MAITLAND Maitland is not an outer suburb of Newcastle. That is how the Maitland people see it, and so be it. Maitland is in fact an equivalent of a Penrith to Sydney, an Ipswich in Brisbane or a Freemantle in Perth and/or a Dandenong in Melbourne. Fiercely independent, but at the end of the day co-joined and a part of a greater metropolis that is in this case Newcastle. That independence is born out of an era of a cherished separation of distance. What is a fact though, the history of separation and in Maitland’s credit that management of history. Heritage is clearly important in Maitland. Just look at these buildings. Originally Maitland consisted of three separate towns which arose roughly all around the same time. West Maitland, East Maitland, and Morpeth, a private town founded by Lt Close. Each town functioned as if they were separate municipalities. The present city was proclaimed in 1945 with the amalgamation of the three local government areas.  The cbd though is pretty much unchanged. Narrow and one way streets rule. Maitland was therefore the point at which goods were unloaded for, and distributed to, the prosperous riverland of the Hunter Valley. Accordingly there were large warehouses (some of which still exist) built, which faced onto the main High Street and backed onto the Hunter River. The Anglican Church is an historic masterpiece that continues to overlook a changing city!!! The old Catholic Church is ‘on hold’. The United Church a nice representation. The hotels of Maitland are all old classic pubs. The Maitland War Memorial is located offsite from the cbd. Maitland is at the crossroads. Heritage or nothing much. Be sure to stay a day or two when visiting. Heritage diary