Lambton, New South Wales

Lambton is a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from Newcastle's central business district.

Lambton
Newcastle, New South Wales
Lambton Park
Population4,909 (2016 census)[1]
 • Density1,640/km2 (4,200/sq mi)
Postcode(s)2299
Area3 km2 (1.2 sq mi)
Location
LGA(s)City of Newcastle
ParishNewcastle
State electorate(s)
Federal Division(s)Newcastle
Suburbs around Lambton:
Jesmond North Lambton Waratah
Wallsend Lambton Broadmeadow
New Lambton Heights New Lambton Broadmeadow

Early days

Originally a coal-mining township, Lambton was incorporated as a Municipality (including Jesmond, New South Wales), on 24 June 1871. The 1891 Census gave the population as 3,434. It was the first municipality in Newcastle district to be lit by electric light.

In the early years the miners of the township used to entertain themselves gambling on dog races known as the "Dog & Rat" because they would release a rat (wallaby) on flat open area then let their dogs chase it down the dog that caught the rat won (the rat won if it made it to the scrub)

In 1901 there were 14 churches, a Music Hall, Assembly Rooms, a Temperance Hall, a Mechanics' Institute, Miners' Institute, a Post, Telegraph and Money Order Office, a Savings Bank, Court House, Fire Brigade, Council Chambers, and fine public schools. There were collieries, coke-ovens and a soap-works at Jesmond.

In 1901 the Municipal Council had as Mayor: Matthew Thornton and Town Clerk: Thomas Johnson. 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 Lambton.

Historically Lambton has played an important part in the sporting history of the Hunter Region. Lambton Park was also the location of the first organised soccer match played in Australia between miners from Lambton and miners from Weston. Newcastle oldest rugby league football club "Western Suburbs (NCLE) Rosella's" was formed at Smiths Pub (also known as "Snake Gully" and "Bar 121")

The Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly who represented Lambton was Arthur Hill Griffith, Member for Waratah.[2]

Colliery

The largest and principal industry was the Scottish-Australian Coal Mining Company's Lambton Colliery, mine and estate managed by the three Croudace brothers: Frank, Thomas, and Sydney. It finally closed in the late 1950s although the railway line which connected it with Newcastle harbour was operational for about another decade because of other coal-loading facilities still operational at the mine. Today the entire area is covered with housing.

Population

According to the 2016 census of Population, there were 4,909 people in Lambton.

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 2.6% of the population.
  • 84.3% of people were born in Australia. The next most common country of birth was England at 2.1%.
  • 87.3% of people spoke only English at home.
  • The most common responses for religion were No Religion 29.2%, Catholic 24.9% and Anglican 18.8%.[1]

Other
Former King's Theatre, now Lizottes.

Lambton boasted a popular cinema, the King's Theatre, which still operated as such into the 1980s. It is today a theatre-restaurant known as "Lizottes".[3]

One of the great attractions of the town centre is the magnificent Lambton Park, which contains a 19th-century bandstand (renovated since, and better known to locals as "The Rotunda"), children's play area, bowling greens, tennis courts, cricket, soccer and rugby league fields, Olympic size swimming pool, diving pool, children and toddler pools, and beautiful gardens.

Lambton Jaffa's Soccer team boast products such as Australian Woman team captain Cheryl Salisbury and Australian Women's basketball player Suzy Batkovic-Brown.

A song called "The Lambton Lights" by Newcastle musician Bob Corbett was written about the electrification of the town.

Notes
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Lambton (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
  2. The Federal Directory of Newcastle and District for 1901. Newcastle: Davies & Cannington. 1982 [1901]. ISBN 978-0-9593518-0-4.
  3. Live n Cookin' @ Lizotte's Newcastle :: Newcastles Premier Dinner Show Restaurant

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