Morisset ( ;) is a commercial centre and suburb of the

City of Lake Macquarie The City of Lake Macquarie is a local government area (LGA) in the Hunter Region in New South Wales, Australia. It was proclaimed a city on 7 September 1984. It is adjacent to the city of Newcastle and is part of the Greater Newcastle area. ...

local government area in the

Hunter Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products ( fur/ hide, bone/tusks, ...

region in

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. Morisset is a part of the

Greater Newcastle Newcastle, also commonly referred to as Greater Newcastle ( ; ), is a large Metropolitan area, metropolitan area and the second-most-populous such area of New South Wales, Australia. It includes the cities of City of Newcastle, Newcastle and Ci ...

area, it is located west of the lake of Lake Macquarie just off the M1 Pacific Motorway. It is also located approximately halfway between

Gosford Gosford is a waterfront city at the northern end of Brisbane Water on the Central Coast in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The Gosford Waterfront is known for its boating and scenic views on the shores of Brisbane Water. Gosford is ...

and the

Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area ...

CBD. The count at the was 4,078 for the gazetted suburb of Morisset. The estimated urban population of the Morisset area, including Cooranbong, was 27,828 as at the 2021 census. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2019.

History

The town is named for Major

James Thomas Morisset Lieutenant Colonel James Thomas Morisset (1780 – 17 August 1852), penal administrator, was commandant of the second convict settlement at Norfolk Island, from 29 June 1829 to 1834. Military career Born in London in 1780, he was c ...

, who camped there in 1823 while making the overland journey from

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

. Morisset went on to become Commandant at Norfolk Island prison between 1829 and 1833, where his brutal regime led to a rebellion. Historically there has been considerable confusion over the spelling of the suburb: Morissett, Morriset, Morrissett and Morrisset have been used. Some sources state that the town was named after Edric Norfolk Vaux Morisset, the son of James Morisset. However, a letter from Victor Sellheim, grandson of James Morisset, published in 1914, rejects this theory. The earliest settlement in the area was at Cooranbong in 1826, about west of the current town and near the foot of the Watagan Mountains. Initially, various kinds of agriculture were conducted, and before long forestry became an important industry. Most of the transport to the area at the time was by river boat on Dora Creek meaning that Cooranbong was the most accessible part of town. The town of Morisset itself was essentially non-existent until 1887, when the Sydney-Newcastle railway was built. Morisset sprang up as a sawmill town clustered around the train station, and the township was proclaimed on 3 December. In 1908, a psychiatric hospital opened on a large estate along the lake shore. At its height in the 1960s, Morisset Mental Hospital had 1,600 patients. The Hospital continues to dominate Morisset's reputation, although it is now only a 130-bed hospital. The first bus service was started by the Ward family. In more recent times, the Morisset Peninsula to the east of the town has become the main residential area. It has experienced a high rate of growth since the construction of Eraring Power Station in 1986. Several retirement villages have been built. Subdivision of larger blocks has come close to saturation in many suburbs, with only a few hobby-farms still remaining, although the majority of the Morisset district and peninsula remain bushland and National Park and Aboriginal reserves.

Heritage listings

Morisset has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: * Morisset Park Road: Morisset Hospital

Education

Morisset contains a state primary school, a state high school and a Catholic school. Morisset Public School opened in 1891 and started accommodating high school classes in 1951. These classes transferred to a new high school campus, Morisset High School, at the start of the 1965 school year, with the public school returning to purely primary education. A Catholic primary school, St John Vianney School, opened on 17 January 1962, and was initially administered by the Sisters of St Joseph until becoming part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle in 1966.

Transport

Morisset railway station, located on Dora Street, is linked to

and

NSW TrainLink NSW TrainLink is a regional train and coach operator in Australia, providing services throughout New South Wales and into Australian Capital Territory, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria (state), Victoria, Queensland and South Australia ...

services on the

Central Coast & Newcastle Line The Central Coast & Newcastle Line (CCN) is an regional rail, intercity rail service that services the Upper North Shore, Central Coast (New South Wales), Central Coast and Newcastle, New South Wales, Newcastle regions. It connects the two large ...

, and to Maitland and towns further north by long-distance services. The train station serves as a terminus for bus services 278 and 279 covering the Morisset Peninsula towns and 280 to Cooranbong. These services are operated by Hunter Valley Buses, which acquired the previous provider Toronto Bus. In July 2009, Rover Coachesw commenced a new weekday service, Route 163, to Cessnock and

Kurri Kurri Kurri Kurri is a small town in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia, in the Cessnock LGA. At the , its population was 6,174. Kurri Kurri is the largest town in a group of towns and hamlets, including Stanford Merthyr, Pelaw Main, We ...

. Morisset is also located on an intersection of the M1 motorway, being approximately 55 minutes travel time from the southern end of the motorway at Wahroonga, and 25 minutes south of the Hunter Expressway intersection.

Tourism

Morisset is located along the eastern waterways of Lake Macquarie within proximity to the Watagans National Park at the foot of the Watagan Mountains. The town centre has a range of commercial sites with shops, cafes and restaurants. Morisset is the gateway to the secluded network of trails and paths that connect the Lake Macquarie region. Dillwynia Bushland Reserve is located directly to the south of Morisset railway station. The land is managed by members of the Biraban Local Aboriginal Land Council.

Media

Christian radio may be heard on 87.8 FM around the town broadcasting 3ABN Australia Radio Network. 3ABN Australia Production Centre is also located in Morisset.

References

External links

History of Morisset
(Lake Macquarie City Library)
Morisset Hospital Historical Society

3ABN Australia, Inc.
{{City of Lake Macquarie suburbs Towns in the Hunter Region Suburbs of Lake Macquarie