East Maitland

This morning Peter, my b-i-l, took Martin and me to the old quarter of nearby East Maitland for a short walking tour. My blip shows a few of the old buildings dating back to 1830s. Many housed hotels and inns including the Red Lion (top right picture)and the Victoria (bottom right)shown here. However, the single storey building was built by Caroline Chisholm (1808-1877) as a hostel for immigrant women. She also acted as an advocate for new arrivals to Australia.  Later, it was used as a cottage hospital. 
This evening we all had a very good meal at Duke's restaurant which is in the old Victoria building, also known as Roseneath.The interior is very Victorian, and there was an open fire ablaze in the dining room. At the back of the property is a pretty courtyard garden containing a well ( now covered over). 
Maitland was the original settlement in this area in the Hunter Valley, but as the Hunter River is prone to flooding, some people moved to higher ground and founded East Maitland. 
Extra shows Martin and Peter admiring an old Post box in East Maitland.