Fassifern, New South Wales

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Fassifern
New South Wales

Population:

598 (2006 census)

Postcode:

2283

Area:

0.8 km² (0.3 sq mi)

Location:

4 km (2 mi) NNW of Toronto

LGA:

City of Lake Macquarie

Parish:

Awaba

State District:

Lake Macquarie

Federal Division:

Charlton

Suburbs around Fassifern:
Wakefield	Teralba	Teralba
Teralba	Fassifern	Fennell Bay
Awaba	Blackalls Park	Blackalls Park

Fassifern is a suburb of the City of Lake Macquarie, in New South Wales, Australia, located west of Lake Macquarie.

The air-conditioned Sydney-Newcastle Express train, The Flyer, leaves Fassifern in 1967.

The Sydney-Newcastle railway line runs through Fassifern railway station, which is a major station along the line. There used to be a branch line between Fassifern Station and nearby Toronto, but this has been replaced by a bus service, aptly named "The Train".

[edit] History

Fassifern was first developed as a result of sawmill and coal mining operations in the area. The railway station opened in 1887. The first school, Fassifern Public School, was opened in 1922.

From the late 19th century the Croft family's Northumberland Coal Company operated the Northumberland Colliery, within walking distance from the railway station and to where a rail spur extended. This company operated several subsidiary coal companies. Further up the main line they had another colliery, Oldstan, now long closed. In 1950 Northumberland Colliery was renamed Newstan Colliery and leased out to the NSW Electricity Commission, and is still in operation to this day. The collieries were named after Mr Stanley Croft, an early proprietor and manager of the coal company. The mine is a source for some of the local jobs in Fassifern and the surrounding suburbs.

Recently Charlton Christian College (the name was changed from Lake Macquarie Christian College, reportedly to avoid confusion from Macquarie College) was established. It operates alongside the still existing public school.

[edit] Location

Fassifern is located on the western side of Lake Macquarie in Fennell Bay, a small bay with mangrove and she-oak trees on its shores. Some petrified wood exists in a part of the bay, which is said the be the remains of a petrified forest (many pieces of the wood have been taken). Fassifern also contains vast amounts of native bushland to the north and west.