07 June, 2013
'Crushed between two coal skips in the Borehole Colliery, Hamilton'
Ten stark, simple words, in an email sent to me by Hunter
historian, Fr Brian Roach. Ten words, carrying the story of a terrible death, a family
tragedy and the weight of more than a century’s collateral damage from the coal
industry in the Hunter.
03 June, 2013
Tale of two buildings
At the end of last week’s post, I reflected on the lost hotels of Denison Street, and asked the question – why do some buildings
endure, while others crumble or face demolition? I found at least part of the answer in two local buildings.[1]
27 May, 2013
Hotel hey-day in Denison Street, Hamilton
If you think Hamilton has more than its share of pubs today,
it is nothing compared to the late 1800s. Denison Street (or Winship Street, until it was renamed in
1855) was the main thoroughfare through the mining settlements, leading from
Cameron’s Hill towards Newcastle.
24 May, 2013
How Hamilton got its name
At one time or another, most of us have criticised our city
council. Yet the story of Hamilton shows vividly how the origins of
local councils were rooted in the desires of ordinary men and women for a
healthier, safer and more attractive living environment for their families. I like to think of this as the original grass roots/self-help movement.
19 May, 2013
What's under my house in Hamilton?
'There are mine shafts
under the whole of Newcastle', our north coast solicitor told us. We were
meeting to begin the paper work for the purchase of our next home, in Hamilton. He
was half joking, and slightly exaggerating, I hoped.
18 May, 2013
Lost bakery found in Webster Street, Hamilton
Webster Street yielded up one of its secrets to me after I
stumbled across some photographs of Pearce’s
Bakery on the Facebook site Lost Newcastle . From Susan Henderson and her mother, Joan
Lean, and later from other descendants, Peter Pearce and William Pearce, I learned about the family that established this bakery in 1899.
Hamilton Turkish baths
I was captivated by this exquisite photograph of the Hamilton
Turkish Baths. This brick and stucco building was designed in the Victorian
Filigree style, with decorative cast iron friezes on the upper verandah and
colonnade. What’s more, their address was somewhere in Denison Street, with
which my street intersected.
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