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._small.JPG)
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._small.JPG)  
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
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