Kahibah, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Kahibah is a suburb of the City of Lake Macquarie in New South Wales
, Australia
, located 9 kilometres (6 mi) from Newcastle's
central business district
.
Kahibah is the closest suburb to Glenrock Lagoon
, and is drained by Flaggy and Little Flaggy creeks which flows into Glenrock Lagoon 2 km to the east. The suburb's name is from the Aboriginal
name word "Ky-yee-bah", which meant either a place for games or to be active and eager. The local Aboriginal people, the Awabakal people
, had camps in the area of Glenrock Lagoon, and named the area "Pillapay-Kullaitaran", meaning "Valley of the palms".
In a letter dated 12 October 1842, to W. Kirchner of Sydney
, Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Leichhardt
describes a walk through the valley on his way from Newcastle to Redhead
via Charlestown
. On this walk he described the view of the lagoon from a high vantage point. That vantage point is today known as "Leichhardt Lookout", which is on the Great North Walk
.
Ref. ("The Letters of F. W. Ludwig Leichhardt
, Edited by A. Aurousseau Volume II", The Hakluyt Society
1968, pp532)
The township of Kahibah was gazetted on 27 February 1894. This township is not to be confused with a proposed village "Kahibah" approved by the Surveyor-General Office in 1865 which was to be located on the northern side of the entrance of Lake Macquarie
where the suburbs of Pelican and Blacksmiths
now exist.
In 1880 a coal rail line was built to Redhead with the line being extended to Belmont
in 1916. A station was built at Kahibah. On 8 April 1971 at 1710 the last rail passenger train to Belmont via Kahibah left Newcastle Station with the rail line closing to all coal traffic on 21 December 1992. Since then the line has been redeveloped to a cycleway called "The Fernleigh Track
". The first section from Adamstown
to Kahibah was opened on 2 February 2003. The second stage, Kahibah to Whitebridge
was opened on 7 May 2005.
In 21 October 1922 the Memorial Hall was opened in Hexham Street. It has also been known as the "Soldiers' Memorial Hall". Within the hall were two honour rolls of men and women that went to World War I
and World War 2
. These honour rolls now reside in the Kahibah Public School
Memorial Hall. Over the life of the hall it served as a school, picture theatre, library, play group (last meeting December 1995). The hall was demolished in 1996 to make way for home units.
In 1938 a school was established in the Memorial Hall but it was not until 20 October 1954 that Kahibah Public School
was moved to its current location.
The Great North Walk
passes Kahibah on its way from Newcastle to Sydney
. Each section of the track is named. The first 25 km of the walk from Newcastle to Teralba
, Lake Macquarie
is known as the Yuelarbah Track.
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 9 kilometres (6 mi) from Newcastle's
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...
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"...
.
Kahibah is the closest suburb to Glenrock Lagoon
Glenrock Lagoon
Glenrock Lagoon is located south-west of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. The catchment area is bounded by the following catchment areas, Murdering Gully to the north east, Throsby Creek, Hunter Valley to the north and north west, Winding Creek, Lake Macquarie to the west, Dicks Creek and...
, and is drained by Flaggy and Little Flaggy creeks which flows into Glenrock Lagoon 2 km to the east. The suburb's name is from the Aboriginal
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
name word "Ky-yee-bah", which meant either a place for games or to be active and eager. The local Aboriginal people, the Awabakal people
Awabakal people
The Awabakal are an Indigenous Australian people of coastal New South Wales.Awaba is the word for Lake Macquarie – Awabakal therefore meaning people of Lake Macquarie...
, had camps in the area of Glenrock Lagoon, and named the area "Pillapay-Kullaitaran", meaning "Valley of the palms".
In a letter dated 12 October 1842, to W. Kirchner of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Leichhardt
Ludwig Leichhardt
Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Leichhardt, known as Ludwig Leichhardt, was a Prussian explorer and naturalist, most famous for his exploration of northern and central Australia.-Early life:...
describes a walk through the valley on his way from Newcastle to Redhead
Redhead, New South Wales
Redhead is a coastal suburb of the City of Lake Macquarie in New South Wales, Australia, located south of Newcastle's central business district on the Pacific Ocean. It was named for the appearance of its headland when viewed from the sea.- History :...
via Charlestown
Charlestown, New South Wales
Charlestown is a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, and the largest town within the City of Lake Macquarie. It is located approximately west-southwest of the central business district of Newcastle....
. On this walk he described the view of the lagoon from a high vantage point. That vantage point is today known as "Leichhardt Lookout", which is on the Great North Walk
Great North Walk
The Great North Walk is a walking track which runs from Sydney to Newcastle in New South Wales, Australia. The main track, in length, runs between the Obelisk in Macquarie Place in Sydney to Queens Wharf Tower in Bicentennial Park in Newcastle and is well sign-posted. There are many "side tracks"...
.
Ref. ("The Letters of F. W. Ludwig Leichhardt
Ludwig Leichhardt
Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Leichhardt, known as Ludwig Leichhardt, was a Prussian explorer and naturalist, most famous for his exploration of northern and central Australia.-Early life:...
, Edited by A. Aurousseau Volume II", The Hakluyt Society
Hakluyt Society
Founded in 1846, the Hakluyt Society is a registered charity based in London, England, which seeks to advance knowledge and education by the publication of scholarly editions of primary records of voyages, travels and other geographical material...
1968, pp532)
The township of Kahibah was gazetted on 27 February 1894. This township is not to be confused with a proposed village "Kahibah" approved by the Surveyor-General Office in 1865 which was to be located on the northern side of the entrance 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...
where the suburbs of Pelican and Blacksmiths
Blacksmiths, New South Wales
Blacksmiths is a coastal suburb of the City of Lake Macquarie in New South Wales, Australia, located on the Pacific Ocean south of Newcastle's central business district, between the suburbs of Belmont and Swansea-Facilities:...
now exist.
In 1880 a coal rail line was built to Redhead with the line being extended to Belmont
Belmont, New South Wales
Belmont is a suburb in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia, located 20 kilometres from Newcastle's central business district on the eastern side of Lake Macquarie and is part of the City of Lake Macquarie....
in 1916. A station was built at Kahibah. On 8 April 1971 at 1710 the last rail passenger train to Belmont via Kahibah left Newcastle Station with the rail line closing to all coal traffic on 21 December 1992. Since then the line has been redeveloped to a cycleway called "The Fernleigh Track
The Fernleigh Track
The Belmont railway line is an abandoned coal haulage and passenger rail line from Adamstown, New South Wales to Belmont, New South Wales. This was a private railway, being the property of the New Redhead Estate and Coal Company and was generally known as the Belmont Branch...
". The first section from 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....
to Kahibah was opened on 2 February 2003. The second stage, Kahibah to Whitebridge
Whitebridge, New South Wales
Whitebridge is a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, located from Newcastle's central business district on the eastern side of Lake Macquarie. It is part of the City of Lake Macquarie local government area.- History :...
was opened on 7 May 2005.
In 21 October 1922 the Memorial Hall was opened in Hexham Street. It has also been known as the "Soldiers' Memorial Hall". Within the hall were two honour rolls of men and women that went to World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War 2
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. These honour rolls now reside in the Kahibah Public School
Kahibah Public School
Kahibah Public School is a government primary school in Kahibah, New South Wales, Australia. Originally established in 1938 in the Kahibah Memorial Hall, it moved to its current location in 1954. It caters for students from Kindergarten to Year 6 with a total enrolment of approximately 250...
Memorial Hall. Over the life of the hall it served as a school, picture theatre, library, play group (last meeting December 1995). The hall was demolished in 1996 to make way for home units.
In 1938 a school was established in the Memorial Hall but it was not until 20 October 1954 that Kahibah Public School
Kahibah Public School
Kahibah Public School is a government primary school in Kahibah, New South Wales, Australia. Originally established in 1938 in the Kahibah Memorial Hall, it moved to its current location in 1954. It caters for students from Kindergarten to Year 6 with a total enrolment of approximately 250...
was moved to its current location.
The Great North Walk
Great North Walk
The Great North Walk is a walking track which runs from Sydney to Newcastle in New South Wales, Australia. The main track, in length, runs between the Obelisk in Macquarie Place in Sydney to Queens Wharf Tower in Bicentennial Park in Newcastle and is well sign-posted. There are many "side tracks"...
passes Kahibah on its way from Newcastle to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. Each section of the track is named. The first 25 km of the walk from Newcastle to Teralba
Teralba, New South Wales
Teralba is a town and suburb of the City of Lake Macquarie in New South Wales, Australia, located between the towns of Cardiff and Toronto on the northern shoreline of Lake Macquarie. The town first came into being with the construction of the Homebush to Waratah Railway in the early 1880s.-...
, 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...
is known as the Yuelarbah Track.