Lake Macquarie City Council Libraries

Lake Macquarie History

Search this website

Highfields

Highfields was most probably named for it's elevated position and the rolling grass covered hills (fields) on which the suburb was established.

European History

photo: cotterill's estate, highfields

The first subdivision in the location was Cotterill's Estate, which went on sale on 6th March 1920. It is unclear if this land sale was successful, as the land was again sold by public auction under the direction of the mortgagee on April 6th 1938.The name "Highfields" first appears in the advertisement for this land sale.

It is made up of housing only, though at one stage did boast a scout hall which was situated next door to the Highfields Azzurri Club. No records of a school or post office has been found. The suburb transverses the Pacific Highway and is in close proximity to Westfield Kotara. Surrounding suburbs are Charlestown, Kahibah and Adamstown Heights.









Adamstown Heights Infants School operated at 20a Hillcrest Parade, Highfieldsfrom 1950-1990. The school closed and the site was sold in 1991.

There was a piggery at the location prior to 1950.This was owned by John Isaac Cotterill, a master butcher of Newcastle. Cotterill was head of the Master Butchers Association in Newcastle for many years.

photo: highfields land sale

Highfields Progress Association was established sometime in the 1940s, and campaigned for street lighting, public transport and improved recreational areas.

The growth of the suburb is highlighted in the following article from the Newcastle Herald of Tuesday 11 April 1950.

"Another rapidly growing suburb is Highfields, mid-way up the Pacific Highway's ascent to Charlestown. Although Highfields is in the Lake Macquarie Shire, it is close to the Newcastle boundary and, with Kahibah and Charlestown, environmentally part of the city. About five to six years ago, Highfields was a name little known in Newcastle. It described a round paspalum covered hill, a miniature valley, and turn-off road running a vacant mile to Kahibah. Now it is a suburb quickly closing in on Kahihah, eating up existing subdivisions and clamouring for more. In the County Council's master plan it would probably be treated as part of the Kahibah Charlestown housing block, forming a circular neighbourhood similar to that developing around Wallsend."

Reference

Northumberland County Council (N.S.W.) 1955, Shire of Lake Macquarie : Charlestown, Northumberland County Council, [Newcastle. N.S.W.?]

Lyons, Ian J and Newcastle Family History Society (N.S.W.) 1997, Adamstown Heights Infants School admission registers 1950-1990, Newcastle Family History Society, New South Wales

Streets in Highfields

Creative Commons License
This work by Lake Macquarie City Library is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

Acknowledgement of Country

We remember and respect the Ancestors who cared for and nurtured this Country. It is in their footsteps that we travel these lands and waters. Lake Macquarie City Council acknowledges the Awabakal people and Elders past, present and future.

Council acknowledges traditional custodians throughout Australia. We commit to listening deeply to and collaborating with First Peoples in our work.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this website and Council's cultural collections may contain images, voices or names of deceased persons in photographs, film, audio recordings or printed material.

This website may contain place names, opinions and terms that reflect authors' views or those of the period in which the item was written or recorded. These may not be considered appropriate today.

If you experience any issues with the website or its content please contact us [email protected]