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 18/8/25 Chas Keys 18/8/25

Maitland’s loss of the regional capital role

Maitland was once known as the ‘Hub of the Hunter and the ‘Capital of the North’. Both labels had lost currency by 1900.

Chas Keys 15/8/25 Chas Keys 15/8/25

Maitland: ‘Hub of the Hunter’ and ‘Capital of the North’ in the mid-1800s

For decades, Maitland was, for the north of the colony of New South Wales, the principal centre of commerce and industry apart from Sydney. It was patronised from hundreds of kilometres away.

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

Thomas Dimmock, printing entrepreneur

The evolution of the Thomas Dimmock family printing business in High St, Maitland.