Belmont, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Belmont is a suburb in the Hunter Region of New South Wales
, Australia
, located 20 kilometres (12 mi) from Newcastle
's central business district
on the eastern side of Lake Macquarie
and is part of the City of Lake Macquarie.
Belmont is situated on a sandy peninsula formed by the Tasman Sea
on the east and Lake Macquarie.
People. Traces of middens of shellfish, axe grinding grooves and place names can still be seen here. In 1825 Reverend Lancelot Edward Threlkeld established a mission at Belmont.
He established small scale farming of wheat and Indian Corn and employed the local Aboriginal people to help him. While doing so, Threlkeld recorded the language of the Awabakal and produced the first serious works on aboriginal language, its grammar, usage, and relation to other aboriginal languages. The mission closed after a few years and Threlkeld moved to the Western side of Lake Macquarie.
to Sydney Airport
. The discontinuation of these services has all but closed the airfield, with owners seeking to develop the land. However, Belmont Airport has now been taken over by the owners of Warnervale Airport. The tar runway will be ripped up and a concrete runway laid. They are looking to resume a commuter service to Sydney in early 2008.
Many collieries, large and small, sought coal from the coal seams which were plentiful in the Belmont area, the largest of these being the BHP
's John Darling Colliery at Belmont North. The New Redhead Estate & Coal Mining Company operated a railway until recent times from Belmont to Adamstown
, a suburb of Newcastle
, where it joined the New South Wales Government Railways Main Line. The railway carried passenger trains as well as coal trains and served several collieries. Also, situated on a spur line just south of Belmont railway station, was a large railway coal loading facility, whereby motor trucks from collieries as far afield as Swansea, New South Wales
, could load their coal into railway trucks for transporting to Newcastle's port. The smaller collieries closed due to the 1960s - 1970s slump in the industry, the last being Belltop Colliery. The larger collieries closed later.
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, located 20 kilometres (12 mi) from Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
's central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
on the eastern side of Lake Macquarie
Lake Macquarie (New South Wales)
Lake Macquarie is Australia's largest coastal salt water lake, covering an area of in the Hunter Region of New South Wales with most of the City of Lake Macquarie's residents living near its shores. It is connected to the Tasman Sea by a short channel. Lake Macquarie is twice as large as Sydney...
and is part of the City of Lake Macquarie.
Belmont is situated on a sandy peninsula formed by the Tasman Sea
Tasman Sea
The Tasman Sea is the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand, approximately across. It extends 2,800 km from north to south. It is a south-western segment of the South Pacific Ocean. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, the first recorded European...
on the east and Lake Macquarie.
History
The area around Belmont was inhabited by the AwabakalAwabakal
Awabakal or Awabagal may refer to:*Awabakal people*Awabakal language...
People. Traces of middens of shellfish, axe grinding grooves and place names can still be seen here. In 1825 Reverend Lancelot Edward Threlkeld established a mission at Belmont.
He established small scale farming of wheat and Indian Corn and employed the local Aboriginal people to help him. While doing so, Threlkeld recorded the language of the Awabakal and produced the first serious works on aboriginal language, its grammar, usage, and relation to other aboriginal languages. The mission closed after a few years and Threlkeld moved to the Western side of Lake Macquarie.
Facilities
Belmont is home to many shops, restaurants and many other amenities. Belmont and the surrounding area include a number of primary and secondary schools.Transport
Until May 2006, Aeropelican operated scheduled passenger services from Belmont AirportBelmont Airport
Belmont Airport is an airfield located in the Lake Macquarie suburb of Pelican, 15 km south of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. Scheduled commercial service was provided by regional airline Aeropelican until 2006. Since then, airfield has virtually ceased operations.Belmont Airport has been...
to Sydney Airport
Sydney Airport
Sydney Airport may refer to:* Sydney Airport, also known as Kingsford Smith International Airport, in Sydney, Australia* Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport, in Nova Scotia, Canada...
. The discontinuation of these services has all but closed the airfield, with owners seeking to develop the land. However, Belmont Airport has now been taken over by the owners of Warnervale Airport. The tar runway will be ripped up and a concrete runway laid. They are looking to resume a commuter service to Sydney in early 2008.
Coal
BHP Billiton
BHP Billiton is a global mining, oil and gas company headquartered in Melbourne, Australia and with a major management office in London, United Kingdom...
's John Darling Colliery at Belmont North. The New Redhead Estate & Coal Mining Company operated a railway until recent times from Belmont to Adamstown
Adamstown, New South Wales
Adamstown is a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, located from Newcastle's central business district. It is part of the City of Newcastle local government area....
, a suburb of Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
, where it joined the New South Wales Government Railways Main Line. The railway carried passenger trains as well as coal trains and served several collieries. Also, situated on a spur line just south of Belmont railway station, was a large railway coal loading facility, whereby motor trucks from collieries as far afield as Swansea, New South Wales
Swansea, New South Wales
Swansea is a locality and commercial centre at the entrance to Lake Macquarie from the Pacific Ocean in New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the City of Lake Macquarie local government area....
, could load their coal into railway trucks for transporting to Newcastle's port. The smaller collieries closed due to the 1960s - 1970s slump in the industry, the last being Belltop Colliery. The larger collieries closed later.
Notable people
- Daniel Abraham (rugby league)
- Jack Marshall (rugby)Jack Marshall (rugby)John Samuel "Jack" Marshall was a rugby union player who represented Australia.Marshall, a wing, was born in Belmont, New South Wales and claimed 1 international rugby cap for Australia.-References:...
- Brendon CookBrendon CookBrendon John Cook, , born 27 December 1970 in Belmont, Newcastle, Australia, is best known as a race driver, racing mainly in Australia, but also in Europe.-Open Wheelers:...
racing car driver - Daniel HalangahuDaniel HalangahuDaniel Halangahu is a professional rugby union player for the New South Wales Waratahs in the Super Rugby competition. He plays primarily as a five eighth.-Personal life:Halangahu was born 6 March 1984 in Belmont, New South Wales. He is of Tongan descent....
- rugby union player - brothers BrockBrock MuellerBrock Mueller is a former professional rugby league footballer. He played for the Newcastle Knights from 1998 to 1999...
and Blake MuellerBlake MuellerBlake Mueller is an Australian professional rugby league footballer. He plays half back.His brother Brock played for the Newcastle Knights between 1998 and 1999.-References:...
- rugby league players - Alex ReadAlex ReadAlex is an Australian football player. He is a native of Belmont in New South Wales, Australia. He currently plays for A-League club Newcastle Jets.- Club career :...
football player - Craig WhittakerCraig WhittakerCraig Whittaker is a British Conservative Party politician. He has been the Member of Parliament for Calder Valley since he won the seat at the general election on 6 May 2010....
British politician