The Footprints of Maitland’s Old Hands Trilogy Book Two: The Rise of Central Maitland

About the Book

Discover more of the heritage of Maitland, New South Wales, Australia! Fascinating facts, bewitching stories and awe-inspiring vintage photographs reveal its people and places, alluring readers to again inhabit this treasured landscape. THE FOOTPRINTS OF MAITLAND’S OLD HANDS trilogy Book Two is a grand tapestry and a go-to guide to transport you back in time. It’s an ambitious and comprehensive study of Maitland and its neighbouring historical estates. The author devoted thirty years to weave the tale of this town, weighing untold data left idle in ignored documents and undisturbed memories. With the keen eye of a seasoned historian, three centuries of Maitland’s history, gateway to the Hunter Valley, are recorded for future generations. Footprints left by ancestors are no longer hidden by nature’s fury of floods, fires or human forgetfulness. This three-book work is a treasure-trove for tens-of-thousands, young and old, whose families made Maitland the heritage gateway to the Hunter!

About the Author

PETER F. SMITH, M.A., is a versatile, veteran teacher and an experienced student of history. Smith has taught history and literature courses in Australia, the United Kingdom and in the USA for more than three decades. He authored the widely acclaimed and highly prized Footprints of Maitland’s Old Hands Trilogy Book 1, “Maitland’s Rise: The Hill, The High Road and the River Flats published in 2023. He is the author of a commemorative history of a leading Hunter Valley school and a contributor to an International Poetry Prize conducted by the University of Canberra. He has a master’s degree in English from Indiana University. Smith lived in Maitland, where he restored a mid-Victorian heritage home and discovered his life-long passion for this unsung heritage city. Currently, the historian resides in Indiana with his wife, Jennfier, her son, Cole and their mini-schnauzer, Harry, where he continues to unearth Maitland’s lost stories of its land, its buildings and its people.