Morpeth, New South Wales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Morpeth Maitland, New South Wales
Closebourne House, Morpeth
Morpeth Location in New South Wales
Population	1,403 (2016 census)
• Density	188/km2 (490/sq mi)
Established	1821
Postcode(s)	2321
Elevation	15 m (49 ft)
Area	4.8 km2 (1.9 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10)
• Summer (DST)	AEDT (UTC+11)
Location	165 km (103 mi) N of Sydney 35.2 km (22 mi) NNW of Newcastle 7.9 km (5 mi) ENE of Maitland
LGA(s)	City of Maitland
Region	Hunter
County	Northumberland
Parish	Alnwick
State electorate(s)	Maitland
Federal Division(s)	Paterson
Suburbs around Morpeth: Raworth Phoenix Park Hinton Raworth Morpeth Berry Park Tenambit Chisholm Berry Park

Morpeth is a suburb of the city of Maitland in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia. It is on the southern banks of the Hunter River at the border between the City of Maitland and Port Stephens Council LGAs. The major population centre, where almost all residents of the suburb reside, is the historical town of Morpeth which takes its name from Morpeth, Northumberland, near Newcastle upon Tyne, in England.

History

The traditional owners and custodians of the Maitland area are the Wonnarua people.

The town of Morpeth was initially created through the private actions of Edward Charles Close, who selected a property of 1,000 hectares and developed it as a river port from 1831-1841. The lieutenant built his house, known as Closebourne, on the property. A two-storey Georgian home made of sandstone, the house became an episcopal residence from 1848-1912.

The river port grew steadily throughout the 1830s. St James's Church, located on Tank Street, was built from 1837 to 1840 and was partly designed by John Horbury Hunt is now a Local Government Heritage listing. A major merchant at this time was James Taylor, who built a bond store circa 1850 near the bridge that is now heritage-listed. Morpeth Court House was built circa 1861 in a Greek Revival style and a local police station followed in 1879. The construction of the Great Northern Railway in 1857, bypassing Morpeth, meant that Newcastle developed as the regional port. Morpeth became less significant commercially, but still survived as a township with its own history and heritage.

Today, the town is a popular tourist destination due to its many historical buildings and river bank setting.

Heritage listings

Morpeth has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

• 102 Main Road: Morpeth Bridge
• Morpeth Road: Morpeth House and Closebourne House
• 19 Tank Street: St James' Anglican Church
• 90 Swan Street: Morpeth Railway Station

Gallery

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  Morpeth Station, 1954

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  Morpeth Post Office, Swan Street

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  Old Court House, Swan Street

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  Morpeth Bond Stores, Swan Street

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  Arnott Bakehouse, Swan Street

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  Arnott Bakehouse plaque

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  St James's Church (1840), Tank Street