Maitland (pop. 89,597) is a city in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, Australia. It lies along the Hunter River, about 20 miles (30 kilometers) northwest of Newcastle. Maitland became a major settlement in the mid-1800’s, during a period of frontier expansion in New South Wales.
The Hunter Valley region is known for its warm, temperate climate. It receives significant rainfall. Maitland sits on a fertile flood plain. Much of this land is used for agriculture, especially livestock and vegetable farming. Maitland’s other major industries include construction, education, health care, and retail trade.
One of the city’s most famous attractions is the Maitland Gaol. The gaol (jail) was first used to hold prisoners in 1848. It was the oldest Australian jail in continuous use before it closed in 1998. Other well-known sites include a museum and a memorial for the Australian boxing champion Les Darcy, who was born near Maitland in 1895.
The land on which the city sits was traditionally inhabited by the Aboriginal Wonnarua people. The group’s history in the Hunter Valley region dates back more than 30,000 years. Beginning in the early 1800’s, the area that became known as the Wallis Plains was claimed by European settlers. Due in part to its nearness to the Hunter River and the Morpeth shipping port, Wallis Plains quickly grew into a commercial center. Early local industries included coal mining, farming, and logging.
In 1835, the settlement was officially divided into two towns known as East and West Maitland. By 1858, the towns were connected to Newcastle by railway. This connection increased the region’s importance as a transportation hub. Both towns along with the township of Morpeth were combined into a single municipality in 1944. The following year, the municipality was officially proclaimed the city of Maitland.
Maitland is also well-known for its historic floods. A 1955 flood, the worst in the region’s recorded history, was among the first natural disasters to be broadcast by the Australian media. Other serious floods occurred in 2007 and 2015.
