History of Hunter St Newcastle, by University of Newcastle
in particular around the New Unjiversity site

Thanks in part to Newcastle Cultural Collection, Hunter Photobank.

HISTORY
Indigenous occupation of the central coast of New South Wales is known to date from at least 5000 years before present (BP). Shell middens at Tea Gardens and Green Point date to this period, and indigenous archaeological sites in Newcastle and on the Hunter River attest to occupation of the area after the last Ice Age.  Lieutenant John Shortland, the first European to record the location in any detail, reported that an Indigenous population occupied the place that was to later become Newcastle when he visited in September 1797. There was an attempt to create a settlement at Newcastle in 1801 and substantial investigation of the surrounding area was undertaken. This attempt lasted only a matter of months. In 1804, a group of convicts and soldiers were sent to settle the area and the town of Newcastle, originally named Kings Town, was proclaimed.The settlement was intended to house convicts sentenced for a further felony or misdemeanour committed while in the colony. It was also intended to exploit the resources of the region, principally coal, timber, salt and lime. The population consisted of approximately 100 people in the initial years after which there was a rapid growth between 1815 and 1821, totalling 1051 people.

The main street of the convict settlement was High or George Street (now WattStreet) which ran from the wharf to the commandants house. The town was laid out in an irregular fashion around this. Until 1820, most of the convicts lived in huts built of timber and plaster with bark or shingle roofs. There were 71 dwellings of this sort in Newcastle by 1820. The huts were then replaced with barracks, for the accommodation of most of the convicts.In the early 1820s, the decision was made to open the Hunter Valley to free settlers.As a result, in 1822, the majority of Newcastles convicts were moved to Port Macquarie. It was intended that Newcastle would become a port for the surrounding settlers. In the early 1820s, Henry Dangar, the government surveyor, surveyed Newcastle and laid the town out in a grid. Although Watt Street remained, there were substantial changes to the rest of the town. The new streets and allotments created, cut through many of the earlier buildings. 

Other ports were soon established nearby, and Newcastle, intended to become the leading town of the region- stagnated for many years, having been eclipsed by West Maitland, East Maitland and Morpeth. The close proximity of the Australian Agricultural Company (AACo) was also in part to blame for the slow growth of Newcastle. During the late 1820s-1830s the AACo had been granted 2000 acres to the west of Newcastle, for coal mining. Initially the Company was not allowed to alienate this land, which restricted the growth of the town to land east of Brown Street until the
early 1850s. The town was bounded on the south by Church Street.From the late 1840s other companies opened coal mines around Newcastle. Thesemines began to ship coal through the Port of Newcastle and the town became a centre for the smaller settlements around the mines. A few other industries were also established in the area. In 1848, the Dangar Brothers opened a meat canning factory at Honeysuckle Point, in order to improve the returns on their pastoral estates. The factory produced canned beef and mutton for export to the United Kingdom, winning medals at the 1851 exhibition, and continued in operation until about 1853.25
In 1846 the breakwater connecting Nobbys with South Head was completed. In 1857 the Great Northern Railway Line was opened and in the following year Newcastle Railway Station was opened. Where previously Morpeth had been the main town in the region, the opening of the railway through to Newcastle contributed to the growth of the latter town, which came to replace Morpeth
Newcastle was incorporated as a municipality in 1859. The provision of piped water into the town began in 1887. Nightsoil was collected by Newcastle City Council from at least the 1880s and dumped, at first on vacant land and then later out at sea. In 1888 the Council began the construction of a pipe drainage system for stormwater, and soon after this was completed, the Council
permitted the disposal of human sewage through those pipes to be discharged into the harbour. By 1900, only 330 properties in Newcastle were utilising this system; 1570 were still using the pan system and 175 had cesspits. In 1903 the Newcastle Sewerage Scheme was commenced. The first parts of the district connected to the system were Newcastle, Merewether, and a small part of Hamilton.

In the first part of the twentieth century, the closure of inner-city collieries and the replacement of collieries further away meant that there was a population movement away from Newcastle. However, the opening of the BHP steel works in about 1915 brought people back to the city and changed the character of the area.The second half of the twentieth century brought an overall decline to Newcastle.
The development of retail centres in surrounding suburbs took business away from the city and the 1989 earthquake, the principal effect of which was felt in the city centre, appeared to accelerate the decline of the area. The closure of the BHP steelworks, announced in 1997, increased the level of unemployment in the Newcastle region.
However, in saying this- the local government has undertaken various large projects in the area, including the redevelopment of 17 hectares of harbour front land as a bicentennial project to stimulate growth in the area and create new industries such as tourism.

Honeysuckle Point
Honeysuckle Point was a low-lying area of land surrounded by tidal flats. During the earliest period of the European settlement of Newcastle, the area of Honeysuckle Point was largely unsettled . In the 1840s, 38 acres at Honeysuckle Point was purchased by the Catholic Church for the establishment of a school. However, the school was not built, and in the late 1840s the land was ubdivided
and leased To the east of the church land was the property of the Australian Agricultural Company, part of its original Newcastle grant of 2000 acres acquired in 1828.36 The boundary between the church and the AACo properties ran along the current line of Merewether Street.

The Australian Agricultural Companys land, on the eastern side of Honeysuckle Point, provided the companys access to Newcastle Harbour. By the late 1850s, the Company had established workshops and an office, an iron store, a lumber room, staithes and the accountants residence on this land.  Businesses established on Honeysuckle Point included the Dangars meat-canning works in 1849; Archibald Rogers Iron and Brass Foundry and General Iron Works in 1856; a small shipbuilding yard and the first soap and candle factory in Newcastle; established in the 1860s by F. Nainby.
As Newcastle developed into a major port for shipping, along with other transport and the changing methods of cargo loading, substantial works were carried out on the harbour. Several major works were carried out in the area of Honeysuckle Point, altering the shape of the coast.
Henry Dangar lays out new town grid with some streets cutting through earlier buildings. 1822 Majority of convicts moved to Port Macquarie and Hunter Valley opened tofree settlers.1828 Australian Agricultural Company (AACo) is granted 2000 acres of land to the west of Newcastle for coal mining.
ORIGINAL GRANT
The site is part of 2000 acres selected by the Australian Agricultural Company in 1828. The Company was incorporated by an Act of the British Parliament in 1824.The stated object of the Company was the cultivation of waste lands in New South Wales, although its main purpose was the production of fine wool and also the cultivation of the grape vine, olive, flax and other crops. The principle condition stated by the British Parliament was that the majority of labour would be conducted by convicts and supervised by those professional mechanics and superintendents arriving from England. A Committee was established for the Company which included James McArthur (son of John McArthur), cousin Hannibal Hawkins McArthur and Principal Surgeon James Bowman.

The initial proposal concerning the Newcastle land had been for the Company to lease and work the Governments coal mines around the town. However, by the late 1820s this proposal had changed, and the Company was allowed to choose 2000 acres of coal land in two parcels; the first of which comprised 500 acres and could include the existing Government coal mines if the Company chose. The Company chose not to include the Government mines in its grant.There were several conditions to the grant. Coal from the mines, to a total of one quarter of the average annual produce, was to be sold to the Government at what was estimated to be the cost price. For thirty one years after the grant, no Governor was to grant a coal mine or land containing a coal mine without the coal being excepted from the grant, nor to afford any assistance in convict labour for the working of any coal mine other than the property of the AACo. The Government

had the right to assist competitors of the Company if the Company charged an excessive price for coal, and could resume the 500 acres if, in any one year, the Company did not produce two-thirds of the average annual output of the mines over the period from 1826 to 1828 The land to the east of Brown and Terrace Streets was reserved for the Government Township
The Company began to sell coal in 1831. Their new shaft, near the present corner of Church and Brown Streets, was officially opened in 1832. A temporary loading staithe and wharf was built on the water a little west of the foot of Brown Street, and a huge inclined plane was laid from the pit to the loading place. This shaft was known as the Companys A Pit. It is thought to have been located on or near the lower part of the property at 106 Church Street, to the north-east of the site.

Production increased as demand rose, primarily due to the introduction of the steamship to the colony. By 1847, the Hunter River Steam Navigation Company was consuming 18% of the Companys total output of coal. The Company also supplied the Australian Gas Light Company, founded in 1836, which commenced commercial operations in 1841. A domestic market for coal also developed in the colony, and there was some export to other colonies. In 1847, the coal agreement between the Government and the Company was terminated. The coal grant at Newcastle was freed from all conditions, and all existing privileges were given up. This meant that the Company could sell the land.65 A grant was issued in this year.
As Newcastles population grew, from the 1850s the Company subdivided its Newcastle property into housing and commercial allotments, at first in the inner-city area, and later in Hamilton and Hamilton South  Subdivision and sale continued well into the twentieth century. The Honeysuckle railway terminus, as part of the Great Northern Railway, was initiated during the mid-1850s which further assisted with land sales in this immediate area.

SUBSEQUENT OWNERS AND OCCUPANTS
Lot 71 and 72 Section A Isaac Eggleson (also noted in records as Eggleston and Eccleston) purchased Lot 71 and 72 in Section A of the AACo.s subdivision in 1855.  Both allotments were purchased for £109. 68 Isaac was convicted in 1832 in Durham, England and was sent to Newcastle aboard the Isabella that same year. On his arrival, Eggleson became a mine worker under the supervision and control of the AACo.70 By the time of the AACo. subdivision and sale, Eggleson must have completed his sentence in order for him to purchase land in 1855.

Eggleson was already listed as a storekeeper in 1852, which suggests that he left the coal mines upon the termination of his sentence. It is not known where his initial premises were located, although it is presumed that it was elsewhere in Newcastle as the AACo.s first subdivision and sales started in 1853. A plan dated to 1857 shows the presence of a single large building fronting Blane Street (now Hunter Street), which had been constructed by Eggleson for his general store. Occupation and use of the land by Eggleson was short lived. A newspaper advertisement dated to August 1858 indicates that both Lot 71 and 72 were for sale. Isaac Eggleson sold his property to James Dodds Junior in January 1860. Eggleson had already moved to East Maitland prior to the sale, as a newspaper article dated to July 1859 advertises the opening of his new general store. James Dodds Junior purchased Lot 71 and 72 for £1255. The sharp rise in price between the original purchase by Eggleson and his sale to James Dodds Junior, is a direct reflection of development made to the allotments. James Dodds Junior was a Scottish immigrant living in East Maitland as early as the 1830s. James was listed as an Auctioneer and expanded his business upon the arrival of his brother Alexander in 1834.74 James sold the Blane Street allotments to his brother on the 11th June 1861 for £1400.  Alexander Dodds was born in Scotland in 1814 to James and Helen Dodds (nee Gray).76 At the age of 20, Dodds immigrated to Australia with his sister Margaret aboard the North Briton, whereby they went to live with their elder brother James.
Alexander married Mary Dickson in 1850 and together they had six children: Helen Elizabeth (b1851), Alexander James (b1853), Frederick (b1854), William Gordon (b1856), Mary Agnes (b1859) and Christina Margaret Dodds (b1862).78 Alexander continued to live in East Maitland with his family and does not appear to have ever occupied the property. While running an auctioneering business with his brother James, Alexander held a vested interest in the political running of his local town.
Alexander was elected Mayor of East Maitland in 1863 and served until at least 1872.79 He was also a member of the NSW Parliament from 1864 until 1872 and given a life appointment to the NSW Legislative Council in 1885.
Rates records indicate that Dodds was leasing the majority of the buildings known from Egglesons sale advertisement by the late 1860s  The annual value of the dwellings ranged from £13-£24, with none of the properties described as shops. Alexander Dodds and his family appear to have moved from East Maitland to Willoughby during the mid-1870s.82 This move may have been prompted by the death of Alexanders brother and business partner, James Dodds Junior, in 1874.
Alexanders wife Mary died at their new residence in 1885, followed by Alexander in 1892
At the time of Alexanders death, Lot 71 and 72 was passed to his two eldest sons, Alexander James and Frederick Dodds.84 Alexander and James were both living in Sydney at the time of their fathers death and appear to have continued leasing the numerous properties on the site. The Dodds brothers constructed a new premises on Lot 72 along the street front demolishing the 1850s buildings; this new premises was occupied by Fuller and Rodgers Ironmongers Fuller and Rodgers continued to operate on the study site until around 1907, whereby A. Goninan and Co. Ltd, engineering manufacturers, were listed as the new tenants. In 1913, Alexander James and Frederick Dodds sold Lots 71 and 72 to A. Goninan and Co. Ltd.
A. Goninan and Co. Ltd purchased the two allotments on the 10th November 1913 for £10,500. This local engineering and manufacturing company was established by brothers Alfred and Ralph Goninan, who had arrived in Australia during the 1890s. Their first business was situated at Wickham, where the manufacturing of coal hopper wagons and colliery equipment took place. In their ventures, the Goninan brothers established a second company known as the Engineers and Colliery Supplies (E and C S Co Ltd). By the 1920s the whole of Lot 72 was encompassed with buildings including the 1890s store, a new warehouse and iron shed taking the entire southern rear section of Lots 71 and 72 . All three buildings were being utilised by Engineers and Colliery Supplies. The late 1870s building fronting Lot 71, constructed under the ownership of Alexander Dodds, was still standing and occupied by various shopkeepers during ownership by the Goninan brothers.  In 1932 the Union Bank of Australia became the joint owners of Lots 71 and 72 with A. Goninan and Co. Ltd. Shortly following this, both parties sold their shares to the Australian Provincial Assurance Association Ltd in 1935 for a sum of £21,750.88
Upon transfer of the property, all previous standing buildings except for the large iron shed at the rear of Lots 71 and 72 were demolished and replaced by a larger two storey building taking the entire Hunter Street frontage. The Australian Provincial Assurance Association Ltd did not occupy the premises, rather having constructed it for investment purposes. The entirety of the property was sold to Victor, Leonard, Ronald and Leslie Fines in 1953 for £65,000.

The Fines family were all involved in the local hotel industry and had expanded their interests into property development during the mid-twentieth century. In September 1954 the Fines family sold a small portion of land at the southern section of Lots 71 and 72 totalling 21 ½ perches to Nock and Kirby Limited, who owned adjacent Lot 73.90 As a compromise, Nock and Kirby Limited granted a deed for Right of Way access at the eastern edge of Lot 73 to be used by those occupants on Lots 71 and 72.91 In 1960, Fines Investments Pty Ltd initiated a large extension to the rear of the
existing c. 1937 building constructed by the Australian Provincial Assurance Association Ltd. The extension created a two-storey arcade shopping complex
which comprised of 18 ground floor shops and 12 first floor shops.92 The Civic Arcade was officially opened in June 1961.
Fines Investments Pty Ltd sold Lot 71 and 72; now only measuring 1 rood 18 ¼ perches, to Newgate Property Investments Pty Ltd in 1972.93 The property continued to pass through several owners until its purchase by Newcastle City Council in 1994. Lot 73 Section A Everitt (also spelt Everett) Summers purchased Lot 73 in Section A from the AACo on the 7th September 1855 for £60.95 Summers was brought out from England in 1825 by the AACo as one of many labourers utilised for the initial setup of the company. By the time Summers purchased the Blane Street allotment, he was noted as an Overseer and was working at Platts Mill Estate. The first evidence for occupation of Summers land dates to the late 1850s, whereby an 1858 plan  shows the presence of a rectangular building at the southern rear of the property, encompassing the entire width of the allotment. It is possible that this early building was occupied by Summers himself, with later land development leased out to other tenants. Rates records from 1868 identify the building as contained three dwellings.. One dwelling was occupied by Summers, another by David Fuller and the last by Summers brother Edward. Summers and his brother Edward occupied the same dwellings in 1869, with the third dwelling having switched tenants to R. Collier. Robert Collier marries Summers daughter Eliza in December 1853, which would account for their presence as tenants. Each wooden dwelling was valued at £15 per annum. Everett Summers continued to occupy one of the dwellings on the site for residential purposes until his death in 1870.
Following the death of Summers, the property was inherited by his daughter Eliza and her husband, Robert Collier who is listed as a grocer and grazier. A newspaper article from the 1930s suggests that it was Collier that was responsible for construction of the first shops along Blane St which were originally occupied by the dressmaker Mrs Hare and shoemaker Ovenden. The Colliers are listed in the Rates Assessment Books as owning four dwellings on the site during the early 1870s however no shops are listed. The Colliers sold the eastern portion of the allotment to Samuel Watson in 1873 followed by the western part in 1878.
Watson was living in Sydney as a storekeeper then landholder and investor in property development. It is likely that Watson was responsible for the construction of some of the buildings fronting Blane Street, as by 1878, he is listed as owning four weatherboard houses while the Colliers are also listed as owning four houses. The Colliers are listed as also residing on the site during this period. No information is offered as to whether these dwellings at this point in time were utilised for residential purposes only, however considering the surrounding environment one can assume
that some shops were likely operating. Watson did not own the property for long, having sold Lot 73 in 1884.
Land title documents indicate that David Miller purchased Lot 73 from Samuel Watson in 1884 for £1450. A plan dated to approximately 1886  still notes Watson as owning and living in a dwelling on the study site. No other evidence has been found to suggest that Watson still owned the property at this point, let alone ever occupied the property, having lived in Sydney his whole life. It
can be suggested that the early plan contains an error in date, and furthermore the Watson labelled as occupying the property could be a different individual.

David Miller was born in Newcastle in 1845 to William and Mary A Miller. David appears to have spent his entire life living in Newcastle and was described as a grocer. David married Margaret A. Crocker in Newcastle in 1867. Together they had five children: David W (b1867), Eliza J (b1869), Laura E (b1882), Harold (b1883) and Thomas C (b1878). As a local businessman, Miller held much interest in the politics of Newcastle and was an Alderman during the 1890s. Miller and his family are not believed to have ever occupied the site.
An 1886 and 1896 plan shows the building developments that occurred on site during Millers ownership. The 1896 plan infers that extensions have been made to both buildings fronting Blane Street and the shed and original 1850s building, at the rear of the allotment has been removed. In 1897, David transferred ownership of Lot 73 to his wife Margaret.  According to
later rate records, evidence exists to suggest that Chinese immigrants were leasing the weatherboard cottages at the rear of Lot 73. It is possible that market gardens
may have been constructed in the associated yard space during the late nineteenth century.
Margaret A. Miller died in 1905 followed by David in 1919. Upon Davids death, Lot 73 was passed to his surviving children. Harold Miller, the executor of Davids will, sold the property in 1937. The Australian Provincial Assurance Association Limited purchased Lot 73 for £10,250. This company had already purchased adjacent Lots 71 and 72 two years earlier for the construction of a new shops and offices, however do not appear to have particularly developed Lot 73.The Australian Provincial Assurance Association Limited sold Lot 73 to Thomas Peter and Mary Agnes Sobb in July 1953 for £25,000.111 This land was then sold to Nock and Kirby Limited; a company founded by Thomas Nock and Herbert Kirby. In 1959, Nock and Kirby Limited began construction on a modern, new store which included drive through shopping and roof top parking with a service station. The building and development was estimated to have cost £100,000. While being a
prosperous investment which presented a new trend of selling consumer goods,
Nock and Kirby Limited closed and sold the premises on Lot 73 to Flints (Smithfield) Pty Ltd in late 1979. Shortland County Council purchased the property in June 1982 for $1.1 million.

William Henry Whyte purchased Lot 74 in Section A of the Australian Agricultural Companys subdivision on the 7th September 1855.  Whyte was a shipping agent and auctioneer who lived on Watt Street, Newcastle. Whyte and his wife Mary Ann appear to have resided on Watt Street for the majority of their lives and are not believed to have ever occupied the site. The first evidence for the use of Lot 74 dates to 1858, whereby a rectangular building fronting Auckland Street is
positioned on both Lot 74 and partly on adjacent Lot 16 . Whyte advertised in 1857 for tenders for the construction of a bakery however it is unlikely that it is the same building: Tenders are required for the erection of a two-storey brick building and bakers oven on the property of the undersigned, adjoining Auckland Street, and opposite the Great Northern Railway Terminus, Honeysuckle Point.

A newspaper article dating to June 1858 further confirms that the 1858 plan does not demonstrate all buildings standing on Allotment 74 in 1858. The newspaper advertisement offered one of Whytes properties for lease: A two-storied brick house, slated, with shop in front, detached bake-house and oven, built of the best materials; also, stable and water on the premises, with enclosed yard  the whole being a compact and well-adapted premises for business, in the most flourishing part of the City of Newcastle. The advertisement notes that the dwelling was located opposite Honeysuckle Point Railway Terminus, which further indicates that this building formed a completely different structure to the dwelling seen fronting Auckland Street on the 1858 plan.. Though two substantial dwellings had been constructed by Whyte in a matter of years, Whyte must have fallen into some financial difficulty, advertising for the sale the entirety of Lot 74 and also Lot 75 on the opposite side of Auckland Street in 1859. At the time of the sale a Mr Wright is listed as the occupant for the dwelling fronting Auckland Street. It does not appear that the property sold, as the following year Whyte took out a mortgage on several allotments of land which included Lot 74. Rate records dated to 1868 and 1869 indicate that the two-storey brick dwelling with bakers oven fronting Blane Street was still standing on Whytes property, pulling in an annual value of £72. Whyte again attempted to sell Allotment 74 in May 1867, both late 1850s dwellings fronting Blane and Auckland Streets were still standing.
By 1869, Whyte had defaulted on his mortgage with the Australian Trust Company and his land was subsequently sold off. At the time of the sale, Lot 74 was advertised as containing four Lots, 1-4. Sales notices from this period indicate that the shop and bakery was on subdivided Lot 1 in the northeast corner of the site and is also the only lot noted as containing buildings, suggesting that the building fronting Auckland Street had likely been removed by this point in time. Atkinson Alfred Patrick Tighe purchased Lot 74 and 75 on the 14th September 1869 for £350. Atkinson Alfred Patrick Tighe was born in 1827 to Lieutenant Robert Tighea nd his wife Sarah while they were at sea near Corfu, Greece.  Atkinsons father Robert was a prominent member of the English Military and was subsequently given a 2000-acre land grant in Newcastle called Bingle Hill (now Tighes Hill). Atkinson married Arabella Vine Grove in Darlinghurst in July 1858 and together they had seven surviving children: Ada (b1860), Arthur (b1862), Mabel (b1868), Eva Laura (b1870), William (b1872), Maude (b1874) and Henry (b1877).123 Atkinson appears to have lived in both Newcastle and Sydney, as his children are registered as having been born in either Paddington or Newcastle. Regardless of this, the Tighe family never occupied the site.
Atkinson Tighe held a large business influence and political presence within Newcastle; the suburb town name of Bingle Hill having been changed to Tighes Hill in his honour. Business adventures by Tighe included being a director of the Waratah Coal Co. and an owner of a slaughter yard within Tighes Hill.  He was also a local councillor and was heavily involved in political affairs regarding industrial affairs in Newcastle; was also the police magistrate for the area between 1874 and 1878. Tighe appears to have returned to Sydney following his retirement; his death in 1905 occurred at his home in Glebe Point.
Substantial business ventures were established by Tighe regarding the site. In around 1869-1870, Robert Breckenridge, a timber merchant, established a 21-year lease with Tighe for a new drapery business. The business was for his wife, and a large two storey building was constructed on the corner of Auckland and Blane Streets. The ground floor was used for the shopfront while the first floor was used for residential purposes. Breckenridges business was one of the longest running premises on the entire site, having operated well into the 1910s
.
Also, during Tighes ownership a hotel was established in the earlier dwelling and bakery. Newcastle rate records dated to 1876 indicate that a bakers shop and dwelling was operating adjacent to Breckenridges store. The owner is listed as a Mr Aderton, however it is more likely that this is the owner of the bakery itself, as Tighe still owned the allotment.. By 1878, the Princess Royal Hotel had been established within the bakery building; the proprietor of the hotel at the time was Mr H. Hewitt. The 1878 rates were likely taken in the first half of 1878 as a newspaper advertisement showing that the business known as the Princess Royal Hotel was listed for sale in June 1878, citing ill health of the owner as the reason for sale.  A licensee is not listed in the advertisement, though rates for 1879 show that Mr A. Landerflow was the lessee of the hotel in 1879, Hewitt therefore being the licensee in poor health. Breckenridges drapery shop remained operating on site
until 1918. By 1901, the c. 1857-58 brick hotel had been reconstructed and renamed the Federal Hotel.

At the rear of the lot, a weatherboard building had been constructed by the early 1880s which was occupied for much of the late nineteenth century by a bottle collector and recycler John Baird.
When Atkinson Alfred Patrick Tighe died in 1905, his assets were passed to his surviving children and grandchildren. During their ownership, the c. 1901 Federal Hotel was renamed the Civic Hotel and continued to operate throughout the twentieth century.
The Oddfellows Hall, located at 5 Auckland Street, had been constructed by 1910 for The Oddfellow Society and consisted of a three-storey brick building . A land title document containing a sketch dated to 1910 shows Lot 74 in its subdivided form . While land title documents still list the owner of the entirety of Lot 74 as members of the Tighe family, the sketch infers that the United Order of Oddfellows are owners and occupiers. It is possible that there is an error in the document, however which part is the actual error remains unknown.
In April 1950, a now subdivided Lot 74 was sold to Goolds Pty Limited for £25,500. It appears as if two phases of development for the construction of new buildings occurred on the corner of Hunter and Auckland streets during the twentieth century thought the c. 1901 hotel building remained
The allotments continued to be leased to various tenants for commercial purposes, no longer utilised in part as residential housing. Goolds retained the land until 1965 whereby it was sold to J.A. Simpson Investments Pty Limited.

*Note that the later original grant date only pertains to the official written documents and approval. The AACo had already been given and was utilising the 2000 acre grant in the greater area of Newcastle by the late 1820s.

Lot 71 and 72 in Section A: Date Description Reference 1855 Conveyance From: Australian Agricultural Company To: Isaac Eggleson of Newcastle (£109)
Lot 71 and 72 in Section A January 1860 Conveyance From: Isaac Eggleson To: James Dodds Jnr of East Maitland, Auctioneer (£1,255)
Lot 71 and 72 in Section A 11 Jun 1861 Conveyance From: James Dodds Jnr, of East Maitland, Auctioneer To: Alexander Dodds of East Maitland, Esquire (£1400)
Lot 71 and 72 in Section A  1892 Death of Alexander Dodds 1892 Last Will and Testament To: Alexander James Dodds and Frederick Dodds (sons of Alexander Dodds)
Lot 71 and 72 in Section A 10 Nov 1913 Conveyance From Alexander James Dodds, Solicitor and Frederick Dodds, Grazier, both of Sydney To: A. Goninan and Co. Ltd (£10,500)
Lot 71 and 72 in Section A 1932 Conveyance From: A. Goninan and Co. Ltd To: Union Bank of Australia Joint owners of Lot 71 and 72 in Section A
Equitable Charge Registration 1935 Conveyance From: A. Goninan and Co. Ltd and the Union Bank of Australia To: Australian Provincial Assurance Association Ltd(£21,750)
Final Archaeological Report Vol. 1  University of Newcastle NeW Space Development -Cnr Hunter & Auckland Streets, Newcastle
Archaeological Management & Consulting Group March 2018

Date Description Reference Lot 71 and 72 in Section A 1953 Conveyance From: Australian Provincial Assurance Association Ltd To: Victor, Leonard, Ronald and Leslie Fines of Newcastle,
Hotel industry (£65,000)
Lot 71 and 72 in Section A 1954 Conveyance From: Victor, Leonard, Ronald and Leslie Fines To: Newcastle City Council
Small southern portion of land located at the rear of Lot 71 and 72 as a right of way 27 Sep 1954 Conveyance From: Victor, Leonard, Ronald and Leslie Fines To: Nock and Kirby Limited
21 ½ perches of land at the southern section of Lot 71 and 72  two allotments now reduced to eight tenths of a perch in total size
27 Sep 1954 Deed of Grant of Right of Way Grantors: Thomas Peter Sobb of Newcastle and wife Mary Agnes Sobb (Nock and Kirby Pty Ltd)Grantees: Victor Henry Leslie Fines, Hotel Licensee; Ronald Fines, Hotel Manager; Lilly Fines, wife of Thomas Leslie Fines, Hotel Licensee (located at edge of Lot 72 near the western border of Lot 73) (10 shillings)
1972 Conveyance From: Fines Investments Pty Ltd To: Newgate Property Investments Pty Ltd
15 Sep 1975 Certificate of Title To: Newgate Property Investments Pty Ltd.
Property includes part of Lot 71 and 72 and two right of ways total size one rood 18 ¼ perches
16 Feb1976 Transfer From: Newgate Property Investments Pty Ltd. To: Civico Pty Limited
29 Nov 1982 Transfer From: Civico Pty Limited To: The Shortland County Council (Shortland Electricity)
26 Aug 1988 Transfer From: The Shortland County Council To: Felderru Pty. Ltd.
Final Archaeological Report Vol. 1  University of Newcastle NeW Space Development -Cnr Hunter & Auckland Streets, Newcastle Archaeological Management & Consulting Group
March 2018
Lot 73 in Section A: Date Description Reference 7 Sep 1855 Conveyance From: Australian Agricultural Company To: Everett Summers, of Newcastle, Overseer (£60)
Lot 73 in Section A- 40 perches 20 Jan 1870 Will of Everett Summers Estate bequeathed to his daughter Eliza Collier
28 Jan 1870 Death of Everett Summers
5 Jul 1873 Indenture From: Robert Collier, Newcastle, Grocer, and Eliza Collier, his wife To: Samuel Watson of Sydney, Storekeeper Eastern portion of Lot 73 in Section A
27 Nov1878 Indenture From: Robert Collier, Newcastle, Grazier, and Eliza Collier, his wife To: Samuel Watson of Sydney, Landholder Lot 73 in Section A 40 perches
1884 Conveyance From: Samuel Watson To: David Miller of Newcastle, Grocer (£1,450) Lot 73 in Section A
1897 Transfer From: David Miller To: Margaret Miller, wife of David Lot 73 in Section A
1909 Death of Margaret Miller
1919 Death of David Miller
1937 Conveyance From: Harold Miller, Executor of David Millers will To: Australian Provincial Assurance Association Limited (£10,250) Lot 73 in Section A
23 Jul 1953 Conveyance From: Australian Provincial Assurance Association Limited To: Thomas Peter Sobb and Mary Agnes Sobb (£25,000) 1 rood 1 ¼ pole more or less being Lot 73 in Section A
27 Sep 1954 Conveyance From: V.H.L. and L. and R. and L. Fines To: Nock and Kirby Limited 21 ½ perches of land at the southern section of Lot 71 and 72
Final Archaeological Report Vol. 1  University of Newcastle NeW Space Development -Cnr Hunter & Auckland Streets, Newcastle Archaeological Management & Consulting Group
March 2018 Date Description Reference 15 Dec 1954 Certificate of Title To: Nock and Kirby Limited
14 May 1974 Primary Application To: Nock and Kirby Limited (Company Director Norman Lindfield Nock) Whole of Lot 73 and part of Lots 71 and 72 in Section A
Conveyance From: Nock and Kirby Limited To: Flints (Smithfield) Pty Ltd
Jun 1982 Conveyance From: Flints (Smithfield) Pty Ltd To: Shortland County Council ($1.1 million) Lot 73 and parts of Lots 71 and 72 Lot 74 in Section A:
7 Sep 1855 Conveyance From: The Australian Agricultural Company To: William Henry Whyte Lot 74 in Section A
22 May 1860 Mortgage To: William Henry Whyte of Newcastle, Provision Merchant (mortgage value £4500) Mortgage on Lots 47, 48,52, 74, 75, 92 in Section A and Lots 16, 20 in Section B
William Henry Whyte defaults on mortgage to Australian Trust Company
14 Sep 1869 Conveyance From: Australian Trust Company To: Atkinson Alfred Patrick Tighe of Newcastle, Esquire (£350) Lot 74 (and possibly 75) in Section A of AACos subdivision
27 Jun 1898 Settlement Between: Atkinson Alfred Patrick Tighe (1st part), Arabella Vine Tighe (2nd part), Ada Angus (3rd part) and Arthur Percy Sparke (4th part)
19 Apr 1917 Settlement Multiple vendors from Angus family and John Thompson Ralston (3rd part)
6 Apr 1950 Conveyance From: William Reginald Angus, Harry Stuart Angus, Gordon Clarke Thompson (also trustees A.M. Dowling, D.L. Angus, H.S. Angus, A.A. Thompson and W.R. Angus)
To: Goolds Pty Limited (£25,500)
Final Archaeological Report Vol. 1  University of Newcastle NeW Space Development -Cnr Hunter & Auckland Streets, Newcastle Archaeological Management & Consulting Group
March 2018 Date Description Reference - part of Lot 74 Section A in AACos 2000 acre subdivision (current 417-421 Hunter Street)
15 Jun 1965 Conveyance From: Goolds Pty Limited To: J.A. Simpson Investments Pty Limited (£62,500) Land described in Book 2754 Number 860 (part of Lot 74 in Section A of AACos subdivision- current 419-421 Hunter Street)
27 Jan 1984 Conveyance From: J.A. Simpson Investments Pty Limited To: J.J. Simpson Investments Pty Ltd
14 Mar 1984 Primary Application Owner: J.Y. Abraham (Jnr) Pty Limited Land described in Book

List of tenants and commercial businesses operating on the site as per individual allotments during parts of the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Year Lot 71 Lot 72 Lot 73 Lot 74
1868 John McGrath
John Mackay
Henry White
John Martin
Arthur Kitchen
Everett Summers (owner)
David Fraser
Edward Summers
Thomas Turner
W.H.Whyte (Owner)
1869 John McLean
Alex Dodds (Owner)
William Brown
John Mackay
Thomas Woodbine
M. Sullivan
John McGrath
Everett Summers (owner)
R. Collier
Edward Summers (owner)
Thomas Turner
1871 John McLean
William Brown
Mrs Collier (Owner)
Robert Collier (Owner
James Wise
Henry Alderton (Owner?)
James?
George Peck
R. Beckenridge (Owner?)
1874 Thomas Rogers
Donald Ross
W. Sherwood Bakers shop
James Abernithy
Peter Edmund
Robert Breckenridge
1876- 1877
Alfred Lamont
John McLarsen
Francis Roves
John Burnett
R. Collier (Owner)
Mr Lowingan
C.W. Linden
Thomas Morrison?
W. SherwoodBakers shop
R. Breckenridge Drapery and Tailors
1878 Alfred Steel Edward Buxton
Francis Porah
William Hoagte?
Thomas Smith
John ???enshaw
William Young
Ah Fant?
Robert Collier (owner)
R. Breckenridge Drapery and Tailors
Henry Hewitt Princess Royal Hotel
1886 T. Vost Tobacconist
A.G. EdwardsAgent
Tuckwell Confectioner
J. R. H. DixonGrocer
Davis- Hair Cutting Saloon
M. Newton- Fruiterer
C. Tillis- Milliner
R. Ovenden- Boot maker
R. Breckenridge Draper
A. Landerflow Princess Royal Hotel
1891 A JacksonFramer (123)
Tuckwell Confectioner (125)
Croft- Newsagent, Bookseller and Stationer (135)
Davis- Hair Cutting Saloon (137)
Tom Ellis- Boot maker (139)
Possible market garden and cottages
R. Breckenridge Draper
(lessee)- Princess Royal Hotel

March 2018 Year Lot 71 Lot 72 Lot 73 Lot 74 leased by Chinese migrants at rear 1893
Peacock (123)
J.N. McGlynn & Co.- Boot maker (125)
Fuller and Rodgers Ironmongers (129-131)
Vacant (133)
Croft- Newsagent, Bookseller and Stationer (135)
Davis- Hair Cutting Saloon (137)
Vacant (139)
Possible market garden and cottages leased by Chinese migrants at rear
R. BreckenridgeDraper (145-147)
F.T. Hunter- bicycle repairs (143)
Princess Royal Hotel (141)
1896 Fuller and RodgersIronmongers (129-131)
R. BreckenridgeDraper (145-147)
F.T. Hunter- bicycle repairs (143)
Princess Royal Hotel (141)
1899 R. Breckenridge Draper (145-147)
Thomson Watchmaker (143)
Princess Royal Hotel (141)
1901 Pub named changed to the Federal Hotel
1916- 1917
Lovett and AdamsElectro, silver and Nickel Platers (397)
H.J. Robinsonclothing and fashion items (409)
H.J. Ginges- Mens clothing (413)
Second hand bookstore (415)
1922 Lovett and AdamsElectro, silver and Nickel Platers (397)
Engineering and Colliery Supply Company shop and workshop (403-407)
H.J. Ginges- Mens clothing (413-415)
Federal Hotel (417)
Oddfellows Hall (5 Auckland St)

Extract from Newcastle Rates Assessment Books 1868-1878 Allotment Occupant Owner Buildings
1868
71-72
(incomplete)
John McGrath Dodds
Henry White Dodds 1 storey wood
John Martin Dodds 1 storey wood
Arthur Kitchen Dodds 1 storey wood
73 Everett Summers E.Summers 1 storey wood
David Fraser E.Summers 1 storey wood
Edward Summers E.Summers 1 storey wood
74 Thomas Turner Wm H Whyte 2 storey brick
W.H. Whyte Wm H Whyte Enclosed land
1869
71-72 John McLean Alex Dodds 1 storey wood house
Alex Dodds Alex Dodds Open land
Wm Brown Alex Dodds 1 storey wood house
John Mackay Alex Dodds 1 storey iron house
Thomas Woodbine Alex Dodds 1 storey wood house
M. Sullivan Alex Dodds Iron house
John McGrath Alex Dodds Iron house
73 E.Summers Everitt Sunners Iron house
R.Collier Everitt Sunners Iron house
Edward Summers Everitt Sunners Iron house
74 Thomas Turner W.H. Whyte
1870
71-72
(Incomplete)
John McLean Dodds
William Brown Dodds
73 Mrs Collier Mr Collier
Mrs Collier Mr Collier
Robert Collier Mr Collier
James Wise Mr Collier
74 Henry Alderton H. Alderton
Jas ??? R.Beckenridge
George Peck R.Beckenridge
R.Beckenridge R.Beckenridge
R.Beckenridge R.Beckenridge Unfinished house
1871
73
(Incomplete)
Robert Collier Mrs Collier Wood House
James Nice Mrs Collier Wood House
74 Mrs Turner H.G. Alderton Shop + Dwelling

March 2018
42
Allotment Occupant Owner Buildings
James Ebenezer Robert Breckenridge Wood House
William Tracey Robert Breckenridge Wood House
Robert Breckenridge
Robert Breckenridge Shop
1874
73
(Incomplete)
Thomas Rogers
Donald Ross
74 William Sherwood Henry Alderton Bakery shop and dwelling
James Abernithy R.Beckenridge Wood dwelling
Peter Edmund R.Beckenridge Wood dwelling
Robert Breckenridge R.Beckenridge Shop and Dwelling
1876-1877
71-72
(Incomplete)
Alfred Lamont A.A.Dodds Dwelling house
John McLarsen A.A.Dodds Shop + Dwelling
Francis Roves A.A.Dodds Dwelling house
73 John Burnett Mrs Collier W.B. House
R.Collier Mrs Collier W.B. House
Mr Lowingan Mrs Collier W.B. Cottage
C.W. Linden Mrs Collier W.B. Cottage
Thomas Morrison Mr McLean W.B. Cottage
74 W.Sherwood H.G. Alderton Bakery shop and dwelling
R. Breckenridge R.Beckenridge Tailor Shop, drapery shop
1878
72
(Incomplete)
Alfred Steel A.A.Dodd W.B. House
73 Edward Buxton S.Watson W.B. House
Francis Porah S.Watson W.B. House
William Hoagte? S.Watson W.B. House
Thomas Smith S.Watson W.B. House
John ???enshaw Mrs Collier W.B. House
William Young Mrs Collier W.B. House
Ah Fant? Mrs Collier W.B. House
Robert Collier Mrs Collier W.B. House
74 Henry Hewitt Henry Alderton Princess Royal Hotel
R. Breckenridge R. Breckenridge & A. A. P
Tighe Tailor + Draper Shop + Dwelling

Timeline of Occupation on the Site
Lot Date Event ALL
1828 Australian Agricultural Company grant  2000 acres.
1850s Subdivision of AA Co land - site comprises of Lots 71, 72, 73 and 74 of Section A. LOTS 71 AND 72
1855 Isaac Eggleson, a storekeeper, purchases land from AA Co.
1860 James Dodds Junior purchases land for £1255.
1861 Alexander Dodds, brother of J. Dodds Jnr, purchases land for £1400.
1892 Death of Alexander Dodds, Lots 71 and 72 inherited by his sons Alexander James and Frederick Dodds.
1890s Fuller and Rodgers Ironmongers occupy the lots.
1907 A. Goninan and Co. Ltd, engineering manufacturers, occupy the site.
1913 A. Goninan and Co. Ltd purchase Lots 71 and 72 for £10,500.
1932 Union Bank of Australia become the joint owners of Lots 71 and 72 with A. Goninan and Co. Ltd.
1935 Australian Provincial Assurance Association Ltd purchase the lots for £21,750.
1953 Victor, Leonard, Ronald and Leslie Fines purchase lots for £65,000.
1961 Civic Arcade opens.
1972 Newgate Property Investments Pty Ltd purchase lots.
1976 Civico Pty Ltd buy Lots 71 and 71.
1982 The Shortland County Council (Shortland Electricity) purchases land.
1994 Newcastle City Council acquires the allotments.
LOT 73
1855 Everitt (also spelt Everett) Summers purchases Lot 73 for £60.
1868 Summers, David Fuller and Summers brother Edward occupy the buildings on the lot
1869 R.Collier (husband of E. Collier nee. Summers) noted as being a tenant.
1870 Death of Everett Summers, his daughter Eliza Collier inherits the allotment.
1873 Samuel Watson purchases eastern portion of lot.
1878 Samuel Watson purchases western portion of lot
1878 Samuel Watson establishes shops fronting Blane Street, occupied by various tenants.