Rutherford, New South Wales facts for kids
Quick facts for kids RutherfordMaitland, New South Wales |
|||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Rutherford
Location in New South Wales
|
|||||||||||||||
| Population | 11,884 (2016 census) | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2320 | ||||||||||||||
| Location | |||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | City of Maitland | ||||||||||||||
| Region | Hunter | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Maitland | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Hunter | ||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||
Rutherford is a suburb located in the City of Maitland in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia. In 2016, nearly 12,000 people lived here. This makes Rutherford one of the most populated suburbs in the area.
The suburb has a mix of homes, large shopping areas, and light industry. You can find factories and various businesses here. Rutherford also has its own small shopping centre. Several schools serve the community, including Rutherford Public School, St. Paul's Primary School, and Rutherford Technology High School. There are also many places for sports and activities, both indoors and outdoors.
Contents
Rutherford's Past: A Look Back
The Wonnarua people are the traditional owners of the land around Maitland, including Rutherford. They have cared for this land for a very long time.
Early Days of Racing
Rutherford has a long history with horse racing, starting in 1858. In 1886, a special racecourse was built for the Northern Jockey Club. This racecourse grew over time. It even had its own private train track to bring horses and people. There were also two large grandstands, each able to seat up to 1000 people.
A big race meeting in 1921 saw a record crowd of 7,777 people! The racecourse was also used by famous early pilots, Charles Kingsford Smith and Bert Hinkler, as a place to land their planes.
From Racecourse to Factory
The racecourse stopped being used when World War II began. It was then sold, and a factory was built on the site. This factory made supplies for the war from 1941 to 1945. Today, this area is an industrial estate in western Rutherford.
After the war, the factory changed to make textiles (like cloth and fabric). At its busiest, the National Textiles factory was a major employer in Maitland. It had over 1,500 workers! However, by its closure in 2004, this number had dropped to about 350. You can still see air raid shelters on the site. These were built to protect workers during the war.
Rutherford Cemetery
The Rutherford Cemetery is a Methodist cemetery. The first known burial there happened in 1874. It is still used today.
Who Lives in Rutherford?
The 2016 Australian census counted 11,884 people living in Rutherford. Here's a quick look at the community:
- About 7.5% of the people were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.
- Most people (86.0%) were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were England (1.7%) and New Zealand (1.1%).
- About 90.6% of people spoke only English at home.
- When it came to religion, the most common choices were Catholic (26.7%), No Religion (25.2%), and Anglican (23.5%).
Getting Around Rutherford
The New England Highway runs through Rutherford. This road is very busy, with over 20,000 drivers using it every day. This can cause traffic jams.
Roads and Buses
The Hunter Expressway was finished in 2014. This new road helps reduce traffic on the New England Highway. It provides a way for drivers to bypass Rutherford when traveling between Newcastle, Sydney, and areas further north.
Hunter Valley Buses operates several bus routes in Rutherford. Routes 181, 182, and 183 connect Rutherford to other suburbs in Maitland. Routes 179 and 180, which go between North Rothbury or Singleton and Maitland, also stop in Rutherford. These bus services connect with NSW TrainLink trains at Maitland railway station. Even though the Main North line runs along the southern edge of Rutherford, there isn't a train station directly in the suburb.
Maitland Airport
Maitland Airport is a small airport located in western Rutherford. It is used for general aviation, which means smaller private planes. There are no regular scheduled flights from this airport, but you can arrange special charter flights if needed.
