Boolaroo

Boolaroo is a suburb of Newcastle located in New South Wales, Australia. It is situated close to Lake Macquarie and lies on the border of other suburbs like Toronto, Speers Point and Warner’s Bay. A small part of Boolaroo juts out into Lake Macquarie and is a charming place to enjoy the natural beauty of the lake and to indulge in activities like fishing and boating.
Boolaroo is an aboriginal word that means “place of many flies.” Like many other places in Australia, Boolaroo becomes very hot during the summer months and has a large number of flies, perhaps that is how the name came about.

 

 

Though the history of Boolaroo extends way back to the early 19th Century, the town actually started flourishing in the 1890’s. William Brooks, a European, was one of the first few residents of this town. He was given a grant of around 1300 acres of land by the government. Stockton Borehole Coal Mine opened in 1886. This led to a sudden population influx in the area as people rushed to work in this mine. The actual town of Boolaroo came about at the turn of the century following 3 subdivisions in 1892, 1899 and 1902. The most famous families of this area, well-known a century later, are the Hawkins, Frith and Gilbert families. The Hawkins family started a family business in 1896, which later flourished into a transport company. Sulphide Corporation was set up in 1897. It has had a chequered history. After it failed to work, it quickly started operating as a normal lead smelter. This later became a zinc production plant, which did not survive either and was shut down in 1908. Many businesses worked here but none seemed to thrive. It has been completely cleared since the smelter operations ceased. Finally, the site wound up in the year 2003.
The early industries in those days were a transport and construction firm and a sawmill. In the early 20th Century, a Post Office, Public School, and a Railway Station opened in the town.

 

 

A fire brigade opened in 1910. The town got its own branch of the Bank of New South Wales in 1937. Now, the small town houses many families and has charming houses. The town has a library, church, cinema and several shops and offers all amenities for a comfortable living.
Boolaroo was in the news due to the earthquake that struck Newcastle in the year 1989 with Boolaroo as its epicenter. Thirteen people died and over 200 were injured. There was destruction of many buildings. But, the town has since then been rebuilt, and now has some lovely buildings.
Real estate in Boolaroo is flourishing as the town is close to beautiful Lake Macquarie and yet retains the character of a small, serene town. The properties in Boolaroo are very reasonably priced and are a good real estate investment.
Contact No Bull Real Estate for further information about exciting properties in Boolaroo today.