Lake Macquarie

Lake Macquarie was first inhabited by the Awabakal tribe over 8,000 years ago. Lake Macquarie's original inhabitants derived their name from the lake, with the word Awabakal meaning people of the calm surface. Lake Macquarie was 'discovered' in 1800 by Captain William Reid, who been sent from Sydney to retrieve a load of coal from Newcastle Harbour. Reid took a wrong turn and found himself in a lake rather than a river, with no coal to be seen anywhere. The name "Reid's Mistake" was retained until 1826, when it was renamed in honour of Governor Lachlan Macquarie. The oldest existing town, Catherine Hill Bay, retains the original cottages built by the area’s first coal miners in the late 1800s. Catherine Hill Bay's landmark feature, the old coal loader, seemingly stretches out to sea dates back to the town’s original industry of mining. Another local historical treasure is Wangi Wangi’s Dobell House. World-renowned artist, Sir William Dobell, used Dobell House as his primary residence and studio from the 1940s until his death in 1970. Lake Macquarie's economic strength was built from its diverse landscape and natural resource base, with other key industries developing out of timber, agriculture, water, and minerals. Today, the city boasts the greatest employment increases in the Lower Hunter, with major growth areas in knowledge and technology-based industries.