115-605: Maitland ( / ˈ m eɪ t l ə n d / ) is a city in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales , Australia and the seat of Maitland City Council , situated on the Hunter River approximately 166 kilometres (103 mi) by road north of Sydney and 35 km (22 mi) north-west of Newcastle . It is on the New England Highway approximately 17 km (11 mi) from its origin at Hexham . At
230-445: A Communist majority of councillors). The first electricity connected in the area was to Maitland Town Hall in 1922, to the hall's front light. The first bridge to link West Maitland with what is now the suburb of Lorn was opened in 1869 and named in honour of the then Governor of New South Wales , the 4th Earl of Belmore. Although the bridge proved vital to the city's development, the floods of 1893, 1913 and 1930 began to heighten
345-660: A copy of Krushchev's secret speech directly from the Communist Party of the Soviet Union However, the party denied the criticisms of Stalin within the party newspaper, Tribune. Disillusioned members began to leave the party. More left after the Soviet invasion of Hungary in 1956. In 1961, the leader of the "pro-China" faction of the party during the Sino-Soviet split , Ted Hill, was expelled from
460-511: A grant of £1000 for a new hospital on 5 December 1844. In April 1845 Sir George Gipps approved a grant of a site at Campbell's Hill, West Maitland opposite Boyne's Inn. The foundation stone was laid by Edward Denny Day on 26 January 1846. In April 1846 the foundation stone was removed and was never recovered. In September 1847 the Building Committee announced that plans for the building of the new hospital would be accepted. The cost of
575-660: A large number of vineyards , restaurants, shops, golf courses and country guesthouses. Other parts of the valley including the Wollombi Valley and Broke Fordwich subregion are also well known for wine, along with the Upper Hunter Valley . The main town in the Upper Hunter Valley subregion is Muswellbrook . For the purposes of Australian federal elections for the House of Representatives ,
690-523: A new "imperialist war" and a new depression were imminent, and that the CPA should immediately contest for leadership of the working class with the Australian Labor Party, the CPA launched an industrial offensive in 1947, culminating in a prolonged strike in the coal mines in 1949. The Chifley Labor government saw this as a communist challenge to its position in the labour movement, and used
805-531: A penal colony of the British Empire. The Hunter River itself was discovered, by accident, in 1797 by British Lieutenant John Shortland as he searched for escaped convicts. The region soon became a valuable source for timber and coal that fuelled the steamship trade coming out of Sydney. Land prospector John Howe cut a path through the Australian wilderness from Sydney up to the overland area in what
920-470: A pivotal role in the history of Australian wine as one of the first wine regions planted in the early 19th century. The success of the Hunter Valley wine industry has been dominated by its proximity to Sydney with its settlement and plantings in the 19th century fuelled by the trade network that linked the Hunter Valley to Sydney. The steady demand of consumers from Sydney continues to drive much of
1035-521: A referendum on Hunter Valley statehood by 2030. Chapter VI of the Constitution of Australia allows new states to be formed, but only with the consent of the Parliament of the state in question. Communist Party of Australia Great Depression and Aftermath Cold War New Left Contemporary Active Historical The Communist Party of Australia ( CPA ), known as
1150-429: A strong sporting community with a range of sporting competitions and clubs based in the city. This includes, but is not limited to, the following: Maitland Showground is an multi-purpose outdoor recreational area used for greyhound racing , known as Maitland Greyhounds and Harness Racing , around the exterior of the greyhound track. The site is also a historic landmark for motorcycle speedway having been regarded as
1265-520: A succession of floods since European settlement. Over 200 floods have occurred on the Hunter River since settlement, 13 of those higher than the river's normal peak limit of 10.7 metres (35.1 ft). Of these 13, all have had a direct effect on the city of Maitland. Between 1830 and 1834 Maitland experienced five floods. The 1832 flood was severe with water reaching about 8.84 m (29 ft) and killing seven people. The 1834 flood water reached
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#17327761156481380-600: A wider range of members, which did not happen, and the New Left Party disbanded in 1992. The assets of the Communist Party were thereafter directed into the SEARCH Foundation (acronym for "Social Education, Action and Research Concerning Humanity"), a not-for-profit company set up in 1990 "to preserve and draw on the resources of the Communist Party of Australia and its archives." The archives of
1495-588: Is 837.5 millimetres (32.97 in). On average, it has 90.3 clear days annually. Maitland has many shopping precincts including Stockland Green Hills (East Maitland), Centro Maitland Hunter Mall, High Street Mall (City Centre), Rutherford, Melbourne Street (East Maitland) and Lawes Street (East Maitland). Morpeth , a suburb of Maitland, is also popular for its fashion boutiques, cafes and speciality shops. Bus services in Maitland are operated by Hunter Valley Buses and Rover Coaches . Maitland railway station lies on
1610-533: Is also available via satellite. The famous Scottish entertainer Sir Harry Lauder performed to a packed audience in Maitland Town Hall on Saturday 15 August 1925. Maitland Regional Art Gallery , or MRAG, opened at its current site in November 2003. In 2008, the gallery closed for redevelopment and was reopened on the 15 August 2009 by the artist Margaret Olley . Maitland and the surrounding area
1725-498: Is an active membership-based organisation that runs speaking tours, publications and training programs. Members are welcome from across the Australian Left and include prominent political figures such as Australian Council of Trade Unions Secretary Sally McManus , and former NSW Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon . SEARCH maintains an office at Sydney Trades Hall and holds events across Australia. Its archives are held by
1840-439: Is now known as the (Lower) Hunter Valley proper in 1820. Today, the modern Putty Road between the cities of Windsor and Singleton follows Howe's exact path and is a major thoroughfare for wine tourists coming into the Hunter Valley from Sydney. As previous plantings in the coastal areas around Sydney succumbed to the humidity and wetness, and plantings to the west were limited by spring frost damage, northern reaches leading to
1955-448: Is one of Australia's most famous wine-growing regions, known for both its red and white wine varieties. The most important economic activity in the valley is coal mining (through businesses such as Rio Tinto and BHP ), mostly for export. The Port of Newcastle is the world's largest export facility for coal, most of which is brought to the port by rail . Coal ships are often seen off the coast of Newcastle. Electricity generation at
2070-557: Is part of the Newcastle – Hunter Region television market, which is served by 5 television networks, three commercial and two national services. These networks are listed as follows: Nine Northern NSW (as NBN) produces an evening news bulletin combining local, state, national and international news screening nightly at 6:00 pm on Channel 9, while Seven (formerly Prime7) and WIN Television produce short local updates to fulfil local content quotas. Subscription television service Foxtel
2185-739: Is serviced by the Maitland City Library and branches. Maitland has many educational facilities ranging from primary and high schools to short course vocational training operations. The Hunter Institute of TAFE has a campus in Maitland, as does the privately owned Hunter Valley Training Company that is Australia's largest group trainer. These facilities provide excellent training in all fields, especially building and construction, engineering, mining, tourism and business administration. Maitland has twenty primary schools and seven high schools. Local high schools include: There are also numerous pre-school and day care facilities. Maitland has
2300-498: Is significantly higher than the NSW state average of 823.4 per 100,000 population. Maitland experiences a humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cfa , Trewartha: Cfal ), with hot summers and mild to cool winters, and with a summer peak in rainfall. The highest temperature recorded at Maitland was 44.5 °C (112.1 °F) on 18 January 2013 and 21 February 2004; the lowest recorded was −4.5 °C (23.9 °F) on 24 August 2003. The average annual rainfall
2415-532: Is supplied from the Tomago Sandbeds , via a series of bores. The Hunter Region includes four cities. In order of population these are Lake Macquarie , Newcastle , Maitland and Cessnock . Other major centres of the Hunter Region are Dungog , Gloucester , Kurri Kurri , Muswellbrook , Raymond Terrace , Scone and Singleton . The climate of Hunter Valley is humid subtropical , similar to
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#17327761156482530-542: Is supplied with water diverted from the Williams River just north of the Seaham Weir, through a large pump station at Balickera. The dam itself has only a small natural catchment and relies mainly on the pumped water from the Williams River. A proposal to build Tillegra Dam on the Williams River existed since the 1950s, but was scrapped in 2010. In addition to the dams, fresh water for the lower Hunter Region
2645-513: Is testament to the Jewish community that was active in Maitland up until the 1930s. Between about 1846 and 1934, 53 Jewish people were buried in the low-lying cemetery. Burials ceased after this time due to dispersion of the community and the cemetery reaching capacity. One exception was Lea Abadee in 2010. The former Maitland Synagogue , located on Church Street, was the place of worship for about 70 families between 1879 and 1898. The Immigrants Home
2760-568: The 1925 New South Wales state election in working-class seats against the ALP but was decisively defeated. This prompted Garden to leave the party in 1926 and return to the Labor Party. The leadership of the party went to Jack Kavanagh , an experienced Canadian communist activist who had moved to Australia in 1925, and Esmonde Higgins , a talented Melbourne journalist who was the nephew of then- High Court Justice , H. B. Higgins . But in 1929
2875-491: The 2021 census it had approximately 89,597 inhabitants , spread over an area of 392 square kilometres (151 sq mi), with most of the population located in a strip along the New England Highway between the suburbs of Lochinvar and Thornton respectively. The city centre is located on the right bank of the Hunter River, protected from moderate potential flooding by a levee . Surrounding areas include
2990-570: The Australian Communist Party ( ACP ) from 1944 to 1951, was an Australian communist party founded in 1920. The party existed until roughly 1991, with its membership and influence having been in a steady decline since its peak in 1945. Like most communist parties in the West, the party was heavily involved in the labour movement and the trade unions . Its membership, popularity and influence grew significantly during most of
3105-469: The Eraring , Bayswater , Liddell , Munmorah , Redbank and Vales Point coal-fired power stations is a major industry of the region. The Hunter Valley is Australia's main region for the breeding and rearing of Thoroughbred horses and most of the country's best racehorses. The Upper Hunter area around Scone is one of the largest horse breeding areas in the world. Commonly known as "Wine Country",
3220-579: The Greater Western Sydney region, with distinctive maritime influences from the Pacific Ocean . With its northerly latitude and close oceanic influences, the Hunter Valley is one of Australia's hottest and wettest wine regions. Flanked by mountains to the west and north the Hunter Valley acts as a funnel, pulling cool ocean breezes into the area. With those cooling breezes also comes heavy rainfall and periodic cyclonic storms in
3335-618: The Hunter Line and Main Northern line and is the junction point for the North Coast Line . Other railway stations in Maitland include: A passenger tram system ran from East Maitland to West Maitland between 1909 and 1926 after which it was replaced by buses which continue to service the route today. Maitland Airport is a general aviation airfield located beside the New England Highway at Rutherford . Construction
3450-481: The Hunter River and its tributaries with highland areas to the north and south. Situated at the northern end of the Sydney Basin bioregion, the Hunter Valley is one of the largest river valleys on the NSW coast, and is most commonly known for its wineries and coal industry. Most of the population of the Hunter Region lives within 25 km (16 mi) of the coast, with 55% of the entire population living in
3565-800: The Left Alliance . The youth wing of CPA worked under several different names in different periods from the 1920s onwards, including the Young Communist League (YCL), which was created in 1923 and published its own newspaper, The Young Worker , and the Young Comrades Club (YCC), founded in 1927. At a meeting in Melbourne in 1937 attended by 1,500 people, the YCL changed its name to the League of Young Democrats (LYD). After
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3680-746: The Miners' Federation and the Waterside Workers' Federation of Australia , although its parliamentary candidates nearly always polled poorly at elections. The party also set up an organization of the unemployed to resist evictions. Activists from the party joined the International Brigades to defend the Second Republic against Francisco Franco 's troops. Throughout this time, members of the CPA were under constant surveillance by police and intelligence forces and harassed by
3795-500: The Secret Speech , denouncing Stalin and Stalinism as fostering a cult of personality , and revealing many abuses of power Stalin had committed while in power. The Australian party leadership—entirely committed to Stalinism—was confused about what to do. It tried to suppress discussions of the speech, which was widely reported in the press. According to Ralph Gibson , several high-ranking members including Ted Hill had received
3910-822: The State Library of NSW. SEARCH is an acronym for "Social Education, Action and Research Concerning Humanity". Its youth wing worked under several different names at different times, including the Young Communist League ( YCL ); the Young Comrades Club ( YCC ); the League of Young Democrats ( LYD ); the Eureka Youth League ( EYL ); and lastly the Young Socialist League , which in 1984 became part of
4025-587: The Sydney Basin to the south. Between these two geological areas is the Hunter- Mooki Thrust fault. At one time this fault was very geologically active and gave rise to the Brokenback range that feature prominently in the Hunter region. Strips of basalt found throughout the region also bear witness to the volcanic activity that has occurred in the history of this fault. The Permian rocks in
4140-689: The Unemployed Workers Movement which at its height had 30,000 members and was infamous nationally for its anti-eviction campaign in Sydney. The CPA was the first Australian political party to make a commitment to Aboriginal rights, which were included in its manifesto from 1931 onwards. The CPA, discussing in great detail the abuses suffered by Aboriginals, published a lengthy list of demands, calling for "full economic, political and social rights" for Aboriginal people. The Communist Party began to win positions in trade unions such as
4255-695: The Vietnam War actively, but by 1968 membership had declined, and a change of name to the Young Socialist League did not last long. Camp Eureka, created in 1973, is still maintained as an historic and usable camp for up to 32 people. The Eureka Youth League was a founding member of the World Federation of Democratic Youth , a membership later taken over by the Young Communist Movement. In 1984 (or 1987?)
4370-525: The interwar period before reaching its climax in 1945, where the party achieved a membership of slightly above 22,000 members. At its peak it was the largest communist party in the Anglophone countries on a population basis, and held industrial strength greater than the parties of " India , Latin America, and most of Western Europe". Although the party did not achieve a federal MP, Fred Paterson
4485-705: The "Youth Carnival for Peace and Friendship" in Sydney , attracting 30,000 attendees. EYL opposed the introduction of National Service in Australia in the 1950s. The Eureka Youth League also had an important role in the early promotion of jazz music in Australia in the 1940s under the leadership of Harry Stein . EYL collaborated with the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) and helped to arrange its Youth Weeks, and also ran youth camps across Australia, attended by thousands of young people. It protested
4600-514: The 1924 New Zealand conference by CPA executive members Hetty and Hector Ross got the (also small) Communist Party of New Zealand (CPNZ) agreeing to temporary affiliation with the CPA, and were followed by visits in 1925 by Harry Quaife, and by Norman Jeffery a bow-tie wearing former " Wobbly " (IWW member). Garden and other communists were expelled from the Labor Party (ALP) in 1924. The CPA ran candidates including Garden (for Sydney ) at
4715-463: The Communist Party of Australia opposed and sought to disrupt Australia's war effort against Germany in the early stages of the war under orders of the Comintern on the grounds that it was a war between imperialist nations, and not in the interests of the working class. Menzies banned the CPA after the fall of France in 1940, but by 1941 Stalin was forced to join the allied cause when Hitler reneged on
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4830-549: The Hunter Region are: There is an active movement campaigning for the Hunter Region to secede from New South Wales to form its own state. The sale of the Port of Newcastle and the refusal of the NSW state government to build a container terminal in Newcastle has been cited as the motivation behind the campaign. The movement's demands include a Royal commission into the feasibility of Hunter Valley Statehood as soon as possible, and
4945-562: The Hunter Region is contained within the divisions of Hunter , Lyne , Newcastle , Paterson , and Shortland . For the purposes of New South Wales elections for the Legislative Assembly , the Hunter Region is contained within the electoral districts of Cessnock , Charlestown , Lake Macquarie , Maitland , Myall Lakes , Newcastle , Port Stephens , Swansea , Upper Hunter , Wallsend , and Wyong . The following local government areas are contained within
5060-591: The Hunter Valley is a major tourist destination in New South Wales and is the 6th most visited place in Australia attracting more than 2.5 million people annually. There are regular events held in the Hunter for visitors, including the Hunter Valley Steam Trains running the first three Sundays of each month and regular scenic cruises on the Hunter River and Lake Macquarie . The Hunter Valley Wine Zone Australian Geographical Indication
5175-487: The Hunter Valley wine industry, including a factor in the economy by the tourism industry. While the Hunter Valley has been supplanted by the massive Riverina wine region as the largest producer of New South Wales wine, it still accounts for around 3% of Australia's total wine production and is one of the country's most recognisable regions. For over 30,000 years the Wonnarua people of Aboriginal Australians inhabited
5290-628: The Hunter Valley. This temporarily produced an up-tick in plantings but the global Great Depression as well as a series of devastating hail storms between 1929 and 1930 caused many growers to abandon their vineyards. The Hunter Region is considered a transitional area between the Paleozoic rock foundation of the New England Fold Belt located to the south and the Early Permian and Middle Triassic period rock formations of
5405-478: The Hunter became, almost by default, the wine region of the new colony. The expansive growth of the Hunter Valley wine industry in the mid to late 19th century arose from its monopoly position in the lucrative Sydney market. The provincial government of New South Wales had enacted regulations that placed prohibitive duties on wines from other areas such as Victoria and South Australia. Following World War I , many returning Australian veterans were given land grants in
5520-454: The Hunter, many endangered ecological communities (EECs) have been declared under the TSC Act . These communities are found on both public and private land, and prior to development of land, the landowner is required to undertake an environmental assessment to ascertain whether it will impact endangered species or endangered communities. Examples of endangered ecological communities found within
5635-710: The LYD was banned by the Menzies government in 1941, the Eureka Youth League (EYL) was established in December of that year, whose membership grew to 1,000 with a year. The EYL published a newspaper called Youth Voice , and undertook activities relating to World War II and the working and living conditions of young people, as well as the peace movement during this war and the Korean War later. In 1952 it held
5750-623: The Lower Hunter vary widely from sandy alluvial flats (often planted to Semillon), to deep friable loam (often planted with Shiraz) and friable red duplex soils . In the Upper Hunter, the rivers and creeks of the region contribute to the areas black, silty loam soils that are often overlaid on top of alkaline clay loam. Among the hills of the Brokenback range are strips of volcanic basalt that are prized by growers for their tendencies to restrict vigor and concentrate mineral flavours in
5865-704: The Pact and invaded the USSR. The USSR came to bear the brunt of the carnage of Hitler's war machine and the Communist Party in Australia lost its early war stigma as a result. Following the invasion of the Soviet Union, the CPA shifted towards a collaborative United front approach to the Labor Party to fully support the Australian war effort against fascism. Party members held discussions with senior Labor ministers following Curtin government entering office in 1941, pledging to provide full support to mobilise resources for
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#17327761156485980-423: The Party's newspaper. The Victoria University Library holds the Crow Collection, donated by long-time Communist Party member Ruth Crow , which includes materials from her years campaigning for the Communist Party. The University of Melbourne collection is "one of the most significant from the CPA held in Australia", containing 20th-century materials from the Victorian branch. In 1996 at the 8th National Congress
6095-412: The Socialist Party of Australia was renamed to Communist Party of Australia, thereby becoming the successor of the original party. The SEARCH Foundation is a left-wing Australian not-for-profit company that was established in 1990 as a successor organisation of the Communist Party of Australia to preserve and draw on its resources and archives. It inherited over 3 million dollars from the CPA. SEARCH
6210-444: The Upper Hunter, the more Triassic sandstone that can be found leading eventually to the carboniferous rocks that form the northern boundary of the Hunter with the New England Fold Belt and the foothills of the Barrington Tops . Overall, the Hunter Valley has more soils (mostly hard, acidic patches of poorly draining heavy clay) that are unsuitable for viticulture than they have areas that are ideal for growing grapes. The soils of
6325-472: The amalgamation of area health services the Maitland Hospital became part of the Hunter Area Health Service. Following amendments to the Health Services Act 1997 the Maitland Hospital became part of the Hunter and New England Area Health Service from 1 January 2005. Maitland has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: According to the 2021 census , there were 89,597 people in Maitland. Maitland has an assault rate of 1,110.4 per 100,000 population, which
6440-417: The area's investments in wine production and its emergence as a tourist destination. The Broke Fordwich area is located along the Hunter River tributary of the Wollombi Brook near the suburb of Pokolbin and was founded in 1830 by Major Thomas Mitchell who named the region after his fellow Napoleonic War veteran Sir Charles Broke-Vere . Much of the rolling countryside around Pokolbin is under vine and has
6555-422: The area's namesake, the Hunter River itself is not the dominant feature of the region—falling behind the Brokenback Range for that distinction. The greater river system of the Hunter, which includes the Goulburn and important tributaries such as Giants Creek, do provide needed irrigation for areas such as the Upper Hunter than can be prone to drought condition. The origins of the river begin the Liverpool Range of
6670-436: The army and strikebreakers to break the strike. The Communist Party never again held such a strong position in the union movement. In 1949, the USSR detonated its first atomic bomb and Mao Zedong gained control in China. A year later, North Korea invaded South Korea and in 1951, during the Korean War , the Liberal government of Robert Menzies tried to ban the Communist Party of Australia, first by legislation that
6785-431: The birth of the sport on 15 December 1923 when New Zealand born promoter Johnnie Hoskins organised a series of motorcycle races. Hunter Valley The Hunter Region , also commonly known as the Hunter Valley , Newcastle Region , or simply Hunter , is a region in northern New South Wales , Australia, extending from approximately 162 km (101 mi) to 310 km (193 mi) north of Sydney . It contains
6900-420: The building was not to exceed £2000 and fifteen guineas would be awarded to the party furnishing the approved plan. By May 1848 the Maitland Mercury was reporting that the walls of the new hospital were visible from the town. Opened in 1850 its first years saw 231 patients and 26 deaths. Between 1903 and 1905 saw the completion of the Ward Block 1 at the southern end of the hospital. With the growth of population in
7015-421: The central and southeastern expanse of the Lower Hunter Valley were formed when the area was underneath a shallow marine estuary . The remnants of this period has left an extensive network of coal seams that fuelled the early population boom of the Hunter Valley in the 19th century as well a high degree of salinity in the water table of much of the area. The further north and west, towards the Brokenback Range and
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#17327761156487130-471: The cities of Cessnock and Singleton local government areas . The Wonnarua People were the first known people of this land. They called the area where Maitland is now situated, by the name Bo-un after a species of bird. From around 1816, cedar logging parties from the convict settlement of Newcastle were the first Europeans to stay on the site. Governor Lachlan Macquarie visited the area in 1818, naming it Wallis Plains after Captain James Wallis who
7245-441: The cities of Newcastle and Lake Macquarie . There are numerous other towns and villages scattered across the region in the eleven local government areas (LGAs) that make up the region. At the 2021 census the combined population of the region was 682,465, and is expected to reach over 1,000,000 people by 2031. Under Australia's wine appellation system, the Hunter Valley wine zone Australian Geographical Indication (GI) covers
7360-496: The construction of a wharf. Two years later William Powditch opened the first general store at Wallis Plains. In 1829, assistant surveyor George Boyle White , officially laid out a township on the site of Wallis Plains. The village was called Maitland possibly in honour of Frederick Lewis Maitland . Due to population growth, Maitland was partitioned in 1835 into West Maitland (which was the original Wallis Plains settlement) and East Maitland . The nearby town of Morpeth developed at
7475-467: The courts. In 1939, after Soviet efforts to contain Nazi aggression through co-operation and alliance with France and Britain were rejected by the French and British, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed a Non-Aggression Treaty . Despite ideological opposition between the countries, the USSR agreed not to engage in hostilities against Germany at the outbreak of World War II (Australia declared war on Nazi Germany for invading Poland). Consequently,
7590-400: The district, it was found that the accommodation was inadequate and a new building was erected and opened in 1905. In 1916 a blood bank and isolation cottage were completed. In 1926 the hospital became a training school for nurses. New nurses' quarters which occupied the site of the old Royal Oak Hotel was built during the twelve months from October 1927 to October 1928. In the 1930s Ward Block 3
7705-452: The end of the traditional river traffic. The municipalities of West and East Maitland were merged in 1944 and the name of West Maitland was officially reverted to Maitland in 1949, from which the present city is now known. The city's boundaries have been increased by incorporating parts of other local government areas since then (most notably Kearsley Shire which from 1946 to 1949 was the only local government area in Australia's history to have
7820-424: The entire catchment of the Hunter River and its tributaries. Within that, the Hunter region is almost as large, and includes most of the wine-producing areas, excluding the metropolitan area of Newcastle and nearby coastal areas, some national parks, and any land that was in the Mudgee Shire (at the western heights of the catchment). The Hunter wine region is one of Australia 's best known wine regions , playing
7935-400: The events which led to the attempted exclusion of Egon Kisch from Australia in late 1934 and early 1935. Alongside this, the CPA formed the Workers Defence Corps (WDC). In the 1930s, the CPA began a campaign to create mass organisations to organise militancy in the working-class, while ostensibly independent, the CPA remained in control of such organisations. This result in the creation of
8050-414: The expansion of the social wage , and was unique for its commitment to activism around federal and international affairs. But the party remained marginal to the Australian political mainstream. The Australian Labor Party remained the dominant party of the Australian left. After 1945 and the onset of the Cold War , the party entered a steady decline. Following the new line from Moscow, and believing that
8165-421: The extraction of uranium , and supported the demands of indigenous peoples in Australia and abroad, especially in Papua New Guinea . It thus militated for the abolition of legislation judged repressive regarding indigenous people, for equal pay and for land rights. Its members helped Aboriginal workers in Pilbara lead the longest industrial strike ever in Australia. Internationally, the Communist Party of Australia
8280-517: The flood claimed the lives of 14 people. In early June 2007 an intense low pressure system which caused devastating storms to hit the city of Newcastle and the Central Coast also caused major flooding throughout the lower Hunter Region including the Maitland area. During the flooding in 2007, the Hunter River was expected to reach a peak of 11.3 m (37.1 ft) at Maitland's Belmore Bridge and break levee banks. Some 4000 residents of
8395-509: The foremost newspapers in the city. The Mercury , established in 1843, operates out of offices on High Street and is Australia's oldest regional newspaper. The Lower Hunter Star is an adjunct to the Mercury and is published every Thursday. With a circulation of almost 20,000, The Lower Hunter Star is delivered to most residents within the City of Maitland . Radio stations include: Maitland
8510-493: The grapes. The Warkworth Sands Woodland of the Hunter Valley are situated on these soils. The main river in the region is the Hunter River, after which the region is named. Other rivers in the region include the Allyn , Avon , Barrington , Bow , Bowman , Chichester , Gloucester , Goulburn , Isis , Karuah , Krui , Mammy Johnsons , Merriwa , Munmurra , Pages , Paterson , Wangat and Williams rivers. Despite being
8625-671: The hospital to hand over a £10. The Maitland Hospital was listed as a public hospital under the Second Schedule of the Public Hospitals Act, 1898 (Act No.16, 1898). Maitland Hospital was registered as a training hospital under the Nurses Registration Act, 1924 (Act No.37, 1924). From 1 November 1929 'The Maitland Hospital' was a hospital incorporated under Part IV of the Public Hospitals Act 1929 (Act No.8, 1929). Under this Act The Maitland Hospital
8740-466: The invasion, and a group of pro-Soviet hardliners left in 1971 to form a new party, the Socialist Party of Australia . Through the 1970s and 1980s the party continued to decline, despite adopting Eurocommunism and democratising its internal structures so that it became a looser radical party rather than a classic Marxist-Leninist one. The CPA conducted campaigns against nuclear weapons and
8855-691: The land that is now known as the Hunter Valley wine region. Along with the Worimi to the north and the Awabakal to the south, the Wonnarua developed a trading route connecting the Coquun (Hunter) Valley to the harbour now known as Sydney harbour . The wine-making history of Hunter Valley begins with the European settlement of the Sydney and the New South Wales region of Australia in the late 18th century as
8970-411: The large urban population of more than 500,000 living near the coast and centred on the cities of Newcastle and Lake Macquarie. State Water Corporation's Glenbawn , the largest dam in the region, Chichester and Lostock are dams on the Hunter, Chichester and Paterson rivers respectively. Hunter Water Corporation's Grahamstown Dam , the largest dam supplying the urban areas of the lower Hunter Region,
9085-403: The media on an international scale. This flood is considered to be one of Australia's worst floods. The waters reached 12.5 m (41 ft) and caused catastrophic damage. The volume of flood water was approximately 3,750,000 megalitres (8.2 × 10 imp gal) and the cost of damage, in today's currency, would have been over A$ 2 billion. Seven thousand buildings and homes were damaged and
9200-531: The movement against the Vietnam War . This period also saw the establishment of the National Training Centre in Minto, NSW , ostensibly for the purpose of educating in the ideology of Marxism-Leninism. The party became more openly critical about the Soviet Union and the Communist Party of the Soviet Union . In 1966, the party started their own magazine called Australian Left Review . In 1967,
9315-497: The need for a new bridge that could withstand periodic flooding. A second Belmore Bridge, designed to withstand the impact of debris during floods, was built adjacent to the 1869 bridge in 1964. The new bridge, which redirected traffic away from St Andrews Street to a new intersection at the Maitland Court House, is one of the city's three main river crossings. Maitland's proximity to the Hunter River has resulted in
9430-671: The party are now held at the State Library of NSW and can be accessed with the written permission of the SEARCH Foundation. The State Library of New South Wales holds an extensive collection of material related to the Communist Party of Australia including oral history recordings, business papers, the personal papers of a range of men and women involved in the Party and a collection of images that were published in Tribune ,
9545-483: The party ceased receiving payments from the Communist Party of the Soviet Union following a seminar by Laurie Aarons in the Soviet Union which argued that "ideas require free contest, not confined in a framework of established dogmas that can become a rigid or even ossified edifice". But the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 triggered another crisis. Sharkey's successor as party leader, Laurie Aarons , denounced
9660-466: The party itself did not join), as well as a variety of militant trade unionists. Among the party's founders were a prominent Sydney trade unionists, Jock Garden , Tom Walsh , and William Paisley Earsman , and suffragettes and anti-conscriptionists including Adela Pankhurst (daughter of the British suffragist Emmeline Pankhurst ), Christian Jollie Smith and Katharine Susannah Prichard . Most of
9775-593: The party leadership fell into disfavour with the Communist International (Comintern), which under orders from Joseph Stalin had taken a turn to radical revolutionary rhetoric (the so-called " Third Period "), and an emissary, the American communist Harry M. Wicks , was sent to correct the party's perceived errors. Kavanagh was expelled in 1930 and Higgins resigned. A new party leadership, consisting of Jack Miles , Lance Sharkey and Richard Dixon ,
9890-404: The party. Hill proceeded to lead a split of pro-China members of the party, which culminated in the formation of the smaller Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist) . By the 1960s, the party's membership had fallen to around 5,000 members, but it continued to hold positions in a number of trade unions, and it was also influential in the various protest movements of the period, especially
10005-494: The region's annual rainfall will fall with January and February being the wettest months. Between the months of October–April, the 3pm average for relative humidity in the Lower Hunter is 49%, while it is 43% in the Upper Hunter. The main industries in the Hunter Region are coal mining , manufacturing, agriculture, viticulture and wine making, tourism, horse breeding, electricity production, dairy farming and beef cattle farming, and associated service industries. The Hunter Region
10120-587: The region: The Hunter Region contains the Goulburn River National Park , Myall Lakes National Park , Barrington Tops National Park , Werakata National Park , Watagans National Park , Mount Royal National Park , Polkolbin State Forest, Putty State Forest, Chichester State Forest, Running Creek Nature Reserve, The Glen Nature Reserve, Black Bulga State Conservation Area , Myall River State Forest, and Karuah Nature Reserve. Within
10235-419: The sale of “Windermere” where position “on a hill” was described as an appealing feature. The 1940s and 1950s saw an increase in rainfall and the river rose again and again. In February 1955, Maitland and the Hunter Valley experienced its most severe flood in recorded history. The 1955 Hunter Valley floods , also commonly known as "The Maitland Flood", was the first Australian natural disaster to be broadcast by
10350-424: The same height. In the winter of 1857 the Hunter River rose again to record heights, reaching 9.2 m (30 ft). Flooding continued for the next 30 years with the floods of the 1890s being the most disastrous. Much of the riverbank collapsed and many people were left without homes or personal possessions. Flooding was described as an “annoyance” and “detrimental to the town” in the 7 April 1840 advertisement for
10465-557: The same time from the Green Hills land grant given to Lieutenant Edward Charles Close , a Peninsular War veteran. Morpeth served as the head of navigation for larger ships (later, steamships), and goods were transhipped upriver to West Maitland on barges and smaller vessels. Originally the river route between Morpeth and West Maitland was 26 kilometres (16 mi), today after various floods and river course changes this has reduced to just 9 kilometres (5.6 mi). West Maitland
10580-443: The sea. During the spring the Hunter Valley receives an average of 7.3–7.5 hours of sunshine a day. Mid-latitude westerly winds bring high pressure weather front that alternate with cold fronts on the winter. This leads to generally drier conditions in the winter months of July and August. In the summer, southeasterly winds bring weather fronts harbouring extensive amounts of moisture. Between October and April more than two thirds of
10695-573: The suburb of Lorn were evacuated before the floodwaters became stable at 10.7 m (35.1 ft) and did not inundate central Maitland. Other areas did not escape with waters inundating homes in Branxton , Louth Park and Raymond Terrace . The flood has been compared to the devastating 1955 Hunter Valley floods. From 20 to 22 April 2015, heavy rainfall in the Hunter, Central Coast and Sydney regions of New South Wales resulted in flash flooding and extended power outages to over 200,000 homes. Maitland
10810-403: The summer and autumn months. In the summer, the average daily temperature regularly exceeds 21.1 °C (70.0 °F) while during the winter the temperature averages around 14 °C (57.2 °F). Temperatures during January average between 22.7–23.3 °C (72.9–73.9 °F), with the temperature becoming progressively hotter the further inland you move away from the cooling influence of
10925-746: The then illegal Australian section of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) joined, but the IWW soon left the Communist Party, with its original members, over disagreements with the direction of the Soviet Union and Bolshevism . In its early years, mainly through Garden's efforts, the party achieved some influence in the trade union movement in New South Wales , but by the mid-1920s it had dwindled to an insignificant group. A visits to
11040-471: The united front period, the CPA's membership rose to 20,000, it won control of a number of important trade unions, and a Communist candidate, Fred Paterson , was elected to the Queensland parliament . The Communist Party achieved a majority of seats in the New South Wales' Kearsley Shire from 1944 to 1947 . The Shire was committed to municipal socialism , advocating nationalisation of electricity and
11155-474: The village of Fordwich. Pokolbin , located in the "Lower Hunter Valley", is the centre of the Hunter Valley wine country, which claims to be Australia's oldest wine region. It is located between the towns of Cessnock and Branxton , about 50 km (31 mi) west of Newcastle. The wine country is primarily located within the Cessnock and Singleton LGAs. Its proximity to Sydney has been an influence on
11270-548: The volcanic Barrington Tops and flows south and then east down to the Pacific Ocean at the seaport city of Newcastle . Fresh water supply for the region is provided from a number of sources, which are managed by the Hunter Water and State Water Corporations. State Water Corporation's dams supply water for irrigation, industrial use at coal mines and the region's coal-fired power stations , and town water to upper Hunter Region towns. Hunter Water Corporation's dams supply
11385-489: The war effort. The CPA supported calls for conscription , increased working hours , condemned strike action in war industries, and minimised criticism of John Curtin and his government. By 1942, the Curtin government legalised the CPA, exempted communist trade union and party officials from conscription, and provided the party's newspaper Tribune with a 'generous newsprint allocation' under wartime paper rationing. During
11500-810: Was declared invalid by the High Court , then by referendum to try to overcome the constitutional obstacles to that legislation. The 1951 referendum was opposed by the Communist Party as well as the Australian Labor Party, and was narrowly defeated. The issue of communist influence in the unions remained potent and led to the Australian Labor Party split of 1955 and the formation of the Democratic Labor Party comprising disaffected ALP members who were concerned over communist influence in Australian unions. In 1956, three years after Stalin died, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev gave
11615-561: Was badly affected and the flood gates at Maitland railway station were reinforced with sandbags to prevent flooding in central Maitland. Four people died as a result of the storms and a further four died in traffic related incidents. The towns of Dungog and Gillieston Heights , the homes of the four flood victims, were also badly affected, becoming isolated from other communities. The Maitland Jewish Cemetery in Louth Park, one of only two provincial Jewish cemeteries in New South Wales,
11730-533: Was banned under the National Security (Subversive Associations) Regulations 1940 . Two-and-a-half years later, the party was again a lawful organisation. When the party contested the federal election eight months later, it received its biggest vote total. Getting a total of 81,816 votes (1.93–2.00%), the party received over 20,000 in Victoria and Queensland , and over 19,000 in New South Wales . It
11845-535: Was built and extensions were completed to the nurses home in 1932 and 1937. The Addison Building (Ward Block 2) was progressively built and opened between 1942 and 1947. In 1960 new Nurses homes was built. In 1973 a new pathology building was opened. From 1975 to 1979 a new boilerhouse and workshops were built and the kitchen, cafeteria and storage areas were refurbished. The hospital was funded through subscribers, collection boxes, donations and state revenue for fines. In 1847 Governor Sir Charles Fitzroy visited to
11960-408: Was called “Windermere” and also referred to the adjacent farmlands which were for agriculture and later a “boiling-down works”. Windermere estate was established before East Maitland and West Maitland were established as suburbs and so is of historical significance. By 1821 the first British government buildings, consisting of a cottage and barracks, were constructed, and in 1823 James Mudie financed
12075-606: Was close to the Revolutionary Front for the Independence of East Timor (Fretilin) who resisted the Indonesian occupation in the 1970s and 1980s. By 1990, membership had declined to below the one thousand mark. At the party's 31st Congress in Sydney (2–3 March 1991), the Communist Party was dissolved and the New Left Party formed. The New Left Party was intended to be a broader party which would attract
12190-411: Was commandant of the Newcastle penal colony at the time. In 1819, convict farmers were allowed to select land at Wallis Plains, the most notable of which was Molly Morgan . Tom White Melville Winder was one of the largest proprietors on the Hunter. Winder held 7400 acres (2995 ha) by 1828 and by 1831 had acquired another 2600 acres (1052 ha). The oldest house (commenced 1821) in the greater Maitland LGA
12305-469: Was elected to the Parliament of Queensland (for Bowen ) at the 1944 state election . He won re-election in 1947 before the seat was abolished. The party also held office in over a dozen local government areas across New South Wales and Queensland . After nineteen years of activity, the CPA was formally banned on 15 June 1940 under the relatively new Menzies government (1939–1941). The party
12420-734: Was founded at the Australian Socialist Party Hall in Sydney on 30 October 1920 socialists inspired by reports of the Russian Revolution . The estimates for attendees at the founding ranges from below thirteen (Alistair Davidson) to twenty-six ( Stuart Macintyre ). Sixty invitations were issued. Groups included the Australian Socialist Party (ASP), some members from the Victorian Socialist Party (although
12535-466: Was founded by Caroline Chisholm in East Maitland and was the first public building that was used to treat the sick. The site eventually became known as Maitland Benevolent Asylum. In 1835, when the population hit 1900, residents started to petition for a new hospital. In 1843 a meeting was called to discuss applying to Benevolent Asylum in Sydney. A committee was formed and succeeded in obtaining
12650-429: Was imposed on the party by the Comintern, and remained in control for the next 30 years. During the 1930s the party experienced some growth, particularly after 1935 when the Comintern changed its policy in favour of a "united front against fascism ". The Movement Against War and Fascism (MAWF) was founded to bring together all opponents of fascism under a communist controlled umbrella organisation. The movement instigated
12765-506: Was registered on 1 May 1996 and is approximately the entire Hunter River catchment. It contains only one named wine region, Hunter. The Hunter Wine Region Australian Geographical Indication was declared on 18 March 1997. It is not as large as the Hunter Valley zone, but includes most of the significant vineyards. It does not extend east of the Pacific Highway . Some of the oldest vines in the Hunter Valley were planted in 1924 around
12880-537: Was started in 1948 by the now-defunct Maitland Aero Club. In 1957, operation of the airfield transferred to the Royal Newcastle Aero Club which moved from Broadmeadow Aerodrome , its original base of operations, in 1963. The closest commercial airport is Newcastle Airport which is at Williamtown . Maitland is serviced by a number of regional newspapers, radio stations and television stations. The Maitland Mercury and Newcastle Herald are
12995-470: Was the party's biggest vote total since the 1934 federal election . However, by the late 1960s the party fell into single digit numbers before a brief spike in the mid 1970s. By the mid to late 1980s, the party was effectively stagnant and the party was soon dissolved. To the present, the party is the fourth-oldest political party in Australian political history since Federation , lasting for 70 years, 122 days. The Communist Party of Australia (CPA)
13110-462: Was therefore the point at which goods were unloaded for, and distributed to, the prosperous riverland of the Hunter Valley. Accordingly, there were large warehouses (some of which still exist) built, which faced onto the main High Street and backed onto the Hunter River. The arrival of the railway from Newcastle in the 1850s, coupled with the increasing silting of the river and larger ships spelt
13225-524: Was to be governed by a board of directors which could make by-laws and its subscribers were a body corporate which could be sue and be sued in its corporate name. ·The Area Health Services Act 1986 (Act No.50, 1986), which commenced on1 July 1986, effectively abolished the boards of directors and replaced them with area health boards this made the hospital a part of the Lower Hunter Area Health Service. From 1 August 1988 following
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