The City of Lake Macquarie, locally known as Lake Mac, is a local government area (LGA) in the Hunter Region in New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the east coast of Australia, strategically located midway on the eastern seaboard between Melbourne and Brisbane. The city is approximately north of Sydney. At the centre of the city is Australias largest coastal lake, and the city's namesake Lake Macquarie.

It was proclaimed a city on 7 September 1984.

The mayor of the city is Councillor Adam Shultz, a member of the Labor Party.

The Royal Australian Navy ship was granted the Right of Freedom of Entry to the city on 9 August 1991.

History

Aboriginal heritage The Lake Macquarie region forms part of the traditional lands of the Awabakal people, who have lived around the Lake and its catchment for more than 8,000 years. The name Awabakal is commonly interpreted as meaning "people of the calm surface", a reference to the sheltered waters of Lake Macquarie.

Archaeological evidence of long‑standing occupation is found throughout the area, including shell middens, stone artefacts, and rock art sites located along the Lake’s foreshores, creek lines, and surrounding woodlands. These cultural places reflect the Awabakal people’s reliance on the region’s abundant marine and terrestrial resources, as well as their deep spiritual connection to Country.

European exploration The first recorded European to enter Lake Macquarie was Captain William Reid, who in 1800 sailed his schooner Martha through the Swansea entrance after mistaking it for the mouth of the Hunter River. The error was only realised upon his return to Sydney, and the waterway became known as Reid’s Mistake until it was officially renamed Lake Macquarie in 1826 in honour of Governor Lachlan Macquarie. The southern headland at the lake entrance retains the name Reid’s Mistake.

Reid’s visit generated little immediate interest, and no further European exploration occurred for two decades. Access to the area was limited by difficult terrain, and Newcastle, then known as King’s Town, functioned as an isolated penal settlement, discouraging wider settlement or investigation.

Council beginnings Lake Macquarie was proclaimed a shire on 16 May 1906 following the introduction of the Local Government (Shires) Act 1905 in New South Wales. The shire’s first local government election was held on 24 November 1906, with residents choosing six councillors to represent three ridings, designated "A", "B" and "C".

The inaugural meeting of the newly elected Council took place at the Teralba Court House on 8 December 1906. At this meeting, Councillor Sydney Croudace was unanimously elected as the first President of the Shire. His term extended until 1 February 1908, and the Presidential allowance was set at £50 per annum.

The Shire of Lake Macquarie was proclaimed as a municipality on 1 January 1977 and became a city on 7 September 1984.

Council Chambers and Administration Buildings Lake Macquarie Shire Council had its offices in Cardiff from 1906 until 1915.

In 1913, the Lake Macquarie Land Company donated land at the corner of Main Road and Council Street, Speers Point, for the construction of a Council Chamber. A tender for the new Shire Office and Chamber was accepted in June 1914, and the building was first used for a Council meeting on 8 May 1915. It was officially opened the following year, on 6 June 1916.

As the organisation expanded, a new Council Chamber and Shire Office was built in 1955 on Main Road, Speers Point, opposite the original site. The building was officially opened on 5 November 1955 by the Minister for Public Works and Local Government, J. B. Renshaw.

Further growth led to the development of a modern administration complex in the late 1970s. Stage I of the new Administration Building was opened by the Premier of New South Wales, Neville Wran, on 12 August 1977, with Stage II opened on 31 August 1979. The completed facility, costing approximately $4.5 million, remains the core of Council’s administration today. In 2020 approximately 4458 square metres of workspace across three levels of the building were reconfigured and upgraded to a modern fit-out.

In November 2024 fire severely damaged a large part of Lake Macquarie City Council’s Administrative Centre The fire caused extensive heat and smoke damage, with insurance estimates to repair the damage reaching $41 million, prompting the building’s closure, temporary offices were set up at the former Ausgrid building in Wallsend.

Suburbs / Town Centres Lake Macquarie is home to 92 suburbs including nine Town Centre's scattered around the city. The Town centres include Belmont, Cardiff, Charlestown, Glendale, Morisset, Mount Hutton, Swansea, Toronto and Warners Bay. Some suburbs sit within both Lake Macquarie City and City of Newcastle's boundaries.

The suburbs in the city are split into three wards – East, North and West.

East Ward Belmont Belmont North Belmont South Bennetts Green Blacksmiths Cams Wharf Catherine Hill Bay Caves Beach CharlestownShared with North Ward Crangan BayShared with Central Coast Council Croudace Bay Eleebana Floraville Gateshead Jewells Little Pelican Marks Point MooneeShared with Central Coast Council Mount Hutton Murrays Beach Nords Wharf Pelican Pinny Beach Redhead Swansea Swansea Heads Tingira Heights Valentine Warners BayShared with North Ward Windale

North Ward Adamstown HeightsShared with City of Newcastle Boolaroo Cameron Park Cardiff Cardiff Heights Cardiff South CharlestownShared with East Ward Dudley Edgeworth Elermore ValeShared with City of Newcastle Garden Suburb Glendale Highfields Hillsborough Kahibah Kotara South Lakelands Macquarie Hills New Lambton HeightsShared with City of Newcastle Rankin ParkShared with City of Newcastle Seahampton Speers Point Warners BayShared with East Ward West Wallsend Whitebridge

West Ward Arcadia Vale Argenton Awaba Balcolyn Balmoral Barnsley Blackalls Park Bolton Point Bonnells Bay Booragul Brightwaters Buttaba Carey Bay Coal Point Cooranbong Dora Creek Eraring Fassifern Fennell Bay Fishing Point Freemans Waterhole Holmesville Kilaben Bay Killingworth Mandalong Marmong Point Martinsville Mirrabooka Morisset Morisset Park Myuna Bay Rathmines Ryhope Silverwater Sunshine Teralba Toronto Wakefield Wangi Wangi Windermere Park Woodrising Wyee Wyee Point Yarrawonga Park

Recreation

Beaches Lake Macquarie has approximately 32 km of open ocean coastline extending along the Tasman Sea with Dudley, Redhead, Nine Mile, Blacksmiths, Hams, Caves, Pinny, Middle Camp, Catherine Hill Bay, Moonie and Ghosties beaches sitting on its length. Council lifeguards patrol Blacksmiths, Catherine Hill Bay, Caves Beach and Redhead beaches annually from the September/October school holidays through to April.

Speers Point Park

The park was officially opened on 22 May 1888 and on 15 October 1910 it was transferred to the Lake Macquarie Shire Council. Speers Point Park is the city's premier recreation space featuring open space, shared pathways, a paved promenade, a fenced dog exercise area and the all-abilities Lake Macquarie Variety Playground that opened in 2008.

Swimming There are 4 Council operated pools Charlestown, Swansea, Speers Point and West Wallsend and two contractor pools, Toronto and Morisset. There are open water baths at Belmont and Toronto as well as Grannies Pool a sheltered, shallow tidal pool in Blacksmiths.

Fernleigh Track One of the Hunter region's most popular shared-use pathways, the Fernleigh Track is a 15 km rail-trail for pedestrians and cyclists that extends between the City of Lake Macquarie and the City of Newcastle. It features heritage railway relics, including former stations and the historic Fernleigh Tunnel, and passes through the suburbs of Adamstown, Kahibah, Whitebridge, Redhead and Jewells before ending near Belmont TAFE. The route follows the former Belmont railway line and takes in Glenrock State Conservation Area, Awabakal Nature Reserve and Belmont Wetlands State Park.

Arts and culture Lake Macquarie has a number of cultural and artistic locations:

The Museum of Art and Culture Lake Macquarie, yapang (MAC), formerly known as Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery, was established in 1980. The gallery was initially housed in the former Lake Macquarie council chambers on Main Road, Speers Point, before relocating to First Street, Booragul, in 1996. From 1996 to 2000 the gallery operated from Awaba House on the Booragul site. A decision was then made to construct a purpose‑built facility, designed by Colin Still of Cox Richardson. The new state‑of‑the‑art building opened in May 2001, with an art seminar room added in 2008. Multi-Arts Pavilion, mima, a one-of-a-kind cultural destination, designed as a dynamic and adaptable space for national and international contemporary art installations, digital art screenings, immersive audio experiences, live theatre, music, and more. Dobell House - Sir William Dobell's home and studio professionally managed by the Sir William Dobell Memorial Association since 1971. The home is preserved to a high standard in acccordance with the National Standards for Museums. South Sea Islands Museum was established in 1966 adjacent to Ellen White’s home Sunnyside in Cooranbong. It contains a collection of artifacts that have been gathered from the cultures and societies of the South Pacific Division and donated for permanent display. Rathmines Heritage Centre hosts a range of exhibitions focused on the history of Rathmines RAAF base and the wider story of Lake Mac during World War II. Rathmines Theatre hosts performances and productions such as live music, theatre, dance, community events and festivals with a capacity for up to 200 people. The Warners Bay Theatre is a 300-capacity theatre available for professional and amateur musical, theatre, dance, and cultural groups to host and perform quality stage productions.

State-listed heritage items and precincts Lake Macquarie has seven listings on the State Heritage Register:

Catherine Hill Bay Cultural Precinct Dobell House Glenrock early coalmining sites Morisset Hospital Precinct Rathmines Park (former RAAF Seaplane Base) Wangi Power Station Complex WWII RAAF Radar Station 208 (former)

Freeman of the City The Freeman of the City recognises individuals for their outstanding achievements and dedicated service to the community over their lifetime. March 1985 Prof Cyril Renwick AOJuly 1986 Mr Harold Keith CummingJuly 1987 Mr Albert George (Alby) BurginDecember 1987 Mr Reginald Lenaghan OAMNovember 1991 Dr Roland Edward Robinson OAMAugust 1999 Mr Paul William HarragonJuly 2008 Mrs Ellen KilpatrickJuly 2008 Mr Donald Telfer CaldwellJuly 2021 Mrs Mercia Buck OAMMay 2024 Dr David Durrheim AM

Education

Libraries The city has 11 libraries at Belmont, Cameron Park, Cardiff, Charlestown, Morisset, Redhead, Speers Point, Swansea, Toronto, Wangi Wangi and Windale.

Sister cities The City of Lake Macquarie has sister city relations with the following cities: Hakodate, Hokkaidō, Japan Tanagura, Fukushima, Japan Rotorua, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand Round Rock, Texas, United States of America

Demographics

The city consists of 92 connected suburbs that surround a coastal saltwater lake, ranging from small rural style communities through to high density areas.