For almost four decades Cynthia Hunter has researched, recorded and resurrected the stories of Maitland and its surrounding areas.
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Today, as she prepares to retire from her role as celebrated historian and author, Mrs Hunter will bequeath her highly coveted collection to Maitland City Library.
“I’ve been doing history studies for a long time so during that time I’ve accumulated a lot of material and as I’ve decided to retire from actively doing research work I’ve decided to give that material to the library,” Mrs Hunter said.
“I suppose one of the things I like about what I’ve done is that I’ve made history more useful.”
The collection is made up of resources associated with Mrs Hunter’s research from 1975 to 2014 and includes maps, photos, original documents, books and reports.
It covers both the Upper and Lower Hunter, including Newcastle, Stroud, Tocal, Paterson, Maitland, Morpeth and Hinton.
Mrs Hunter’s research has been published by the Maitland City Heritage Group and, more widely, projects for Port Stephens Council and Coal River Tourism.
Mrs Hunter and her family came to live in the Lower Hunter during the early 1970s.
“We just never went back to the city after that and you can’t live in Maitland without being aware that it’s a very historic place, and there are just so many stories to tell,” she said.
“It’s just a very interesting place.”
The Cynthia Hunter Collection will be launched at Maitland City Library on Friday at 10.30am.