Carrington, New South Wales

Carrington is a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, and is named after Lord Carrington, governor of New South Wales in 1887 when the area was proclaimed a municipality.[2]

This article is about the suburb of Newcastle. For the locality on the northern shore of Port Stephens, see Carrington, New South Wales (Mid-Coast Council).

Carrington
Newcastle, New South Wales
Population1,929 (2016 census)[1]
 • Density1,380/km2 (3,570/sq mi)
Established1860s
Postcode(s)2294
Area1.4 km2 (0.5 sq mi)
Location3 km (2 mi) NNW of Newcastle
LGA(s)City of Newcastle
ParishNewcastle
State electorate(s)Newcastle
Federal Division(s)Newcastle
Suburbs around Carrington:
Tighes Hill Tighes Hill
Maryville Carrington Hunter River
Wickham Newcastle West

Carrington had a population of almost 2,000 in 2016.[1]

Origins

Carrington was known by Aboriginal people as the place of the mud crab "wuna-r tee". Early land use by Aboriginals was for fishing and gathering oysters and mud crabs. During the settlement of 1804, it was referred to as Chapman's Island and considered as a site for a gaol.[3]

Carrington is a testament to the white settlers' need to reshape the environment. Originally, the island was underwater at high tide and was slowly built up by ships dumping ballast and other reclamation work, which eventually saw the island grow out of the mud.[3]

Carrington emerged as a residential suburb in the 1860s when many people moved to the island to escape the dirt and noise of the city or were forced off Honeysuckle Point as a result of land reclamation for port purposes. Early access to the island was by rowboat or punt across Throsby creek or on the Onebygamba express, a two-horse coach. There was also a footbridge from Honeysuckle at one point. Carrington was rich and progressive despite its relatively small size and was one of the few areas of Crown land close to Newcastle, the rest of the land in the area was owned by large companies or private individuals. Carrington was systematically sold off as it became more valuable.[3]

In 1887 Carrington was constituted as a Municipality and the first council meeting was held on 1 June 1888. By 1900, the population was 2200, and Carrington had developed as a working class suburb and had a fearsome reputation. In the 1920s, steelworkers moved into the area, taking advantage of the proximity to the fledgling BHP works.

The Carrington Pump House, pictured, supplied power to a series of cranes which operated along 'The Dyke' loading ships with coal and other freight.[4] This is probably the most significant surviving building from Newcastle's nineteenth century industrial past. These cranes were of the latest technology, built by Armstrong Whitworth in Newcastle upon Tyne.

The Great Depression hit Carrington with a vengeance. In 1933 Carrington had up to 58% of wage earners either unemployed or in part-time employ. A shanty town called "Texas" sprung up during the depression and provided shelter for many homeless and unemployed.[3] It got the name Texas due to the fact that land used to be used for stables.[5]

Today

Carrington is a mixed residential, commercial and industrial development that is physically separated from other suburbs. It is close to the harbour and central business district, services the Port and as such has expensive housing. It is accessible by Cowper Street bridge over Throsby Creek.[3][6]

Population

According to the 2016 census of Population, there were 1,929 people in Carrington.

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 7.2% of the population.
  • 85.2% of people were born in Australia and 90.4% of people only spoke English at home.
  • The most common responses for religion were No Religion 43.1%, Catholic 18.4% and Anglican 16.3%.[1]

Heritage listings

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

  • Carrington council chambers, built in 1888 and now in use as a community centre.
  • Carrington council chambers, built in 1888
  • Sign outside the entrance of Newcastle Port Corporation. In the background is the ruins of Carrington Power station
  • Grain storage silos, Carrington port district, Newcastle, New South Wales.

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Carrington (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
  2. "Hunter Valley Place Names and their Meanings". Archived from the original on 19 July 2008. Retrieved 12 August 2007.
  3. Newcastle City Council's, discover our suburbs
  4. Letter of Ken McCarthy, published in Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, May 1978, pp. 103–110
  5. Cronshaw, Damon (21 April 2017). "Kerosene Kate and the Texas shacks". Newcastle Herald. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  6. Gregory's (1999). Newcastle (22nd edition). Universal Publishers. pp. Maps 298, 318. ISBN 0-7319-1081-8.
  7. "Hydraulic Engine House and Crane Bases Nos. 7, 8, 9 and 10". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Office of Environment and Heritage. H01987. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
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