Teralba, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
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.
opened in 1887. The first meeting of the Lake Macquarie Shire Council was held in Teralba Court House in 1906.
A company called the Great Northern Coal Company was formed in the 1880s which leased 2000 acres (8.1 km²) which became known as the Great Northern Coal Company mine. It went through two more name changes before, finally, in 1914 becoming the Pacific Colliery.
Teralba Public school was opened in 1884.
At the centre of the school is a school bell used since the end of the 19th century. The bell is located in a memorial garden for Kevin Lester Peterson opened by acting principal Mr Tattersal and Kevin Peterson's family. Kevin Peterson was the Principal of Teralba Public School from 1974-1986 and organised the school Centenary celebrations in 1984.
The hill to the south of Teralba is Billy Goat Hill.
The area around Victoria Street was known as Monkey Town until the 1940s. This may have been due to the Chinese Gardens in the area between Victoria Street and Cockle Creek. The area around Rhondda Road was originally known as the "Gravel Pits".
Notable buildings in Teralba include the old mine managers home at the top of Rodgers Street Teralba, A large house on Railway Street with the initials AS (Andrew Sneddon- Killed in action in World War I). This home was owned by the Frith family- prominent local business family until the late 1990s. The Teralba Public school main building, built in 1898 for Teralba Colliery. On the waterfront at the corner of Anzac Parade is a large pale brick building now divided into small flats. This building was originally timber and called The Lake Maquarie Hotel until 1972 when it was clad and renovated.
The original Teralba grave yard (now in Booragul) is located on Billy Goat hill on the southern (bush side) of the railway station. Notable locals such as James Cherry, accidentally killed at Teralba Colliery. (Cherry's Bridge at Barnsley is named after this family). Members of the Sager family are also buried in this cemetery. Very little remains of the cemetery today.
Teralba main road was originally part of the main road from Toronto to Newcastle. The original Watkins Bridge was made of timber and crossed Cockle Creek from Race Course Road to Boolaroo
at around 7th Street, Boolaroo. Some original piers are still visible. The name Watkins (local mayor) is now only remembered through a very small bridge near Blair Street and Watkins Lane off Railway Street.
Race Course Road is named after the race course that originally was located on the road near the weir on the way to Barnsley. The Aviator Kingsford Smith made an emergency landing on the race course. The first person on the scene was local boy Ernest (Ernie) Eade.
The weir between Teralba and Barnsley over Cockle Creek was built to support the Cockle Creek Power Station
in the 1920s. The power station provided electricity to Teralba, Barnsley, Estelville (now Cameron Park), Wakefield, West Wallsend and Killingworth. The Power station was closed in 1976. The weir and the mine managers home, the first house on the left on the way into Teralba after crossing the weir, are all that remain. The power station was located on the Teralba side of the creek on the right hand side on the way in to Teralba.
The power station received its coal from the Rhondda coal mine by rail. The remains of this railway line can still be followed. The track has been removed and the original locomotives were taken away in the 1980s. However the bridge still exists and the track can be followed from the waste treatment plant (now all that exists in Rhondda- town demolished in the 1950s after mine closure) to the site of the old power station. Caution should be taken in this area and the track should not be left if exploring due to dangerous mine subsidence.
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 between the towns of Cardiff
Cardiff, New South Wales
Cardiff is a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, located west-southwest of Newcastle's central business district. It is part of the City of Lake Macquarie local government area....
and Toronto
Toronto, New South Wales
Toronto is a town within the city of Lake Macquarie in New South Wales, Australia, approximately from Newcastle's central business district and is a commercial hub for the sprawling suburbs on the western shore of the lake.-History:...
on the northern shoreline 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...
. The town first came into being with the construction of the Homebush
Homebush, New South Wales
Homebush is an inner western suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Homebush is located 15 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Strathfield. Homebush West and Homebush Bay are separate suburbs...
to Waratah
Waratah, New South Wales
Waratah is a north-western residential suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, located from Newcastle's central business district and bounded on the north by the Main North line. Waratah station was opened in 1858 and is served by CityRail's Hunter line.- History :Waratah was once a major...
Railway in the early 1880s.
History
Early industries included coal mining and gravel quarries. Teralba Railway StationTeralba railway station, New South Wales
-Transport links:Toronto Bus Services runs two routes via Teralba railway station:*Route 270 - between Industries and Toronto West*Route 271 - between Glendale Super Centre and Toronto West- References :...
opened in 1887. The first meeting of the Lake Macquarie Shire Council was held in Teralba Court House in 1906.
A company called the Great Northern Coal Company was formed in the 1880s which leased 2000 acres (8.1 km²) which became known as the Great Northern Coal Company mine. It went through two more name changes before, finally, in 1914 becoming the Pacific Colliery.
Teralba Public school was opened in 1884.
At the centre of the school is a school bell used since the end of the 19th century. The bell is located in a memorial garden for Kevin Lester Peterson opened by acting principal Mr Tattersal and Kevin Peterson's family. Kevin Peterson was the Principal of Teralba Public School from 1974-1986 and organised the school Centenary celebrations in 1984.
The hill to the south of Teralba is Billy Goat Hill.
The area around Victoria Street was known as Monkey Town until the 1940s. This may have been due to the Chinese Gardens in the area between Victoria Street and Cockle Creek. The area around Rhondda Road was originally known as the "Gravel Pits".
Notable buildings in Teralba include the old mine managers home at the top of Rodgers Street Teralba, A large house on Railway Street with the initials AS (Andrew Sneddon- Killed in action in World War I). This home was owned by the Frith family- prominent local business family until the late 1990s. The Teralba Public school main building, built in 1898 for Teralba Colliery. On the waterfront at the corner of Anzac Parade is a large pale brick building now divided into small flats. This building was originally timber and called The Lake Maquarie Hotel until 1972 when it was clad and renovated.
The original Teralba grave yard (now in Booragul) is located on Billy Goat hill on the southern (bush side) of the railway station. Notable locals such as James Cherry, accidentally killed at Teralba Colliery. (Cherry's Bridge at Barnsley is named after this family). Members of the Sager family are also buried in this cemetery. Very little remains of the cemetery today.
Teralba main road was originally part of the main road from Toronto to Newcastle. The original Watkins Bridge was made of timber and crossed Cockle Creek from Race Course Road to Boolaroo
Boolaroo, New South Wales
Boolaroo is a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, located west of Newcastle's central business district. It is part of the City of Lake Macquarie local government area.It was at the epicenter of the 1989 Newcastle earthquake...
at around 7th Street, Boolaroo. Some original piers are still visible. The name Watkins (local mayor) is now only remembered through a very small bridge near Blair Street and Watkins Lane off Railway Street.
Race Course Road is named after the race course that originally was located on the road near the weir on the way to Barnsley. The Aviator Kingsford Smith made an emergency landing on the race course. The first person on the scene was local boy Ernest (Ernie) Eade.
The weir between Teralba and Barnsley over Cockle Creek was built to support the Cockle Creek Power Station
Cockle Creek Power Station
Cockle Creek Power Station was located in Teralba, New South Wales, Australia on the banks of Cockle Creek. The power stationed operated from 11 March 1927 until March 1976....
in the 1920s. The power station provided electricity to Teralba, Barnsley, Estelville (now Cameron Park), Wakefield, West Wallsend and Killingworth. The Power station was closed in 1976. The weir and the mine managers home, the first house on the left on the way into Teralba after crossing the weir, are all that remain. The power station was located on the Teralba side of the creek on the right hand side on the way in to Teralba.
The power station received its coal from the Rhondda coal mine by rail. The remains of this railway line can still be followed. The track has been removed and the original locomotives were taken away in the 1980s. However the bridge still exists and the track can be followed from the waste treatment plant (now all that exists in Rhondda- town demolished in the 1950s after mine closure) to the site of the old power station. Caution should be taken in this area and the track should not be left if exploring due to dangerous mine subsidence.