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Captain John BINGLE, in his Past and Present Records of Newcastle, describes an excursion to Lake Macquarie in 1821.
'On arrival I was enchanted with it's beautiful scenery, and can never forget it; the whole surrounding countryside and the lake were serene and still; solitude reigned, no tree disturbed, and no trace of the white man's civilization and all in it's natural wild state'.
In 1829 Governor DARLING granted Reverend Lancelot THRELKELD 1280 acres of land on the western shore of the lake, comprising what is now Coal Point and Toronto. The grant included all the land east of a line drawn from Stoney Creek south to Kilaben Bay, and so comprised the whole of the Coal Point peninsula.
Reverend THRELKELD built a two story building of ten rooms to house his family, together with quarters for convict servants and the usual outbuildings, and in 1831 THRELKELD moved from "Bahtahbah" (the original mission site at Belmont) to the new mission station "Ebenezer" on the hill where the Toronto Hotel now stands.
About 1855 the immediate area of the mission, including the dairy, farm and orchard was leased to Richard FENNELL until 1870 when the whole of the estate was purchased (1882) by McMAHON and WHITING and renamed "Mulberry Hill"
The Excelsior Land Investment and Banking Company purchased the whole of the estate in 1885 with plans for the creation of a tourist resort.
It is believed that the Toronto Hotel built of local bricks in 1887 was erected on the site of THRELKELD's mission house.
A suitable name for the town had yet to be chosen and at that particular time Edward HANLON, World rowing champion was visiting New South Wales from the city of Toronto in Canada. To capitalise on publicity, the name Toronto was selected for the new resort on Lake Macquarie. Toronto is an Iriquois Indian name meaning "MeetingPlace"
In 1889 the Excelsior Land Company applied to the government for permission to build a private tramway from Fassifern to Toronto pier, two and three quarter miles in length. The line was accordingly constructed and opened on the 3rd August 1891 with three intermediate platforms, at Blackalls (west of the present site), Fennells at Stoney Creek, and Bowers at Carey Street crossing. Toronto platform was opened on 7th March 1891. The original tank engine purchased in 1891 was used alone until 1896 and consisted of a pannier tank engine No.29 and a 50 seat passenger car.
On 16th March 1899 a steam four-wheeled locomotive, having a vertical boiler and a two cylinder simple engine, affectionately known as the "Coffee Pot" was purchased and used on the line with the original engine used as a spare. Sometimes, however, horses were employed to pull the trolley car of passengers to Fassifern on weekdays for reasons of economy.
In 1900 a six coupled tank engine christened "Pygmy" was brought into service, pulling a trailer car (No. 149B).
In 1905 the Toronto Tramway Company sold the original No. 29 engine to the Public Works Department, replacing it with steam motor No. 67A purchased from the N.S.W. Tramways. This motor, together with "Coffee Pot", worked the line, with the "Pygmy" as spare.
In May 1909, the Company's service was withdrawn, causing such a local uproar that on the 28th August 1910 the whole line was taken over by the Government.
During reconstruction work a new platform was built at Blackalls, the present site, and Fennell's and Bowers' platforms were eliminated and a new station building commissioned for Toronto on 28th May 1911. This is the building that still stands today.
The line was closed on the 11th March, 1990 due to falling patronage, and the Station fell into disrepair.
The Lake Macquarie & District Historical Society put in an Expression of Interest, and finally received the lease of the station building and platform from the Minister for Transport on 3rd February, 1992
Lake Macquarie & District Historical Society Inc. — © January 2005
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