NEWCASTLE----MAITLAND.
83
tentiary,
or, as it is generally termed, "factory" for female prisoners, where,
whilst the convict system was in vogue, those who had not heen assigned
as servants, or who, having returned from service, were awaiting new
masters, or who had been remanded for punishment, were confined in
separate classes. The building is large, massive, and clean, but being
situated in a valley, and enclosed with high walls, the inmates were
not at all times healthy. Paramatta contains also a Roman Catholic male
and female orphan school, a King's school, observatory, military
barracks, military and general hospital, two Protestant and one Roman
Catholic churches, two Wesleyan, two Scotch, and one Independent,
chapels. A woollen manufacture of some magnitude has been established
here.
Newcastle, a
seaport town of New South Wales, is situated at the mouth of the river
Hunter, and is the seat of the coal trade. It is about eighty miles
from Sydney harbour, and was formerly called King's Town; the name of
the Coal River, on which it stands, having been changed to that of Port
Hunter. It is the seat of a considerable trade, and is rapidly rising
into eminence, as well from its position, at the commencement of the
navigation of the Hunter, as from the coal mines in the. vicinity.
Maitland, East
and West, are situated on the river Hunter above Newcastle. East
Maitland stands at the junction of the Wallis Creek with that river,
120 miles from Sydney, about twenty miles from Newcastle, and three
miles from Morpeth, at the head of the navigation of the Hunter. The
town is very pleasantly located, but has the serious drawback of a
scarcity of good water. It has two neat churches, Episcopalian and
Roman Catholic. The best building in the town is the branch Bank of
Australasia. A large gaol was also in course of erection here for the
criminals of the northern districts; but from the discontinuance of
convictism to New South Wales, it is probable that it will not be
completed.
West Maitland stands on the opposite bank of AVallis Creek. This town has risen on the lands of private individuals, and
