Welcome to readers of The Local. Below you will find links to web pages that accompany the “That was then, this is now” articles published each month. On these pages you can view the photos in higher resolution by clicking on an image. These pages also have additional material such as references to old newspaper articles, and any corrections or clarifications.
- February 2015 – Lambton Colliery
- March 2015 – Newcastle to Plattsburg Tramway Cutting
- April 2015 – The Dividing Lines
- May 2015 – The Many Roads to Town
- June 2015 – A Little Light History
- July 2015 – In Search of Paddy Lewis
- August 2015 – Post and Telegraph Office, Lambton
- September 2015 – Electric Light Station
- October 2015 – Lambton Park
- November 2015 – Lambton Park Rotunda
- December 2015 – Church life, Anglican
- January 2016 – Maps
- A visual index to historical real estate maps in the University of Newcastle Cultural Collections
- February 2016 – Mosquito Pit
- March 2016 – “Hollywood” depression era shanty town
- April 2016 – Council mergers
- May 2016 – Mechanics’ Institute, Lambton
- June 2016 – Thomas Croudace
- July 2016 – Lambton Fire Brigade
- August 2016 – The Omnibus
- September 2016 – Matthew Charlton
- October 2016 – Transport history
- November 2016 – Stoker’s Hotel, Lambton
- December 2016 – Church Life, Catholic
- January 2017 – Maps, Bridges Road
- February 2017 – Drains
- March 2017 – Doctor John James Hill
- April 2017 – History under our feet, Lewis Oval
- May 2017 – Lambton Courthouse
- June 2017 – Arthur Lydney Payne
- July 2017 – Blackbutt Reserve
- August 2017 – Power Station Plaque
- September 2017 – Croudace’s Paddock (Jesmond Park)
- October 2017 – Jack Burnley
- November 2017 – Lambton Reservoir
- December 2017 – Welsh Congregational Church, Lambton
- January 2018 – Barrett’s 1910 Map
- February 2018 – The Hand of Friendship Hotel, New Lambton
- March 2018 – Lambton Aldermen
- April 2018 – New Lambton Aldermen
- May 2018 – “Dog and Rat” Colliery
- June 2018 – New Lambton Colliery
- July 2018 – Rankin Park Hospital
- August 2018 – Albert Henry McEwan
- September 2018 – New Lambton C Pit Strike of 1888
- October 2018
- November 2018 – no article this month
- December 2018 – Commercial Hotel
- January 2019 – Lambton to Mayfield tramway
- February 2019 – The well travelled brick
- March 2019 – Adamstown Council Chambers
- April 2019 – The Sturey Mystery
- May 2019 – Clearing up the halls
- June 2019 – The Commonage
- July 2019 – Hutton Printing & Paper Co
- August 2019 – Drain plane – District Park aerodrome
- September 2019 – Lawson Crichton – Lambton Cooperative Store
- October 2019 – no article this month
- November 2019 – James Gray, Undertaker, Adamstown
- December 2019 – Clash of Armies – Lambton Salvation Army.
- January 2020 – History in our streets – Chilcott St, Lambton.
- February 2020 – New Lambton Public School – 140 years
- March 2020 – No. 2 Fighter Sector, New Lambton Public School
- April 2020 – Adamstown Tram, 1900-1950
- May 2020 – William Conn
- June 2020 – Burning Style, Waratah and Parry St incinerators
- July 2020 – New Lambton Post Office
- August 2020 – Ralph Snowball
- September 2020 – Adamstown Rifle Range
- October 2020 – Morgan’s Store, Lambton
- November 2020 – A Picnic Homecoming – Lambton passenger train services.
- December 2020 – Adamstown Post Office
- January 2021 – Reservoir Hotel, Lambton
- February 2021 – East Lambton Colliery (in New Lambton)
- March 2021 – Gittins and Eastham Store (Broadmeadow Co-operative Society)
- April 2021 – Thomas Bevan, Undertaker and more
- May 2021 – George Bell, Grocer
- June 2021 – Furnace Feast
- July 2021 – Charles Noble
- August 2021 – “Darkness Into Light” – Lambton’s jubilee celebrations of 1921 and the return of electric street lighting.
- September 2021 – New Lambton Mechanics’ Institute
- October 2021 – William Thomas Dent
- November 2021 – no article this month
- December 2021 – A very long road story – Marshall St and the Inner City Bypass
- January 2022 – A Timely Trophy – Fire Brigade Demonstration Days 1888
- February 2022 – Lambton Central Collieries
- March 2022 – “Hums of the Wheel” – Newcastle Bicycle Carnival March 1897 and the A A Company’s Garden Suburb subdivision.
- April 2022 – Adamstown Railway Station and Crossing
- May 2022 – Robinson’s Farm, Orchardtown, New Lambton
- June 2022 – Ebbw Vale Colliery
- July 2022 – New Lambton Fire Station
- August 2022 – The “Baby” Coal Mines of Lambton-Waratah
- September 2022 – WAAAF Hostel, New Lambton
- October 2022 – Leonora Glass Industries
- November 2022 – Adamstown Fire and Police Station
- December 2022 – Newcastle to Sydney telephone line
- January 2023 – Broadmeadow Planes and Plans, Tiger Moth crash in January 1953.
- February 2023 – Coal Miners’ Strike of 1896
- March 2023 – no article this month
- April 2023 – General Roberts Hotel, New Lambton
- May 2023 – Corner Commerce – Thomas Griffiths hairdresser, and Oldham’s Butcher Shop
- June 2023 – Sadly bungled street names – the 1889-1992 street names of New Lambton
Other Local History content
Local history blog posts
In addition to the monthly “Then and Now” articles for The Local, I also occasionally post content about local history on my blog. If you want to view just my local history posts (without the other subjects I write about) click here. These posts vary in length and detail, but some of the more substantial ones I’ve written are:
- January 2015 – My holiday historical adventure (The blog post that launched me into the monthly Then and Now articles)
- March 2015 – History in 3D
- January 206 – Freyberg St, New Lambton
- January 2017 – Copper Smelter Waratah/New Lambton, Part 1
- February 2017 – Corlette St, Cooks Hill
- February 2017 – Copper Smelter Waratah/New Lambton, Part 2
- April 2017 – Lambton Park Memorial Gate Kangaroos
- May 2017 – Skyline drive-in, Lambton
- May 2017 – Bull’s Garden, Whitebridge
- June 2017 – Birdwood Park, Newcastle West
- July 2017 – Mechanics’ Institute, Adamstown
- August 2017 – Jesmond Hill horse racing track
- August 2017 – Glebe Hill Reservoir, Merewether
- December 2017 – Waratah Gasworks
- December 2017 – Railway St, Merewether
- January 2018 – Tudor St, Hamilton
- April 2018 – Ralph Snowball’s House and Studio
- July 2018 – Peacock’s Corner, Lambton
- December 2018 – Memorial Baby Health Centre, Lambton
- January 2019 -Teralba Railway Deviation
- August 2019 – Walsh Island Aerodrome
- December 2019 – The Grange, New Lambton
- January 2020 – Tharwa Rd Lambton
- August 2020 – Carrington Boat Harbour
- November 2020 – The Edden Political Dynasty
- September 2021 – Hartley Vale Colliery, Newcastle
Acknowledgements
- My thanks go to the University of Newcastle Cultural Collections for maintaining a fabulous repository of historic photos, and for granting permission to publish some of them in the Lambton Local.
- Thanks also to Robert Watson for research assistance, fact checking, proof reading, ideas and inspiration.
- Julie Keating has also been a valued collaborator with me over the years.
Questions and Answers
In doing this research, I seem to find more questions than answers, so I have a page of unanswered questions concerning Lambton’s local history, and another smaller but hopefully growing page of answered questions.
I have noticed a peculiar sight on a 1936 map (https://lachlanwetherall.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/HLRV12-1936.jpg) that you have used in numerous articles. I have noticed “Australasia Coal Company’s Railway”. It follows present day Bridges Road and Park Avenue so there is some evidence of it existing…but there is not much else. When did it open, when did it close? Who knows…?
Also, very great articles..love them!
Mike Scanlon wrote a nice summary of the Australasian Coal Company Railway in the Newcastle Herald in May 2016. See http://www.theherald.com.au/story/3915478/tunnel-is-lost-in-time/
Or if you want to read source documents, there’s a list of old newspaper articles at http://trove.nla.gov.au/list?id=86948
Note that the railway was where Bridges Rd now is, but it was a little to the south of Park Ave, climbing the ridge.
Hi I from 1949 when born till 1970 lived on Howe St Lambton several houses up from Allan Kemlo who told me of your site, I’m so pleased to have found it. Lambton always will be very close to my Heart – I’ll be back when I’ve got more time to watch the video and to read more – many thanks – cheers, Maree
Pingback: Words, Then and Now | A bit of this, a bit of that