Merewether, New South Wales

Merewether is a beach-side southern residential suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, with a population of around 10,000. The NSW postcode is 2291.

Establishment

Merewether was originally part of the Burwood Estate, and takes its name from the owner, Edward Christopher Merewether. It was incorporated as a Municipality in 1885, covering 1,110 acres and 19 miles of streets. The former Council Chambers, opposite the Post Office, is today the clubhouse of the Australian Returned Services League. In 1938 an Act of the New South Wales Parliament created a "City of Greater Newcastle", incorporating 11 municipalities into one local government area, including Merewether. The Mayor in 1901 was David Lloyd, a funeral director who resided in Railway Street. In 1891 the Census gave the population as 4,700.

In 1901 Merewether was represented in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, By Mr.Alfred Edden.

Religion

The Church of England parish church is St.Augustine, in Llewellyn Street, the land and cost of erection met by Mr. Edward Merewether. It became the centre of a new Provisional District in the Diocese of Newcastle in 1890. In 1901 there were, in addition to St.Augustines, eight other places of worship: Roman Catholic, Church of Christ, Weslyan Methodist, two Primitive Methodist, United Methodist, Congregational, and Baptist churches.

Industries

The dominant industry within the old municipality was coal mining, the last colliery, at the Glebe, not closing until 1959. This was served by a railway which left the main Government line in the city centre, crossed the main Hunter Street, passed down the centre of Burwood Street, crossed Newcastle's Civic Park, passed under Laman Street and continued along its own permanent way through the suburb of Cook's Hill, to The Junction and its school, then up an embankment crossing Llewellyn, Caldwell & Ridge Streets, Merewether, past the telephone exchange, up Morgan St., crossing Yule Road to the Newcastle Coal Mining Company's colliery complex. Merewether also once had extensive pottery works and brickyards, the last to close being Hughes' Pottery, opposite The Junction School, in the last two decades of the 20th century.

General

Merewether, once served by electric tramways to the city, two miles distant, today by buses, has excellent road connexions to all sections of Newcastle and the major highways which serve it. Merewether's oldest mansion is Hillcrest, originally the residence of the Merewether family. Above it is the Scenic Drive along which were built expensive 'modern' homes from the late 1950s, with spectacular views. It is a much sought after suburb to reside in, with soaring property prices.

There remains in Berners Street an old hotel named the Burwood Inn, recalling the suburb's original name.

To the south of Merewether Beach are the Merewether Ocean Baths, the largest Ocean Baths complex in the Southern Hemisphere.

References

• Newcastle - 150 Years, edited by Eric Lingard, Newcastle, 1947.

• The Diocese of Newcastle, by A.P.Elkin, Sydney, 1955.

• Federal Director of Newcastle and District for 1901, Newcastle, reprinted 1982, ISBN 0-9593518-0-9