WALLSEND - A FLOURISHING, FAMILY-FRIENDLY COMMUNITY

WORDS QUENTIN VON ESSEN

From what was once a private coal mining town established 161 years ago in an area originally known as Barrahinebin by its Aboriginal custodians, Wallsend town has become a flourishing urban, family-friendly community with a rich and fascinating history.

Wallsend was established when the Newcastle and Wallsend Mining Company opened their first coal mines in 1860 on land originally owned by Alexander Brown, who helped found the company.

Named after a historic nineteenthcentury shipbuilding town in N.E England, the town grew rapidly with commercial buildings and shops established to service the needs of miners arriving from Scotland, England and Wales. By 1880, a wide array of businesses could be found in the town, including general stores, butchers, bakeries, hotels, blacksmiths, bootmakers, carters, tailors, newsagents, chemists, tobacconists, undertakers, builders, insurance agents, a cordial factory and a newspaper.

Today, Wallsend continues to grow and flourish with a population of approximately 13,000. Outgrowing its main street, the suburb has expanded into a central business district that now includes everything its residents could need. The Wallsend Village Shopping Centre boasts a wide array of major supermarkets, banks, fashion and retail stores, medical and service providers, and dining and takeaway options. Wallsend is also an op shop destination, with savvy second-hand shoppers flocking to Nelson Street’s array of outlets for preloved goods.

For those that love to dine out and be entertained, the suburb is home to several restaurants, pubs and clubs, including the ever-popular Colliery Inn and Lemon Grove Hotel, as well as Wallsend Diggers. Coffee fanatics are also catered for at the popular Drop-In Espresso Bar and Café Tempest - both catering for breakfast and lunchtime needs; and if you’re looking for a Thai or Chinese feast, you’re spoilt for choice with Wallsend’s offerings.

A visit to Wallsend soon exposes a vibrant community hub with an awardwinning Wallsend District Library, which tends to lead the way when it comes to school holiday activities; and a fitness focus, evident by the area’s numerous gyms and top-quality sports facilities like the Wallsend Swimming Centre.

Sports lovers will appreciate Wallsend’s rich sporting history. The suburb is renowned for its soccer, racing, athletics and football. The Australian Rules Black Diamond Cup is the oldest sporting trophy still competed for in Australia. It was instituted in 1887 as a challenge cup to be retained permanently by any team that won it twice in succession. In 1889, Wallsend took the trophy home, having won the first two years. Nowadays, the Cup is presented to the Premiership side on Grand Final Day before being returned to its home at the Newcastle Museum.

As well as a popular sporting scene, Wallsend is home to a variety of community events.

In 2017, the Mattara Festival – one of the Hunter’s oldest community-based festivals, which celebrates the arrival of spring – moved from the Newcastle CBD to Wallsend Park. The move was a great success, doubling the crowd size from the previous two years. In 2018, Nelson Street also played host to the first pop culture festival in Newcastle: the Back in Time Pop Culture Festival, celebrating iconic 80's films, characters, cars and culture. Unfortunately, COVID has meant many community events have had to postpone to later in 2021 or move the dates altogether to 2022.

VISIT THE WALLSEND FESTIVAL

One of the fun-filled events planned for September is the Wallsend Festival, taking place from Saturday 18th September to Saturday 25th September. This week-long, family-friendly event will bring thousands of people of all generations and cultures together to support local businesses with market stalls, community groups, charities, schools, sporting groups, local entertainers, talent schools and more all coming together for a fun-filled week of food, films, long lunch and entertainment. For more information, visit www.wallsendtown.com.au