Lake Macquarie (New South Wales)

Lake Macquarie or Awaba is Australia's largest coastal salt water lagoon. Located in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, it covers an area of 110 square kilometres (42.5 sq mi) and is connected to the Tasman Sea by a short channel. Most of the residents of the City of Lake Macquarie live near the shores of the lake.

Lake Macquarie is twice as large as Sydney Harbour and is the largest permanent salt water lake in the Southern Hemisphere. However, it is slightly smaller than Port Stephens, which is about 43 kilometres (27 mi) to the northeast of the lake.

History

Aboriginal people of the Awabakal nation lived in the area surrounding what is now known as Lake Macquarie for thousands of years. The name Awaba, which means "a plain surface" was used to describe the lake.

Lake Macquarie was first encountered by Europeans in 1800, when Captain William Reid, who had been sent from Sydney to retrieve a load of coal from Newcastle Harbour. Reid took a wrong turn and found himself in a lake rather than a river, with no coal to be seen anywhere. The name "Reid's Mistake" was retained until 1826, when it was renamed in honour of Governor Lachlan Macquarie.

City of Lake Macquarie

The City of Lake Macquarie is a local government area in the Hunter region of New South Wales, Australia. The area is situated adjacent to the city of Newcastle and was proclaimed as a city from 7 September 1984. The city is approximately 150 km (93 mi) north of Sydney. One of its major tourist attractions is its lake, also named Lake Macquarie.

The Mayor of the City of Lake Macquarie Council is Cr. Jodie Harrison, a member of the Labor Party.

The Royal Australian Navy ship HMAS Tobruk (L 50) was granted Right of Freedom of Entry to the City of Lake Macquarie in 1991.

History

The Shire of Lake Macquarie was proclaimed on 6 March 1906. It became a Municipality on 1 March 1977, and a city on 7 September 1984.

Main towns and villages

Lake Macquarie is home to several prominent coastal suburbs such as Catherine Hill Bay, Caves Beach, Blacksmiths Beach and Redhead. Retail centres include Belmont, Cardiff, Charlestown, Glendale, Swansea, Toronto, and Morisset with its large area and rapidly increasing developments.