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West Maitland Showground

Maitland
New South Wales
Maitland Town Hall.jpg
Maitland Town Hall, High Street
Maitland is located in New South Wales
Maitland
Maitland
Coordinates 32°43′S 151°33′E / 32.717°S 151.550°E / -32.717; 151.550Coordinates: 32°43′S 151°33′E / 32.717°S 151.550°E / -32.717; 151.550
Population 67,132 (2011 census)
 • Density 513.6/km2 (1,330/sq mi)
Established 1820
Postcode(s) 2320
Elevation 3 m (10 ft)
Area 392 km2 (151.4 sq mi)
Time zone AEST (UTC+10)
 • Summer (DST) AEDT (UTC+11)
Location
LGA(s) Maitland City Council
Region Hunter
County Northumberland
Parish Maitland
State electorate(s) Maitland
Federal Division(s)
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall
24.4 °C
76 °F
11.5 °C
53 °F
815.6 mm
32.1 in

Maitland is a city in the Lower 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 about 17 km (11 mi) from its start at Hexham.

At the 2011 census it had approximately 67,478 inhabitants, spread over an area of 390.2 square kilometres (151 sq mi), with most of the population located in a strip along the New England Highway between the suburbs of Rutherford and Metford respectively. The city centre is located on the right bank of the Hunter River, protected from potential flooding by a levee.

Surrounding areas include the cities of Cessnock and Singleton local government areas.

Originally Maitland was a culmination of three separate towns which arose roughly all around the same time. West Maitland, now just Maitland, was a privately founded town which grew because of its proximity to the river and which today is the commercial centre of the city. The other areas were East Maitland, which was established by the colonial New South Wales government, and Morpeth, another private town founded by Lieutenant Close, a Peninsular War veteran. Each town functioned as if they were separate municipalities.

The name, Maitland, was reported in 1885 to have had its name taken 'from Sir George Maitland, ... Under Secretary for the Colonies, and M.P. for the Borough of Whitchurch, in Hampshire, England'.

The present city was proclaimed in 1945 with the amalgamation of the three local government areas. 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 a Communist majority of councillors).


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