Toronto, New South Wales
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Toronto is a busy town within the city of Lake Macquarie, and a commercial hub for the sprawling suburbs on the western shore of the lake. It is about half an hour south by car from Newcastle in New South Wales, Australia.
Toronto was named after Toronto, Ontario, Canada in honour of Edward Hanlan, a world-champion sculler who visited Australia in 1884. The Canadian city's name comes from the Mohawk language tkaronto, meaning where there are trees standing in the water.
Toronto was originally the site of an Indigenous Australian mission called Ebenezer, established in 1829 by Reverend Threlkeld. Threlkeld is reported to have begun construction of his chimney with a local black stone which he later realised was coal. Coal Point is named after this discovery. The development of several coal mines in the region, proximity to the nearby city of Newcastle, and its position by the lake led to gradual development and population increases. Much of the lake foreshore has been preserved for public access.
Up until 1991 Toronto had a railway station which terminated the branch line from Fassifern. It now has a bus aptly named "The Train". Lake Macquarie City Council has from time to time proposed reopening of the line, but nothing has occurred.
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