Stockton is a

suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separ ...

of Newcastle,

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

, located from Newcastle's

central business district A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...

. It is the only residential suburb of the City of Newcastle that lies north of the Hunter River.

Geography

Stockton is a peninsula, with the Hunter River at the south and south-west and the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the conti ...

at the east. On the eastern side are sand dunes and

surfing Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitable ...

beaches, with numerous shipwrecks at its north, while on the western side there are

marsh A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found ...

es, where many

migratory bird Bird migration is the regular seasonal movement, often north and south along a flyway, between breeding and wintering grounds. Many species of bird migrate. Migration carries high costs in predation and mortality, including from hunting b ...

s can be spotted. There are numerous spots at Stockton suitable for recreational fishing. For many years, Stockton was linked to Newcastle's

at the south by passenger and vehicular ferry services. While there is still a passenger ferry service, vehicular traffic is now connected by the Stockton Bridge, built in 1971.

History

The Aboriginal people, in this area, the Worimi, were the first people of this land. The Worimi people call the area Burrabihngarn. Stockton was settled almost as soon as the foundation of Newcastle in 1797. It was originally called "Pirate Point" as the result of escaped convicts who stole the ''Norfolk'' which shipwrecked on the peninsula in 1800. The southern tip of the peninsula, near the northern breakwater is still known as "Pirate Point". For much of the 19th century it served as an industrial and mining base. In 1896 tragedy struck when a gas leak killed 11 people in the

Stockton Colliery Disaster Stockton may refer to: Places Australia * Stockton, New South Wales * Stockton, Queensland, a locality in the Cassowary Coast Region New Zealand *Stockton, New Zealand United Kingdom * Stockton, Cheshire *Stockton, Norfolk * Stockton, Chi ...

. It has become a working-class dormitory suburb during the 20th century, and remains so today for its 4,200 residents. Stocktonians are particularly proud of

Dave Sands Dave Sands (born David Ritchie; 4 February 1926 – 11 August 1952) was an Indigenous Australian boxer. The man the Americans called the "boxer with the educated left hand" received his due when he was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of ...

, a local resident and champion boxer during the years immediately after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. Like the Colliery Disaster, the short life of Sands was commemorated by some of the numerous memorials across this seaside village. Stockton Beach is also known as the location of the 1989 rape and murder of Newcastle High School student and Fern Bay resident Leigh Leigh. A play, ''Blackrock'' (written by Australian playwright Nick Enright), and also a film of the same name, were inspired by this event. Mrs and Mr A Graham's family group, Stockton, NSW

Mrs and Mr A Graham's family group, Stockton, NSW

Culture

Despite being technically an inner-city suburb of Newcastle, Stockton has a country town atmosphere because of its isolation. It has its own shops, churches, two clubhouses, three pubs, a swimming pool, and a

caravan Caravan or caravans may refer to: Transport and travel *Caravan (travellers), a group of travellers journeying together **Caravanserai, a place where a caravan could stop *Camel train, a convoy using camels as pack animals *Convoy, a group of veh ...

park. It also had a large residential unit for people with developmental disability known as the Stockton Centre, a public primary school and a Catholic primary school. High school students catch the ferry or bus to go to schools in the city of Newcastle. Stockton was traditionally a working-class suburb. The Leigh Leigh murder caused "irreparable psychological damage" to the community of Stockton. The crime has been described as a barely healed wound for Stockton, one that is easily punctured. In recent years, however, the town has begun to re-invent itself with a push for young professionals to move in from other centres such as

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mounta ...

. This practice has led to an increase in real estate prices.

Sport

Stockton includes a district cricket team. It also has an active soccer club, the Stockton Sharks Soccer Club. The Stockton Rugby League club participates in the Newcastle & Hunter Rugby League C Grade competition. Surfing is a big part of Stockton life and is based from the Stockton Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC). Activities around the SLSC include paddle boarding, surf swimming, surf ski, as well as surf life saving beach patrols. Port Hunter 16 Foot Sailing Skiff Club sails on Newcastle harbour.

Stockton Beach

Stockton Beach is long, stretching from Stockton in the South to Anna Bay at its north-eastern end. In some areas it is as much as 1 km wide and has sand dunes over 30 metres high although at the Stockton end it is at its narrowest.

Four-wheel drive Four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, refers to a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer ca ...

s are permitted to drive on most areas of Stockton Beach but are excluded from the extreme ends of the beach. Stockton colliery disaster rescuers 1896

Stockton colliery disaster rescuers 1896

Entry to the beach is via Lavis Lane or Anna Bay and a permit needs to be purchased before entering the beach. Drivers must also ensure that they respect the natural habitat of the beach and refrain from driving on the plants and grasses on dune structure.

Transport

There is a frequent passenger ferry service to Stockton from Queens Wharf, close to the former

Newcastle railway station Newcastle Central Station (also known simply as Newcastle and locally as Central Station) is a major railway station in Newcastle upon Tyne. It is located on the East Coast Main Line, around north of . It is the primary national rail station ...

. The ferry journey takes about three minutes. Wheelchair access is available, and you can take a bicycle onto the ferry for free. Driving to Stockton from Newcastle requires following the many signs to Port Stephens that can be found on the main roads. These will eventually lead to the Stockton Bridge and a turn-off to the suburb itself.

Gallery

File:Stockton shipwreck sign.jpg, Sign at Stockton break wall, highlighting the shipwrecks that now form part of the breakwall. File:Adolphe wreck1.jpg, The wreck of the Adolphe, which ran aground in 1904. File:Adolphe wreck2.jpg, The prow of the wreck, Adolphe. File:Stockton Colliery Plaque.jpg, Stockton Colliery "Red Roll" plaque, commemorating the 29 lives lost in the mine. File:Stockton Colliery Plaque1.jpg, Plaque indicating the location of the Stockton colliery.

Notes

References

External links

* {{City of Newcastle suburbs Suburbs of Newcastle, New South Wales Hunter River (New South Wales)