Reid’s Mistake

The Story of Lake Macquarie form its Discovery until 1890

by Keith H. Clouten

Lake Macquarie Shire Council, 1988, black and white photographic plates and illustrations, illustrated endpapers, hardcover, dustjacket

Very Good Condition, minor edge and shelf wear, minor rubbing and bumping to edges and corners, no inscriptions, dustjacket shows a little edge and shelf wear with insect holes at front fold (see photographs)

“This book fills a long-neglected gap in the regional history of New South Wales.  Despite the fact that Lake Macquarie lies in the most densely populated coastal belt of Australia and is less than seventy miles from the nation’s oldest city, the fascinating story of its past has never before been unfolded.  These pages contain the first reliable and connected account of the early years of the Lake region.
The story is here presented in two parts.  The first opens with the unusual story of the lake’s discovery in 1800, and goes on to record the experiences of the early explorer-surveyors and pioneer settlers.  Packed with interesting detail, this section tells of the first mission ever conducted for the Australian aborigines, of incidents in the lives of the first settlers, of assigned convicts and bushrangers, and the pathetic story of the aborigines.  The second part traces the commercial development of Lake Macquarie following the gold-rush period.”