Waratah, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Waratah is a north-western residential suburb of Newcastle
, New South Wales
, Australia
, located 7 kilometres (4 mi) 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
.
in its own right, with an elected council and mayor
, incorporated in 1871. Two notable mayors, both elected to the office three times each were John Scholey
and auctioneer N.B.Creer, both of whom resided at North Waratah (now Mayfield, New South Wales
). Scholey was instrumental in the establishment of the Waratah Bowling Club of which he was also Patron.
Originally Waratah had as its industrial base a large colliery bearing its name. The largest industry in Waratah today is the Commonwealth Steel Company, which abuts the railway.
The suburb contains a major acute hospital, the Mater Misericordiae, owned by the Roman Catholic Sisters of Mercy
, who, until recently occupied all the most senior nursing positions. Nearby is an established major 79-bed independent Home of the Elderly, Maroba.
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...
, New South Wales
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 7 kilometres (4 mi) from Newcastle's 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"...
and bounded on the north by the Main North line
Main North railway line, New South Wales
The Main North Line is a major railway in New South Wales, Australia. It runs through the Central Coast, Hunter and the New England regions. The line was the original main line between Sydney and Brisbane, however this required a change of gauge at Wallangarra...
. Waratah station
Waratah railway station, New South Wales
Waratah railway station is a station on the New South Wales Main Northern Line located in the Newcastle suburb of Waratah. The station consists of 2 platforms and is served by CityRail's Hunter line...
was opened in 1858 and is served by CityRail
CityRail
CityRail is an operating brand of RailCorp, a corporation owned by the state government of New South Wales, Australia. It is responsible for providing commuter rail services, and some coach services, in and around Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong, the three largest cities of New South Wales. It is...
's Hunter line
Hunter railway line, New South Wales
The Hunter railway line is a regional railway line which is part of Sydney's CityRail network. The line runs from the central business district of Newcastle, on the coast, northwest to Scone and Dungog in the Hunter Valley area....
.
History
Waratah was once a major MunicipalityMunicipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in its own right, with an elected council and mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
, incorporated in 1871. Two notable mayors, both elected to the office three times each were John Scholey
John Scholey
John Scholey was an extensive landed proprietor, prominent businessman, colliery owner, and Mayor...
and auctioneer N.B.Creer, both of whom resided at North Waratah (now Mayfield, New South Wales
Mayfield, New South Wales
Mayfield is a north-western suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, which takes its name from Ada May a daughter of the landowner there, John Scholey, J.P...
). Scholey was instrumental in the establishment of the Waratah Bowling Club of which he was also Patron.
Originally Waratah had as its industrial base a large colliery bearing its name. The largest industry in Waratah today is the Commonwealth Steel Company, which abuts the railway.
The suburb contains a major acute hospital, the Mater Misericordiae, owned by the Roman Catholic Sisters of Mercy
Sisters of Mercy
The Religious Order of the Sisters of Mercy is an order of Catholic women founded by Catherine McAuley in Dublin, Ireland, in 1831. , the order has about 10,000 members worldwide, organized into a number of independent congregations....
, who, until recently occupied all the most senior nursing positions. Nearby is an established major 79-bed independent Home of the Elderly, Maroba.
Schools
- Callaghan College - Waratah Campus (Years 7-10) (formerly Waratah High School, and before that Newcastle Boys' High SchoolNewcastle Boys' High SchoolNewcastle Boys High School was a selective high school located in Waratah—a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.- History :Newcastle Boys High School was established in 1929 when the Hill High School was split into two selective single-sex schools, the other being Newcastle Girls High...
) - Waratah Public School (State sector)
- St. Philip's Christian CollegeSt. Philip's Christian CollegeSt. Philip's Christian College is an independent co-educational Christian school in Newcastle, New South Wales. The Newcastle campus is based in the suburb of Waratah, but the school encompasses three other campuses, including one at Port Stephens, one at Cessnock , a campus in Waratah which houses...
- Corpus Christi (Roman Catholic Primary School)
Local landmarks
- Mater Hospital
- Maroba
- Comsteel has a large production facility in Waratah.
- Waratah Rugby Union Football Club
- Waratah Oval
- Waratah has one shopping centre containing a ColesColes SupermarketsColes Supermarkets is an Australian supermarket chain owned by Wesfarmers. It has 741 stores nationally Coles Supermarkets is an Australian supermarket chain owned by Wesfarmers. It has 741 stores nationally Coles Supermarkets is an Australian supermarket chain owned by Wesfarmers. It has 741...
and a KmartKmart AustraliaKmart Australia Limited is a discount department store chain owned by Wesfarmers. It operates 172 stores in Australia and 15 in New Zealand, with its head office located in Mulgrave, Victoria. Wesfarmers uses the Kmart name under licence from Sears Holdings Corporation.-History:Kmart Australia...
store, amongst others. Every Christmas it is renowned for an exuberant lighting display. A smaller strip of shops is still surviving in Station Street, approximately 200 m (656 ft) away and contains The Waratahs Rugby Union Football Club, two hotels (The Royal (Purple) and The Town Hall (Orange)) and some smaller shops.