Location
Kurri Kurri is a small town in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia, in the Cessnock LGA. Kurri Kurri is the largest town in a group of towns and hamlets, including Stanford Merthyr, Pelaw Main, Weston, Abermain and Heddon Greta, called Kurri Kurri – Weston by the ABS. (wikipedia)
History
The town was founded in 1902 to service the local Stanford Merthyr and Pelaw Main collieries and mining communities. The town was named Kurri Kurri from an unknown source in Sydney, meaning “the very first” as it was the first town in Australia that was fully planned before anything was built. The local Progress Committee was responsible for clearing streets and supplying local services with State permission. The fire station and the hospital were built by locals with locally sourced money.
There is no history of any Aboriginals in this area other than a visit to the outskirts before by a small group prior to most of the building of the town. A family with some Aboriginal background lived in Kurri Kurri in the 1930-40s. The first European landholder was Benjamin Blackburn who was granted 400 acres on the Banks of Wallis Creek at Richmond Vale.
The Kurri Kurri Hotel (1904) is one of several built during the era of mining prosperity in the early 20th century. It is an impressive three-story building featuring prominent verandas with cast-iron lacework. The Empire Tavern was also built during this period. Kurri Kurri has numerous small miners’ cottages from the same period. (wikipedia)
Places of Interest
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