City of Lake Macquarie: History
=== Aboriginal heritage ===
The Lake Macquarie region forms part of the traditional lands of the Awabakal people, who have lived around the Lake and its catchment for more than 8,000 years. The name Awabakal is commonly interpreted as meaning "people of the calm surface", a reference to the sheltered waters of Lake Macquarie.
Archaeological evidence of long‑standing occupation is found throughout the area, including shell middens, stone artefacts, and rock art sites located along the Lake’s foreshores, creek lines, and surrounding woodlands. These cultural places reflect the Awabakal people’s reliance on the region’s abundant marine and terrestrial resources, as well as their deep spiritual connection to Country.
The first recorded European to enter Lake Macquarie was Captain William Reid, who in 1800 sailed his schooner Martha through the Swansea entrance after mistaking it for the mouth of the Hunter River. The error was only realised upon his return to Sydney, and the waterway became known as Reid’s Mistake until it was officially renamed Lake Macquarie in 1826 in honour of Governor Lachlan Macquarie. The southern headland at the lake entrance retains the name Reid’s Mistake.
Reid’s visit generated little immediate interest, and no further European exploration occurred for two decades. Access to the area was limited by difficult terrain, and Newcastle, then known as King’s Town, functioned as an isolated penal settlement, discouraging wider settlement or investigation.
Lake Macquarie was proclaimed a shire on 16 May 1906 following the introduction of the Local Government (Shires) Act 1905 in New South Wales. The shire’s first local government election was held on 24 November 1906, with residents choosing six councillors to represent three ridings, designated "A", "B" and "C".
The inaugural meeting of the newly elected Council took place at the Teralba Court House on 8 December 1906. At this meeting, Councillor Sydney Croudace was unanimously elected as the first President of the Shire. His term extended until 1 February 1908, and the Presidential allowance was set at £50 per annum.
The Shire of Lake Macquarie was proclaimed as a municipality on 1 January 1977 and became a city on 7 September 1984. …