Charlestown, New South Wales

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**Suburbs of Lake Macquarie**
Charlestown
Country:	Australia
State:	New South Wales
City Council:	Lake Macquarie City Council
Ward:	North Ward
Surrounded by:	Kotara (North); Kahibah (North-East); Whitebridge (South-East); Gateshead (South); Hillsborough (West)
First European Settlement:	1873

Charlestown is the largest town within the city of Lake Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia. It is located approximately 10 km south of the central business district of Newcastle.

Charlestown has the largest business centre within the Lake Macquarie city, with a greater turnover than that of the neighbouring Newcastle CBD. The suburbs serves as the district's transport hub.

[edit] History

Originally granted to the Waratah Coal Company, the area was the site of the company's first shaft, sunk in 1873. Officially called South Waratah, the pit was variously known as Charles' Pit, Raspberry Gully or The Gully Pit. These names all applied to Charlestown in its early days and the surviving name seem to have been derived from that of Charles Smith, the company's manager. The first settlers were miners from the pit.

The company had the area surveyed on April 29, 1876; the first subdivision later became Ida Street, Pearson Street, Milson Street and Frederick Streets. Harry Wright bought the first lot when it was auctioned later in 1876.

The town had its first water main in 1927 and was connected to civic sewage in 1959.

[edit] Today

Charlestown is an area of rapid growth. The suburb is home to one of the largest shopping complexes in the region, Charlestown Square, which is located just off the Pacific Highway.

The suburb contains 4 primary schools; the State schools of Charlestown Primary, Charlestown South Primary and Charlestown East Primary, and the Catholic Diocese school of St Josephs Primary. The state primary schools feed into nearby Whitebridge High School, while the catholic primary school feeds into nearby St Mary's High School at Gateshead and St Pius X High School at Adamstown.

The suburb is served by Police from a station in Smith Street, and is in the Lake Macquarie Local Area Command. The NSW Fire Brigades have a permanently manned station in Smith Street, and maintain 2 vehicles at the station - an urban tanker and an urban pumper. The NSW Ambulance Service has its Northern Communications Centre in the suburb, off Dudley Road.

The local business chamber is called Business Charlestown Incorporated.^[1]

Charlestown has its own Toastmasters club, which meets weekly.^[2]