Where is Blackalls Park? It's one of those many communities around Lake Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia, with it's own school, shopping centre, and an extensive parkland on the lake shore, between Toronto and Fassifern Railway Station, South Parade, Blackalls Park, Lake Macquarie, NSW 2283

Blackalls Park was named after Tom Blackall, a Newcastle dentist, whose father had purchased E.C.G. Chapman's estate on the promontory which became the park. The father, W. Blackall, was a chemist with a shop at 36-38 Hunter Street, Newcastle. He lived at the Lake and travelled to work by train, our earliest commuter.

At the head of Blackalls Bay a large number of petrified tree trunks stood in the water. This was the petrified forest, called by the aborigines "Kurra Kurran" — men turned into stone. Most of the tree trunks have now been removed and some may be seen in a fence in Venetia Avenue, Blackalls Park.

Land Grants, Parish of Awaba. Prior to 1870, Chapman and Lyster (or Leicester) had taken up 200 acres adjoining Ebenezer on the western side of Stoney Creek. Their farm was known as "Terzeny Park". Later it became known as Sunderland and eventually a part of Blackalls. The area on the eastern side of the railway line was granted to E. C. G. Chapman.

Early Subdivisions, D.P. 1097, " Sunderland", surveyed 11/5/1883, 564 allotments, encompassing Crown St, Faucett St, Michael St, Foyle St. King, Queen, Coronation, Ada, Nicholson, Burleigh, High and Bridge Streets. This was part of old Terzeny Park. Tom Blackall subdivided Portion 15 in 1915. This comprised North Parade, Bay View Avenue, Blackall Avenue and Park Avenue.

Early Settlers, Mr. Chapman prior to 1870. Mr. Lester (Lyster) prior to 1870. Mr. Blackall, Mr. Riesbeck, Mr. Forsyth, Mr. Steel, Mr. Donaldson.

Chapman and Lyster's farm grew potatoes, millet, arrowroot, sorghum and the castor oil plant. Unsuccessful crops: Wheat, maize, grapes, orange orchard. To supplement farm income three other industries were developed: fish curing, broom manufacture and goat breeding. The brooms were made from fibre of the native lily. In 1870 Chapman's farm had 50 goats, contained on a small island, probably at the mouth of Stoney Creek.

In 1891, a private tramway from Fassifern to Toronto was opened.. The Government acquired the line in 1910, and relaid the rails and upgraded equipment. A regular service operated through to Newcastle from 1911, and has only been closed in the last few years. The service was replaced by a bus now known as 'The Train'.

Even in the 1920's the village was mostly bush and unformed roads, with homes dotted about.

In 1923 a Post Office was opened under the name of 'Blackall's Platform'. It was renamed 'Blackalls Park' in 1954.

In 1952. An infants school was started in the Park Hall and a primary school was formed in the same hall in 1954.

For many years it was the venue of large picnics, and the playground of the lake for churches, unions and sporting organisations.

The remains of the Blackalls Park railway station can be seen opposite the Blackalls Park shopping village.