MORISSET Morisset is another Lake Macquarie town. Morisset is also a commute Newcastle and to a lesser degree Sydney and is a Lake Macquarie growth centre. The main street has given way to the new shopping centre that overpowers what went before from a retail sense. The town is named for Major James Thomas Morisset, who camped there in 1823 while making the first overland journey from Sydney to Newcastle. Historically there has been considerable confusion over the spelling of the suburb: Morrisset, Morissett, Morrissett and Morisset have been used. The earliest settlement in the area was at Cooranbong in 1826, about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) west of the current town and near the foot of the Watagan Mountains. Initially, various kinds of agriculture were conducted, and before long forestry became an important industry. Most of the transport to the area at the time was by river boat on Dora Creek meaning that Cooranbong was the most accessible part of town. The town of Morisset itself was essentially non-existent until 1887, when the Sydney-Newcastle railway was built. Morisset sprang up as a sawmill town clustered around the train station, and the township was proclaimed on 3 December. Morisset today has very few of ‘the old’ buildings left. In more recent times, the Morisset Peninsula to the east of the town has become the main residential area. It has experienced a high rate of growth since the construction of Eraring Power Station in 1986. The Anglican Church is new. One wonders what was before. The Hotel is a mid-century pub. The War Memorial is near the RSL. Morisset is small town that is now growing quickly. There is no need to go out of the way to visit. Heritage diary