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.
Maitland’s steam trams
Maitland’s steam trams linked East Maitland and West Maitland. They were a source of community pride but were never really economically viable and lasted less than 20 years.
The Chinese gardeners of Maitland
Chinese market gardeners were an important part of the Maitland agricultural scene for more than 40 years from the late 1860s.
‘Ducks’ and ‘alligators’ in Maitland’s floods
The amphibious ‘ducks’ and ‘alligators’ used in the flood of 1955 were not ideally suited to the tasks they took on, but they made important contributions and became legendary nevertheless.
Otto Baldwin, colonial entrepreneur with wide-ranging interests
Otto Baldwin was an explorer who became an important land-owner, businessman and philanthropist in the Maitland area and further afield.
The Maitland Lions Club and ‘Lionsville’
The newly-formed Maitland Lions Club performed a service to floodplain residents after the 1955 flood by developing a subdivision in an area beyond flood reach and relocating their houses to it.