMBTON.
The Mob Block a Land Sale.
Disgraceful Proceedings.

ONE of the most disorderly scenes ever witnessed in the county of Northumberland occurred at New Lambton on Saturday last, when, pursuant to advertisement, Mr. J. C. Bonarius, the well-known and popular auctioneer, endeavoured to sell the property known as the New Lambton Estate. The special train, which left here at noon, conveyed a large number of intending purchasers from Newcastle, and there were numerous visitors from Sydney, Maitland, and elsewhere.

It appears that this property has been occupied for the past 16 or 17 years by a number of tenants who have erected houses thereon, and who originally held leases of 14 years, which have expired, two or three years since, through effluxion of time. Hence, having lived so long on the land, the occupiers came to regard it as their own, and were prepared to resent any attempt to dispossess them of what they, from force of habit, had led themselves to believe to be their birth-right, forgetting that since the expiration of their leases they had been permitted to remain on the land on sufferance rent free.

Accordingly, as soon as the train arrived, it was met by a hooting, roaring crowd, composed of the old leaseholders and their patizans, and a number of those who are always in their glory when there is a prospect of a row, shouting “They’re going to sell the roof over our heads !” Taking no notice, the party proceeded to partake of luncheon in a tent prepared for the occasion. During this time the larrikin element began to manifest itself in various way, and Mr. Bonarius, the auctioneer, addressed the crowd, which number in all about 700 persons, asking them in the most persuasive terms to keep quiet; but without avail. On the sale being commenced, it was evident that a concerted plan had been adopted by the old leaseholders to block it. Drafts of them were distributed here and there among the mob, and by their howling and groaning and making ridiculously small bids, they endeavoured to achieve this object. The crowd then broke into the [lunch] tent and took whatever they could lay their hands on, seized the provisions and liquors and threw the articles of furniture outside. The Hon. G. R. Dibbs, Colonial Secretary, who was present, remonstrated with them, asking them to conduct themselves like men, but they took no heed, and Mr. Dibbs and a number of gentlemen had to withdraw to save themselves from violence. Mr. Bonarius and his son were also threatened, and the attendants in charge of the luncheon paraphernalia beaten and ill-used. Five different messengers were despatched for the police, but none could be found, they all being away at the Wallsend races – which fact the mobs well knew. The meeting had now become a complete riotous display; the auctioneer’s voice was inaudible amidst the babel of tongues, and a number of intending buyers who were present were intimidated from bidding, as the rioters threatened them with ill-treatment if they did so. Mr. Bonarius had nothing left but to withdraw the sale, on which announcement being made, the mob set up cheer after cheer that could be heard a mile off. Lots 1 and 2, section B, on the crown of the hill, were sold at £2 per foot, while a few blocks lower down realised from 15s to £1 per foot.

It may be mentioned that last week Mr. Bonarius valued the allotments, informing their occupants that he would not sell the lots on which houses were built if the tenants were willing to pay the same for them as the adjoining allotment fetched. All except three were satisfied with his valuation, from which the proprietors were willing to knock off 50 per cent., and also to give two large allotments to each of the churches for the erection of their respective places of worship, and two allotments for a Mechanics’ Institute.

We understand that Police Court action is to be taken against the ringleaders.
Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, 1 March 1886.

A fortnight later, one of the leaseholders on the New Lambton estate wrote a letter to the editor, giving quite a different explanation of the disturbance.

Sir, – Seeing an account in your paper of Monday, March 1st, wherein one of the most disorderly scenes ever witnessed in the county of Northumberland occurred at New Lambton, there being so many misstatement I deem it my duty to correct. First, the train arrived at New Lambton with 25 passengers, including vendors, auctioneers, and others. True, Sir, we have lived on the estate for 16 or 17 years, and have held leases for 14 years, but after that term expired we went on the same as before, paying our 30s a year for each allotment. As our original leases stated we had the right of renewal, and the proprietors have held out promises to renew it, so you will see, Sir, we have not, been living there rent free.
Next, the train arrived and was “met by a hooting, roaring crowd, composed ofleaseholders, &c.” We give our most emphatic denial to this. The people got out of the train and were never molested. After arriving on the top of the hill and partaking of luncheon provided by the auctioneer, some of the liquid portion was not long before it commenced to operate on the larrikin element, which had come from all parts of the district; and I have no doubt that they did misbehave themselves, and for this we blame other people, and not the tenants of the New Lambton Estate. As for 700 people being there, I think if the writer had said 70 it would have been nearer the mark.
Now, Sir, I say we had no concerted plan adopted to block the sale, but it was the auctioneer who ran the land up to such an exorbitant price that the leaseholders knew they had no chance to buy the small piece of land their houses stood on, which was believed not to be a bona fide bid after all.
The Hon. G. R. Dibbs was also present, and remonstrated with children and larrikins for their bad behaviour.
Now, Sir, if I were the father of one of those children who got intoxicated I would most undoubtedly have seen further into it. As for Mr. Dibbs and other gentlemen having to withdraw to save themselves from violence, they did not leave until after the sale was closed. Also as to Mr. Bonarius and his son being threatened and the attendants in charge of the luncheon paraphernalia beaten and ill used, we know of no one being ill used; but this we know, a young man stood on the counter, with a bottle of porter in his hand, threatening to knock down the first man that touched anything, but he was besieged by the larrikins and the bottle taken from him. And as for the police, I think it was the man’s fault who brought so much liquor. He should have seen that it was properly protected.
Next comes: “Mr. Bonarius’s voice being inaudible with the babel of tongues.” This noise proceeded from the larrikin element, who were by this time intoxicated and quarrelling among themselves. The “intending buyers being intimidated by the leaseholders” we deny in toto. As for cheering taking place after the sale was closed, we heard none, and if there had been we would have heard it.
True, Sir, lots Nos. 1 and 2 on the top of the hill were knocked down at £2 per foot, that being the only legitimate sale that took place that day, the others being a farce. It is true Mr. Bonarius was up last week and valued the houses on the allotments, not the allotments, Sir, and for which we had agreed to pay 50 per cent. of the said valuation, provided we became purchasers of the land, for which we had to pay the same as the next allotment to us brought.
Hoping you will pardon me for trespassing,-I am, &c., ONE OF THE NEW LAMBTON TENANTS.
Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, 13 March 1886

Some of this letter stretches credulity to breaking point, as the writer successively blames the riot on …

“the larrikin element, which had come from all parts of the district”
“other people”
“the auctioneer who ran the land up to such an exorbitant price”
“children and larrikins”
“children who got intoxicated”
“the man’s fault who brought so much liquor”

… while all the time denying that the leaseholders, who clearly had the most to gain from blocking the sale, bore any responsibility at all.

The truth probably lies somewhere between the Herald’s sensationalistic report of 1 March 1886 and the leaseholder’s exculpatory letter of 13 March 1886. However it is clear that whatever occurred on Saturday 27 February 1886, it was sufficiently disruptive to cause the abandonment of the sale after only 2 lots had been auctioned.

The 1886 subdivision map

One of the important aspects of the 1886 subdivision map is that it shows which lots were leased and to whom they were leased. For example, in Sections D and G we see leases to Lunn (James Lunn of the Hand of Friendship Hotel), Sneddan, Horsfield, and Butterworth (Abraham Butterworth of the Duke of Wellington Hotel.)

The whole map shows leases to: Allanby, Banks, Bart, Beveridge, Boberly, Buckley, Bunn, Butterworth, Chinchin, Cummin, Davis, Dover, Gould, Hincks, Hitchcock, Horsfield, Hyde, Jeffries, Johnston formerly Strange, Jones, Kelly, Lewis, Limn, Lucas, Lunn, M. John, Marchant, Mogg, Morgan, Musgrove, Pellew, Peterson, Police, Price, Pritchard, Ray, Reece, S. Williams, Sager, Saunders, Sneddan, Solway, Thomas, Wesleyan Church, Williams, Wilson, Winspear.

Lots 1 to 4 of Section G are shown as leased by “Sneddan”, a rather mercurial name with various other documents and newspaper articles spelling the name “Snedden”, “Sneddon”, and even “Snedding”. Mr Thomas Sneddon was a long-time resident and well known gardener and florist in New Lambton. A number of editorial puff pieces leading up to the February 1886 land sale made reference to his garden.

20 January 1886 – “A correspondent writes that having had occasion to transact business at Wallsend the other day, he started from Newcastle in a bus, and when near New Lambton a gentleman induced him to get out and visit Snedding Garden at New Lambton. To his utter astonishment he saw one of the prettiest gardens outside of Sydney. The whole place was a living mass of flowers of all kinds and colours, and the fernery was beautiful, some of the choicest kinds being New South Wales ferns.”
30 January 1886 – “The paragraph which appeared in your paper last week, referring to Snedding Garden, or this estate, and to the site equalling for scenery anything in this part of New South Wales, led me to take a journey to this northern paradise, and to my astonishment I was well paid for my labour. The ‘bus dropped me at the railway bridge, and I made my way to the gardens, which are really beautiful. Flowers and ferns are herein abundance, and to give you the names of them would take me too long, but the wonder to me was how they grow here in the open air in such splendour. I was informed the soil was very rich, and with a little trouble anything thing will grow at New Lambton Heights.”
20 February 1886 – “I visited some of the houses, and fortunately happened to drop into Mr. Sneddon’s garden. I was very glad of this, as I had read an account of this garden, and really was paid for my trouble. I was here surrounded by all the colours of the rainbow, and was not long in procuring a lovely bunch of flowers that really would have done credit to Covent Garden in the old country. The camelia bushes are just breaking out with their lovely new leaves, and when the season arrives New Lambton Heights will be able to show camelias with any part of New South Wales.”

Thomas Sneddon resided in New Lambton until his death in 1927, aged 83. His obituary described the fame of his garden.

Mr Thomas Sneddon who died last week at his home, cnr Cromwell and Victoria streets, was one of the oldest residents of New Lambton. He was known throughout the Newcastle and Maitland districts as a keen horticulturist, and his gardens proved a strong attraction. In past years, during the days of the old wind jammers, they were the rendezvous of ship captains and other visitors. Mr. Sneddon was born at Cockpen, county of Edinburgh in 1844. He came to New Lambton in 1879, when the township was but a scrub, and lived there till his death at the age of 83. As a flower exhibitor he won many prizes at various shows, and in certain classes he invariably swept the board. He had also acted as judge on many occasions. In his early years at New Lambton he conducted a grocery business on the corner of Regent and Victoria streets, eventually selling out, and taking up the florist business, which he conducted (with the aid of his family) to the present.
Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, 13 April 1927.

1886 street names

1886 Street Name	Probably named after	Present Street Name
Bonarius St	John Charles Bonarius, auctioneer	Carrington Pde
Brown St	Alexander Brown, proprietor of New Lambton Coal Company	Cromwell St
Brummy St		Russell Rd
Coal St		Fleet St
Dibbs St	G.R. Dibbs, colonial secretary and part owner of the New Lambton Estate land.	Evescourt Rd
Griffin St		Victoria St
Hill St		Queens Rd
Mitchell St	James Mitchell, former owner of a 128 acre parcel of land whose northern border is on the line of Mitchell St.	Henley St
Pitt St		Portland Pl
Horsfield St	Thomas Horsfield, former manager of the New Lambton colliery.	Regent St
Short St		Baker St/Curzon Rd
Soudan St		Addison Rd
Thomas St	James Thomas, manager of New Lambton colliery.	Oxford St
William St		High St
Young St		St James Rd

There are scant references to the original street names in the newspaper …

Griffin St is mentioned in 1875 and in an 1879 reference to the Duckenfield Hotel.
Horsfield St is mentioned in reference to the Duke of Wellington Hotel – Abraham Butterworth licensee in 1878, and Thomas Pringle licensee in 1879.

I have found no information as to why the original street names was abandoned, and a new set of names adopted. The modern street names first started appearing in newspaper reports in 1889, the year that New Lambton municipal council was formed.

Curiously, the part of New Lambton north of Russell Rd also originally had a set of street names different from the current names, although in this case we know this was due to an administrative bungle.

The ‘missing’ lot

The map promotes the subdivision as “containing 474 blocks of land”.

The subdivision contains 25 sections, labelled ‘A’ to ‘Z’ (omitting section ‘I’), with each block of land labelled with a number. On tabulating the numbered lots in each section, I initially came up with a total of only 473 lots. I eventually found what I think is the answer to this discrepancy, where in Section S lot 22 is divided in half and leased to two different persons.

Later land titles show the southern half of this block labelled as Lot 22A.

The 1901 Sale

Fifteen years after the aborted on-site auction of 1886, the proprietors felt brave enough to attempt another on-site auction of the remaining lots, on Saturday 20 April 1901. I have no explanation of why the advertisement says there are 325 allotments available while the poster map shows only 312 lots for sale.

Advertisement for 20 April 1901 auction sale of New Lambton Estate. Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, 20 April 1901.

Subdivision map for 20 April 1901 auction sale of New Lambton Estate. National Library of Australia.

1913 Subdivision Map

The University of Newcastle Living Histories site has another subdivision map of New Lambton, which has no date information on the map.

New Lambton Subdivision map, 1913. University of Newcastle, Living Histories.

The map only has 213 lots that are not marked as sold, so is clearly after 1901 when there were more than 300 lots for sale. Inspecting the land sales on Vol-Fol 1865-121, pages 6 and 7 shows that Lot 9 Section F sold on 15 April 1913 and is marked as sold on the above map. The next entry on Vol-Fol 1865-121, Lot 15 Section J sold on 19 June 1913 and is NOT marked as sold on the map. All subsequent entries on Vol-Fol 1865-121 are likewise not shown as sold on the map, thus dating it to mid 1913.

There does not appear to have been a big advertised sale of land in New Lambton in 1913 associated with this map, however a 9 September 1913 article refers to progress in constructing the “Eves Court” bridge and notes that …

The bridge will have the effect of opening up a considerable portion of land on what is generally termed “The Second Hill,” to the right of Orchardtown, and this land will probably be the second subdivision of the New Lambton Coal Company.
Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, 9 September 1913.

The bridge was of sufficient importance to the New Lambton Company in their real estate ambitions, that they contributed £115 of the eventual £234 construction cost. It is probable that the 1913 subdivision map was produced to facilitate and promote land sales expected to arise from the construction of the Evescourt Rd bridge. A social function to celebrate the opening of the bridge was held at Butterworth’s hotel on 13 December 1913.

Newspaper articles

Article Date Event Date	Notes
20 Jan 1886	Editorial 'puff piece' promoting the upcoming New Lambton Estate land sale.
23 Jan 1886	Lengthy advertisement for New Lambton Estate land sale.
30 Jan 1886	Editorial 'puff piece' promoting the upcoming New Lambton Estate land sale.
13 Feb 1886	"Mr. W. H. Bonney has just completed a plan for Messrs. Hodgkinson and Wilkinson, of Newcastle and Maitland, which does him great credit. The plan is 11 feet, long, by 5 feet wide and shows all the blocks of land - 474 building sites, at New Lambton - which are to be sold on the 27th instant by Mr. J. C. Bonarius, auctioneer. The colouring is very good, and the plan altogether is one of the neatest we have seen. It is to be on view at the Borough Markets."
20 Feb 1886	Editorial 'puff piece' promoting the upcoming New Lambton Estate land sale.
1 Mar 1886 27 Feb 1886	Report on the riot at the New Lambton Estate land sale.
2 Mar 1886	Letter to the editor countering the misapprehension that it was the striking miners at Lambton colliery who had rioted.
13 Mar 1886	Letter from one of the leaseholders, refuting a number of claims made in the newspaper report of 1 March 1886.
20 Mar 1886 27 Mar 1886	Advertisement for sale of land to be held in Victoria Theatre.
26 Mar 1886 27 Mar 1886	"Attention is drawn to the great land sale of "The heights of New 'Lambton," which is to be held in the Victoria Theatre to-morrow at 12 o'clock. Mr. J. C. Bonarius is the auctioneer. The property consists of over 158 acres of freehold land, subdivided into lots to suit all classes. As it is within a quarter of an hour's drive of the city, and adjoins the proposed tramway, it is most conveniently situated. Healthy and elevated, this most valuable subdivision should meet with keen competition."
25 Aug 1886	"Purchasers of allotments of land on the New Lambton Estate are reminded that promissory notes for the second payment, due on 1st September next, are payable at the Commercial Bank, Newcastle."
20 Apr 1901	Advertisement for sale of 325 lots of the New Lambton subdivision, to "take place on the ground adjoining Doritty's Sportsmen's Arms Hotel."

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Local history, life, technology, and other random stuff, handcrafted using the finest naturally occurring binary digits

Category Archives: New Lambton (2305)

English and Australian Copper Company Smelter

Summary of Newcastle’s Copper Smelters

Location

Additional Information

The smelter stacks

The Perrott sketch of the smelter

Newspaper articles

Commonage Street Alignment Stones

Additional Information

Alignment stones outside the Commonage

Newspaper articles

Yankee Doodle Diddle

Joseph Thompson’s Store

Holmes Samuel Chipman

Biographical Details

Shonky business

Trademarks and Patents

Sportsman’s Arms Hotel, New Lambton

Additional Information

Newspaper articles

New Lambton Panorama

The evidence of the Commonwealth Hall

The evidence of the Tauranga trees

The evidence of the shelter shed

The evidence of the park tree guards

Conclusion

New Lambton Hotels

Horsfield’s Lease

Dating the photograph

Real Estate Riot

Additional Information

The 1886 subdivision map

1886 street names

The ‘missing’ lot

The 1901 Sale

1913 Subdivision Map

Newspaper articles