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.

Chas Keys 23/7/23 Chas Keys 23/7/23

Nineteenth century race relations: a sad story

Relations between Europeans and Aboriginal people were sometimes cordial in the early days of European settlement of the Hunter Valley, but they soon deteriorated.

Chas Keys 14/12/22 Chas Keys 14/12/22

Names of early Maitland

Many place names in the Maitland area, current before Europeans arrived and afterwards, have disappeared but some remain in use.

Cameron Archer 23/3/22 Cameron Archer 23/3/22

Aboriginal nations and European invasion

An overview of the impact of European invasion and settlement on the Aboriginal nations of the Maitland region.

Chas Keys 14/1/22 Chas Keys 14/1/22

Deep time

A snapshot of the long term environmental and human history of the Maitland area going back hundreds of millions of years.

Kevin Short 13/1/22 Kevin Short 13/1/22

Inciting another to exhume bodies

The very strange activities of phrenologist Archibald Hamilton in mid-19th century Maitland.