The Maitland City Heritage Group will explore the concept of underground basements in a new publication, but first the group needs help to identify a series of black and white photographs that feature the late ­historian Harry Boyle in an underground basement. 

“The photographs came to the library as part of the Harry Boyle Collection with an intriguing note saying ‘Subterranean Maitland’ but we don’t have anymore details about them and we’d love to find out more,” Maitland City Council heritage officer Clare James said.

“What is known is that Harry is in an underground basement believed to be in High Street, but we need more details so we can add them to the book.”

The historical tome will examine Maitland’s more unusual and quirky tales of the past.

“This book is a collection about things that are less known about Maitland, to show that there is sometimes more than meets the eye as far as Maitland is concerned,” Ms James said.

“Basements were one of those things that we picked up that we don’t have a lot of information about.

“We want to find out what basements still remain because they certainly were a common feature and they were actually used for living, not just storage.”

If you know more about the basements of Maitland 

contact Ms James on 4934 9832 or email clarej@maitland.nsw.gov.au.