Gateshead New South Wales Australia

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Growing up I lived in the suburb of Lake Macquarie called Gateshead we moved to Gateshead before I started school and when I did go to school, I sent to Gateshead public school starting in Kindergarten and ending with year ten, for me going through to year twelve wasn’t possible I simply didn’t have the smarts to do so.

Gateshead is a suburb of the City of Lake Macquarie, Greater Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, 12 kilometres from Newcastle’s central business district on the eastern side of Lake Macquarie. It is part of the City of Lake Macquarie East ward and is home to a number of primary and high schools and a private hospital. 

It is possible that Mr W.T. Verge, the first surveyor of the area, named the suburb in 1876. The name would have been taken from the town of Gateshead in the county of Tyne and Wear, England. It’s on the southern bank of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle upon Tyne.

                                    What Gateshead High School looked liked when I was there

The first streets were Goundry, Jamieson, O’Brien, Sydney,    Casey, Oxford, Heshbon and Church Streets. The first street we lived in was Schroder Avenue this was a two-bedroom house and when I was about nine or ten, we moved to Flame Street a three-bedroom house and when I was seventeen, we moved to Bean Steet which was a four-bedroom house. All the properties were subsidised government rentals, my parents stayed at Bean Street till their deaths.  

In 1877 Mr. W.T. Verge produced a design for the town. Little development occurred during the nineteenth century. By 1910 there were only three houses. Drinking water from Merewether was brought by Mr. Jennings. John Young – the slaughter man delivered meat and bread. Groceries were delivered by Sheedy’s of Adamstown in a horse and cart. Papers, mail and food could also be obtained from Charlestown.

By 1929 there were seven houses at Gateshead. During the 1930’s Gateshead was mainly a collection of two to three acre farms. Water was used from tanks or taken from springs which were once located at Bulls Garden Road, Running Creek and old Belmont Road. These springs now form part of the creek. Although the Pacific Highway was completed during the early 1930’s most Gateshead roads remained unpaved. A small shop began selling produce from Milroy’s farm.

                                This building was still there when I was in primary school

In 1934 the Emergency Relief Scheme constructed drains and cleared streets to provide work during the Depression. During the war there was an army camp on the site of the present Gateshead High School.

In 1945 the Housing Commission took possession of some houses (located on Schroder Avenue and the Crescent) which had been used by the Army during the war. Seventy more houses were completed and occupied between 1948 and 1950.

By 1945 one hundred and thirty adults were residing in the town.

By 1961 the town had a sewage system.