With the Catholics on one side and the Presbyterians on the other, the small street was fraught with religious tension.

Until March 1860, when all hell broke loose in what is known as the religious riot of Maitland. 

“The minister was bashed, his brother was bashed and a few days later the Catholics stoned all the buildings in High Street that belonged to the Presbyterians,” Maitland Regional Museum committee member Janece McDonald said.

The story behind the riot will be revealed as part of the ­committee’s new exhibition that looks at unknown stories of Maitland’s rich history.

“There’s also the story of the Maitland Town Hall site that was actually an old pub and the site of the city’s first barber shop,” Mrs McDonald said.

The exhibition will also include artefacts, images, ­displays and an interactive ­instillation featuring the place names of Maitland.

“There are all these little things that people don’t know about, so we are going to bring them all out and show people the other stories of Maitland,” Mrs McDonald said.

The exhibition will open next month in the Governor’s Residence at Maitland Gaol.