When looking at old maps, you might come across a street name you don’t recognize or one that you haven’t heard in years. There are a variety of reasons for this. Some of the streets may have been planned but never built, others were renamed, some have been lost, and some were put there to deceive!
Below we look at examples of all these types of streets and how they fit into the development of Stockton.
Adams St – The Street That Never Was
In the earliest map to show streets on a map of Stockton, the 1878 Port of Newcastle map [1], only five streets are listed – Stockton St, Mitchell St, Newcastle St, Maitland St, and Adams St. While many would recognize the first four streets, the last one – Adams St, probably isn’t.
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| 1897 - Port of Newcastle : reduced from recent surveys by officers
of the Harbours & Rivers Department, Living Histories, https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/8354 [2] |
This street appears on several early maps
of Stockton. I haven’t been able to find any reference to this street in
newspapers, gazetteers, or other governmental sources.As Stockton grew, the only direction available was north, so it makes sense that northerly/vertically oriented streets were planned. As you can see in the maps above and below, Adams Street appears to be spaced at a distance similar to existing streets, a logical placement.
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| 1882 - Plan of the Port of Newcastle: reduced from recent surveys by officers of the Harbours & Rivers Department - https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2018/11/05/knaggs-maps/ [3] |
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| 1882 - Australia East Coast - New South Wales Newcastle Harbour, Great Britain. Hydrographic Office. http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/128603 [4] |
The street remains on maps until 1894 although it seems likely that this street never actually existed as no remnant of the street remains today, and no current street exists on the proposed alignment.
It was probably planned, never created and
was just copied by later map makers. Another example of this in Stockton are the streets planned as part of the Garden Suburb Sub-division that were never constructed.
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| 1894 - Plan of the Port of Newcastle: reduced from recent surveys by officers of the Harbours & Rivers Department. Living Histories, https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/86034 [5] |
The below map, not obviously based on previous maps, does NOT contain Adams Street.
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| 1894 - Map of Newcastle and District. https://collection.sl.nsw.gov.au/record/74VM0R0lpy0y/x5PZ45Ng08vvA [6] |
Bass St – Mistake
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| 1894 - Plan of the Port of Newcastle: reduced from recent
surveys by officers of the Harbours & Rivers Department. Living Histories, https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/86034 [7] |
Bass Street appears to be a simple mistake, where the northern most street assigned this name is actually Ross St. So, this one is probably a simple typo, perhaps the result of poor penmanship.
Bay St - A Typo?
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1914 - Newcastle Harbour : Plan showing borings to rock, 1914 Living Histories,
https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/83544 [8] |
Once again, Ross Street is mis-labelled on the map, this time is it Bay Street being repeated
Ensor St – Lost Name
Ensor Street is an interesting example in that the street has survived but the name has been lost over time. This street branches off of Fullerton Street onto the Ballast just north of North Street and south of Clyde Street.
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| Wilson’s Newcastle, Maitland & Cessnock Street Directory, 1928-1929, Stockton Map No 1, p. 81 [9] |
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| 1944 aerial image, The Historical Imagery Viewer, State of New South Wales (Spatial Services, a business unit of the Department of Customer Service NSW), http://spatial.nsw.gov.au [10] |
It is little more than a small laneway now. The southern side of the lane (yellow line) aligns with the northern edge (blue line) of North Street which appears to have reduced the width of the road as footpaths were added to it. While it doesn’t line up exactly, it could be considered a continuation of North Street? The lane currently exists in the area delineated by the red and yellow lines.
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| Lane off Fullerton Street, Google Maps |
Strand St – Ghost Street
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| Wilson’s Newcastle, Maitland & Cessnock Street Directory, 1928-1929, Stockton Map No 1, p. 81 [11] |
Unlike the previous streets, Strand Street did once exist. While it was not heavily populated, it did have some residents. These include James Roach, a miner who was killed while working at the Stockton Colliery. He, his wife and four children lived in Strand Street. [12]
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| "STOCKTON. FATAL ACCIDENT AT STOCKTON COLLIERY" Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate 5 March 1900: 8. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article133212865>. [12] |
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| "STOCKTON.—PETITION FOR A MUNICIPALITY." New South Wales Government Gazette, 28 March 1889: 2406. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article223994780>. [13] |
However, as early as 1909 plans were
proposed to close the street and use it for other purposes. Negotiations were
held several times between the Quigley Estate, who owned all the land south of
Clyde Street and Stockton Council but appear to have been fruitless.
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| "DISTRICT NEWS." Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate, 6 April 1922: 5. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article140998157>. [14] |
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| "QUIGLEY ESTATE" The Newcastle Sun, 3 September
1924: 6. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article165282058>. [15] |
The images below show the development of Strand Street over time. During this period, only three blocks of landed faced directly onto Strand Street. By 1944 only two houses were near the street, but they appear to face onto Clyde Street, while the backyards face onto Strand Street. It was during the post-World War 2 era that the area containing Strand Street rapidly developed as a housing area. It appears the 3 Strand Street facing blocks and the 3 Clyde Street blocks were consolidated at some point.
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| [Plan of Quigley Estate, Stockton], State Library of NSW, https://collection.sl.nsw.gov.au/digital/Q5gX7BLWQXmjZ [25] |
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| 1944 aerial image, The Historical Imagery Viewer, State of New South Wales (Spatial Services, a business unit of the Department of Customer Service NSW), http://spatial.nsw.gov.au [16] |
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| 1954 aerial image, The Historical Imagery Viewer, State of New South Wales (Spatial Services, a business unit of the Department of Customer Service NSW), http://spatial.nsw.gov.au [17] |
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| 1966 aerial image, The Historical Imagery Viewer, State of New South Wales (Spatial Services, a business unit of the Department of Customer Service NSW), http://spatial.nsw.gov.au [18] |
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| 1974 aerial image, The Historical Imagery Viewer, State of New South Wales (Spatial Services, a business unit of the Department of Customer Service NSW), http://spatial.nsw.gov.au [19] |
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| 1976 aerial image, The Historical Imagery Viewer, State of New South Wales (Spatial Services, a business unit of the Department of Customer Service NSW), http://spatial.nsw.gov.au [20] |
In 1964, attempts to officially close the street were successful and Strand Street was closed, with the western half leading into the lane between Newcastle and Pitt Streets but the eastern side completely gone and incorporated into the block of land facing onto Pitt Street.
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| "LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT, 1919" Government Gazette of the State of New
South Wales 22 May 1964: 1623. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article220380726>. [21] |
 |
| "NOTICE OF RESUMPTION OF LAND BY NEWCASTLE CITY COUNCIL.—LOCAL GOVERNMENT
ACT, 1919.—Form 3" Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales, 10 July 1964: 2211. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article220340698>. [22] |
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| What remains of Strand Street today, a small laneway. |
Urunga St – A Paper Street
Urunga street appears to be what is known as a paper street. These are a variation of a paper town. These were fictitious streets/towns placed on maps as a copyright trap technique.
What are paper towns?? (video)
The placement of this street would be
immediately questioned by locals or anyone familiar with the location - it is too close to the beach and on a very narrow strip of land that wouldn't lead anywhere. Interestingly, it was visible on the 1928/29 version of Wilson's Newcastle, Maitland & Cessnock Street Directory but it was not included in the 1930 edition.
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Wilson’s Newcastle, Maitland & Cessnock Street Directory, 1928-1929, Stockton Map No 1, p. 81 [23] |
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| Wilson’s Newcastle, Maitland & Cessnock Street Directory, 1928-1929, p. 84 [24] |
So, while maps can be of great use in doing historical research, it's always important to remember there are a number of ways that they can contain incorrect or misleading information.
References and Footnotes
[1] Sidney, F. W., Port of Newcastle : reduced from recent surveys by officers of the Harbours & Rivers Department, 1878 (1878), [M4646]. Living Histories, accessed 21/09/2023, https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/83541
[2] Sidney, F. W., Port of Newcastle : reduced from recent surveys by officers of the Harbours & Rivers Department, 1878 (1878), [M4646]. Living Histories, accessed 22/09/2023, https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/83541
[3] Forster & Co., 1882 - Plan of the Port of Newcastle: reduced from recent surveys by officers of the Harbours & Rivers Department (1882) - https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2018/11/05/knaggs-maps/
[4] Australia East Coast - New South Wales Newcastle Harbour [cartographic Material]. 1882, small corrections 1887., Great Britain. Hydrographic Office, 1882. http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/128603
[5] Forster & Co., 1894 - Plan of the Port of Newcastle: reduced from recent surveys by officers of the Harbours & Rivers Department (1894), [Knaggs_1894]. Living Histories, accessed 22/09/2023, https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/86034
[6] Map of Newcastle and District [Cartographic Material] / Compiled and Drawn at Chief Electoral Office. N.S.W. Chief Electoral Ofiice, 1894. https://collection.sl.nsw.gov.au/record/74VM0R0lpy0y/x5PZ45Ng08vvA
[7] Forster & Co., 1894 - Plan of the Port of Newcastle: reduced from recent surveys by officers of the Harbours & Rivers Department (1894), [Knaggs_1894]. Living Histories, accessed 22/09/2023, https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/86034
[8] Newcastle Harbour : Plan showing borings to rock, 1914 (1914), [M4651 ]. Living Histories, accessed 22/09/2023, https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/83544
[9] Wilson’s Newcastle, Maitland & Cessnock Street Directory, 1928-1929, Stockton Map No 1, p. 81
[10] 1944 aerial image, The Historical Imagery Viewer, State of New South Wales (Spatial Services, a business unit of the Department of Customer Service NSW), http://spatial.nsw.gov.au
[11] Wilson’s Newcastle, Maitland & Cessnock Street Directory, 1928-1929, Stockton Map No 1, p. 81
[12] "STOCKTON. FATAL ACCIDENT AT STOCKTON COLLIERY" Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954) 5 March 1900: 8. Web. 25 Sep 2023 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article133212865>.
[13] "STOCKTON.—PETITION FOR A MUNICIPALITY." New South Wales Government Gazette (Sydney, NSW : 1832 - 1900) 28 March 1889: 2406. Web. 22 Sep 2023 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article223994780>.
[14] "DISTRICT NEWS." Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954) 6 April 1922: 5. Web. 22 Sep 2023 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article140998157>.
[15] "QUIGLEY ESTATE" The Newcastle Sun (NSW : 1918 - 1954) 3 September 1924: 6. Web. 22 Sep 2023 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article165282058>.
[16] 1944 aerial image, The Historical Imagery Viewer, State of New South Wales (Spatial Services, a business unit of the Department of Customer Service NSW), http://spatial.nsw.gov.au
[17] 1954 aerial image, The Historical Imagery Viewer, State of New South Wales (Spatial Services, a business unit of the Department of Customer Service NSW), http://spatial.nsw.gov.au
[18] 1966 aerial image, The Historical Imagery Viewer, State of New South Wales (Spatial Services, a business unit of the Department of Customer Service NSW), http://spatial.nsw.gov.au
[19] 1974 aerial image, The Historical Imagery Viewer, State of New South Wales (Spatial Services, a business unit of the Department of Customer Service NSW), http://spatial.nsw.gov.au
[20] 1976 aerial image, The Historical Imagery Viewer, State of New South Wales (Spatial Services, a business unit of the Department of Customer Service NSW), http://spatial.nsw.gov.au
[21] "LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT, 1919" Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales (Sydney, NSW : 1901 - 2001) 22 May 1964: 1623. Web. 21 Sep 2023 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article220380726>.
[22] "NOTICE OF RESUMPTION OF LAND BY NEWCASTLE CITY COUNCIL.—LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT, 1919.—Form 3" Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales (Sydney, NSW : 1901 - 2001) 10 July 1964: 2211. Web. 21 Sep 2023 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article220340698>.
[23] Wilson’s Newcastle, Maitland & Cessnock Street Directory, 1928-1929, Stockton Map No 1, p. 81
[24] Wilson’s Newcastle, Maitland & Cessnock Street Directory, 1928-1929, p. 84
[25] [Plan of Quigley Estate, Stockton], State Library of NSW, https://collection.sl.nsw.gov.au/digital/Q5gX7BLWQXmjZ