SWANSEA Swansea is a seaside/lakeside resort town some 30k south of Newcastle. Swansea is also at the entrance to Lake Macquarie; a vast inland waterway that is the recreational waterway for this highly populated region. The reason for the name is not readily accessed. Swansea is a nice spot and an overnight is recommended. In the pre colonization era the area around Swansea was inhabited by the Awabakal People. Traces of middens of shellfish, axe grinding grooves and place names can still be seen here. In 1825 Reverend Lancelot Edward Threlkeld established a mission north of Swansea. He established small scale farming of wheat and Indian corn and employed the local Aboriginal people to help him. Swansea is a locality and commercial centre at the entrance to Lake Macquarie from the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the greater Newcastle and Lake Macquarie region. Swansea's local industries are coal mining, of which there were once several small coal mines. Fishing, boating, and tourism are the key money earners today.. There are also popular fine sandy beaches on the Pacific Ocean. Many residents commute to Newcastle for work. There is nothing ‘old’ that has survived in Swansea. The best history is on show at the median strip toilet block. There is just the single hotel in Swansea. The Swansea War Memorial is located at RSL and is a modern representation. All of the church denominations are modern. The Anglican is at least traditional. Swansea is a young and growing 'resort' town that is making all of the errors of development. A few hours are needed as a minimum to take in the town and immediate area.