The residential town of Stockton was established in 1889 and its location on the Hunter River allowed the area to become one of the first industrial suburbs of Newcastle. Throughout the 19th Century Stockton became heavily involved in the coal mining and shipbuilding industries. 

The 1860s saw the first mining for coal in Stockton and in 1882 the Stockton Coal Company was formed. In 1896 a disaster at the Colliery killed eleven people, caused by a gas leak. A memorial is still evident today at Lynn Oval for the eleven that perished. In 1908 the Colliery closed. Shipbuilding became popular following the closure of the Colliery. In 1847 the Stockton Shipbuilding Co was established and shipbuilding was a popular industry in the area until the 1960s.

The rich historical past of the mining and shipbuilding industries are still evident today in Stockton and there are several shipwrecks along the Stockton coastline. The Adolphe, evident along the breakwall, ran aground in 1904 after its entry into port was obscured by heavy seas. The wreck of the Norwegian bulk carrier, the Sygna can also be seen along Stockton Beach, which ran aground on its maiden voyage in 1974. Throughout the 20th Century Stockton established itself as a predominantly working class suburb, which it still is today. The Stockton’s isolation from the Newcastle CBD has maintained the town’s friendly, small town atmosphere.

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