Charlestown, New South Wales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Charlestown Greater Newcastle, New South Wales
Charlestown Location in the Hunter-Central Coast Region
Population	13,601 (2021 census)
• Density	2,030/km2 (5,300/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	2290
Elevation	116 m (381 ft)
Area	6.7 km2 (2.6 sq mi)
Location	10 km (6 mi) WSW of Newcastle CBD 142 km (88 mi) NNE of Sydney 10 km (6 mi) NNE of Belmont 54 km (34 mi) NNE of The Entrance 75 km (47 mi) NNE of Gosford
LGA(s)	City of Lake Macquarie
Parish	Kahibah
State electorate(s)	Charlestown
Federal Division(s)	Shortland
Suburbs around Charlestown: Kotara South Adamstown Heights Kahibah Hillsborough Charlestown Whitebridge Mount Hutton Gateshead Whitebridge

Charlestown is a lively suburb located in the City of Lake Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia. It's actually the biggest suburb in the Lake Macquarie area and also in the wider Greater Newcastle region. Charlestown is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) west-south-west of the main city center of Newcastle.

The Story of Charlestown: A Look Back

First People and Early Days

Long ago, the Awabakal Aboriginal people were the first to live in this area. They cared for the land for thousands of years.

How Charlestown Got Its Name

The area was first given to the Waratah Coal Company. In 1873, they dug their first coal mine shaft here. This mine was officially called South Waratah Colliery. People also called it Charles' Pit, Raspberry Gully, or The Gully Pit. These names were used for Charlestown in its early days. The name "Charlestown" likely came from Charles Smith, who was the company's manager.

The first people to settle here were miners who worked at the pit. The coal mine eventually closed down in 1961.

Growing into a Town

The coal company officially mapped out the area on April 29, 1876. The very first streets, like Ida Street and Pearson Street, were part of this plan. Harry Wright bought the first piece of land when it was sold later in 1876.

Charlestown got its first water pipes in 1927. It was connected to the city's sewage system in 1959.

Shopping and Services

The main shopping area in Charlestown is found along the Pacific Highway. Charlestown Square is a very large shopping center located right off this highway.

There are also two smaller shopping centers: Hiltop Plaza and The Forum Centre. The Forum Centre is an office and retail spot on Pacific Highway that even has a Hoyts Cinema. You can find many shops clustered along Pacific Highway and in the nearby streets.

Charlestown also has important community services. There is a police station and a fire station to help keep everyone safe. The New South Wales Ambulance has its main communication center for the northern region here.

Schools in Charlestown

Charlestown is home to four primary schools. Three of these are public schools: Charlestown Public, Charlestown South Public, and Charlestown East Public. There is also St Joseph's Primary School, which is a Catholic school.

Students from the public primary schools usually go on to Whitebridge High School. Students from St Joseph's Primary School often continue their education at St Mary's Catholic College in Gateshead or St Pius X High School in Adamstown.

Who Lives in Charlestown?

According to the 2016 census, there were 12,912 people living in Charlestown. Here's a quick look at the community:

• About 2.3% of the people were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.
• Most people (83.8%) were born in Australia.
• The next most common countries of birth were England (2.2%), New Zealand (0.9%), and India (0.8%).
• Most households (88.1%) spoke only English at home.
• Macedonian was another language spoken at home by 0.9% of people.
• When asked about religion, the most common answers were No Religion (30.4%), Catholic (23.3%), and Anglican (17.4%).