On this page members of the Maitland and District Historical Society are sharing their research into a variety of aspects of the history of our locality. New stories will be added as they become available.
Use search to find stories about the person, place, topic or keyword you are interested in.
Cumberland Hall
The gracious mansion Cumberland Hall occupied a commanding position in East Maitland for 100 years, but was demolished in 1960-61 despite its architectural merit to make way for Maitland Girls’ High School. Striking similarities with local buildings of the same period have helped to identify its likely architect.
Caroline Chisholm, humanitarian and philanthropist
Caroline Chisholm, perhaps Australia’s greatest nineteenth-century philanthropist, made her mark in Maitland and many other places.
East Maitland, a century ago
East Maitland in the early years of the last century looked and felt much different from the East Maitland of today, and the lifestyles of its residents were very different too.
The Bolwarra Embankment Committee
In the rural areas of the lower Hunter, embankment committees were the front line of flood mitigation for nearly a hundred years.
The origins of flood mitigation in the Maitland area
From the 1850s, substantial efforts were made in and around Maitland to reduce the costs and inconvenience caused by floods.