John Laurie Platt

The first residents of what is now known as Mayfield West were John Laurie Platt, an ex-officer of the British Navy, and his family and servants. Platt received a grant of 2000 acres of land "on the Hunter River at Newcastle". Thus in 1823 Platt became the first settler in the Newcastle district. He erected a windmill on his estate and some of the early settlers sent their wheat and maize there to be ground.
Platt's attempt at the cultivation of wheat proved a failure, and he received a greater blow when his home was destroyed by a fire in which two of his young sons lost their lives. By 1836, both Platt and his wife were dead.
Because of Platt's tragic attempt to establish himself as a settler, all the land along the Hunter from the "Mill Paddock" to Port Waratah came to be known as "Platt's Folly".
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John Scholey

Charles Simpson

In 1848 Charles Simpson secured three allotments on "The Folly". He erected a substantial homestead which he named "Waratah House", due to the fact that in the bush at the rear of his allotment the Waratah flower grew. Thus the suburb of Waratah derived its name.
In 1854 Simpson sold his property to Mr Thomas Tourle, a wealthy squatter. Tourle lived at Waratah House until his death in 1899 at 93 years of age.

John Scholey

The elevated land extending from the Monastery to Church Street contained the homes of many prominent Newcastle business people, notably Arnott, Winn, Witherspoon, Chinchen and others. When John Scholey subdivided for sale a large area of his land in Crebert Street, he named it after his daughter May. From this estate the name of the suburb "Mayfield" was derived.


The road running from what is now Amos' Hotel (Stag and Hunter) to the Railway Station was named Hanbury Street, due to the fact that it led to the private township of Hanbury (now Waratah). When Thomas Grove subdivided his land in 1862 and formed a small colliery township, he named it "Hanbury" after his birthplace in England.

Industrial Workforce

The suburb Mayfield has become a heavy industrial area, providing the hub of the most important industrial city in Australia. The B.H.P. Steelworks were established at Port Waratah on the North-eastern corner of Mayfield in 1915. Other major industries within its boundaries are Commonwealth Steel, Newbolds (now Australian Industrial Refactories), Lysaghts, Stewarts & Lloyds, Rylands, Australian Wire Rope Works, Titan Manufacturing and Newcastle Abbatoirs.