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Newcastle (NSW)
Site of the future city of Newcastle was discovered on 9 September 1797 by Lieut. John Shortland (on board HMS Reliance). He was seeking escaped convicts from Sydney when he found the river entrance which he named Hunter's River. He made camp at a site that he called Freshwater Bay (now Newcastle). On the rough survey map of the harbour entrance he marked and named the distinctive island at the entrance Hacking's Point (later changed to Coal Island - and then Nobby's)

Nobby's (NSW)
Name for Coal Island, Newcastle. The first mention of the name 'Nobby's' is to be found in the Sydney Gazette on 6 October 1801, reporting the loss of two seamen from the ship Resource (William Wallis and William Ratkin).

Originally described by Capt. Cook in May 1770 as "a small clump of an island lying close to shore". The island was originally named Hacking's Island by Lieut. John Shortland in 1797 and subsequently visited by Lieut. Col. Paterson in 1801 who renamed it Coal Island. Ensign Barrallier was responsible for the survey work on the island during this expedition and he stated that Nobby's was 302 feet high - more than twice its current height. The reduction is the result of stone being quarried for the construction of the breakwater (Macquarie Pier) linking Coal Island to the mainland at South Head (now Fort Scratchley). This project, originally initiated by Macquarie in 1818 was finally completed in 1846. When connected to the mainland the island became known as Nobby's Head.

In 1855 the summit of Nobby's was further reduced (from 62 metres to its present height of 28 metres) during the construction of a signal station and dwellings for lighthouse staff. The lighthouse finally replaced the coal-fired beacon that had operated from South Head (Signal Hill) since 1804.

Aboriginal name for the island: Whibay-Garba.

Nore, The (Kent, England)
The Nore anchorage was situated in the River Thames estuary, just off the entrance to the River Medway (adjacent to the Isle of Sheppey). It was largely protected from easterly winds by the sandbanks of the estuary. It was the common point of arrival and departure for vessels proceeding into and out of the Thames. Once they had reached the Nore anchorage vessels were required to wait until the tide, and force and direction of the wind, was favourable to proceed further.

Nowenong (NSW)
Now known as Menangle Park (on the opposite side of the Nepean River to Walter Davidson's 'Manangle').

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