Williamtown is a rural suburb of the Port Stephens local government area in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia.[2][6] It is located on the main road between Newcastle and Nelson Bay.[7]
| Williamtown Newcastle, New South Wales | |||||||||||||||
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 Fighter World Museum at RAAF Base Williamtown | |||||||||||||||
  Williamtown | |||||||||||||||
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| Coordinates | 32°48′54″S 151°50′34″E / 32.81500°S 151.84278°E | ||||||||||||||
| Population | 762 (2021 census)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | 16.97/km2 (44.0/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2318 (Williamtown), 2314 (Williamtown RAAF) | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 5 m (16 ft)[Note 1] | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 44.9 km2 (17.3 sq mi)[Note 2] | ||||||||||||||
| Time zone | AEST (UTC+10) | ||||||||||||||
| • Summer (DST) | AEDT (UTC+11) | ||||||||||||||
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | Port Stephens Council[2] | ||||||||||||||
| Region | Hunter[2] | ||||||||||||||
| County | Gloucester[3] | ||||||||||||||
| Parish | Stowell[3] | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Port Stephens[4] | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Paterson | ||||||||||||||
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Geography
editThe eastern section of Williamtown is dominated by RAAF Base Williamtown and Newcastle Airport while the western section of the area is primarily semi-rural with some large-acreage residential areas scattered along Cabbage Tree Road which is a main access route to Port Stephens from the Pacific Highway. To the south Williamtown reaches Fullerton Cove, a large cove at the Hunter River. The south-eastern corner of the area reaches the Tasman Sea on Stockton Beach and access to the beach is possible at this point for off-road vehicles via Lavis Lane.
Climate
editWilliamtown possesses a humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cfa), with very warm, wet summers and mild, relatively dry winters. Average maxima vary from 28.3 °C (82.9 °F) in January to 17.2 °C (63.0 °F) in July, while average minima fluctuate between 18.2 °C (64.8 °F) in January and February and 6.5 °C (43.7 °F) in July. Annual precipitation is moderately high (averaging 1,129.0 mm (44.45 in)), and is spread across 86.6 precipitation days (over 1.0 mm (0.039 in)). The town experiences 103.2 clear days and 127.3 cloudy days per annum. Extreme temperatures have ranged from 45.5 °C (113.9 °F) on 4 January 2017 and 11 February 2017 to −3.9 °C (25.0 °F) on 18 July 1970.[8]
| Climate data for Williamtown RAAF (32°47′S 151°50′E / 32.79°S 151.84°E, 8 m AMSL) (1942-2024 normals & extremes) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 45.5 (113.9) |
45.5 (113.9) |
40.7 (105.3) |
37.0 (98.6) |
29.6 (85.3) |
26.6 (79.9) |
27.8 (82.0) |
30.5 (86.9) |
36.4 (97.5) |
39.4 (102.9) |
43.2 (109.8) |
43.7 (110.7) |
45.5 (113.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 28.3 (82.9) |
27.7 (81.9) |
26.4 (79.5) |
23.8 (74.8) |
20.4 (68.7) |
17.7 (63.9) |
17.2 (63.0) |
18.8 (65.8) |
21.5 (70.7) |
23.8 (74.8) |
25.6 (78.1) |
27.4 (81.3) |
23.2 (73.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 18.2 (64.8) |
18.2 (64.8) |
16.5 (61.7) |
13.3 (55.9) |
10.1 (50.2) |
8.0 (46.4) |
6.5 (43.7) |
6.9 (44.4) |
9.2 (48.6) |
12.0 (53.6) |
14.5 (58.1) |
16.6 (61.9) |
12.5 (54.5) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 9.4 (48.9) |
9.6 (49.3) |
8.6 (47.5) |
2.1 (35.8) |
−0.6 (30.9) |
−1.8 (28.8) |
−3.9 (25.0) |
−1.9 (28.6) |
0.4 (32.7) |
3.0 (37.4) |
5.1 (41.2) |
7.9 (46.2) |
−3.9 (25.0) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 98.4 (3.87) |
118.7 (4.67) |
126.9 (5.00) |
110.7 (4.36) |
110.8 (4.36) |
122.1 (4.81) |
75.4 (2.97) |
71.5 (2.81) |
60.1 (2.37) |
75.9 (2.99) |
82.7 (3.26) |
76.8 (3.02) |
1,129 (44.45) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 7.2 | 7.5 | 8.5 | 7.6 | 7.7 | 8.3 | 6.5 | 6.1 | 5.7 | 7.3 | 7.2 | 7.0 | 86.6 |
| Average afternoon relative humidity (%) | 59 | 62 | 61 | 59 | 60 | 60 | 55 | 50 | 50 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 |
| Average dew point °C (°F) | 17.0 (62.6) |
17.6 (63.7) |
16.2 (61.2) |
13.3 (55.9) |
10.6 (51.1) |
8.4 (47.1) |
6.3 (43.3) |
6.2 (43.2) |
8.2 (46.8) |
10.8 (51.4) |
13.1 (55.6) |
15.2 (59.4) |
11.9 (53.4) |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 229.4 | 203.4 | 217.0 | 207.0 | 189.1 | 168.0 | 198.4 | 232.5 | 231.0 | 235.6 | 228.0 | 238.7 | 2,578.1 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 53 | 54 | 57 | 61 | 58 | 56 | 63 | 68 | 65 | 59 | 55 | 54 | 59 |
| Source: Bureau of Meteorology (1942-2024 normals & extremes)[5] | |||||||||||||
Population
editIn the 2016 Census, there were 885 people in Williamtown. 70.9% of people were born in Australia and 80.7% of people spoke only English at home. The most common responses for religion was Anglican at 22.8%.[1]
Tomago sandbeds
editMost of Williamtown sits atop the Tomago sandbeds (an aquifer that is a critical source of water for the lower Hunter Region). The sandbeds are replenished primarily by rain as well as any water that leaks from Grahamstown Dam in nearby Ferodale. Water from the sandbeds and the dam is treated in Tomago.[9]
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Williamtown (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
- ^ a b c "Suburb Search - Local Council Boundaries - Hunter (HT) - Port Stephens". New South Wales Division of Local Government. Retrieved 16 June 2008.
- ^ a b "Williamtown". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 16 June 2008.
- ^ "Port Stephens". New South Wales Electoral Commission. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
- ^ a b c d "Williamtown RAAF Climate Statistics (1942-2024)". Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
- ^ "Williamtown". Australian Explorer. Retrieved 16 June 2008.
- ^ "Williamtown". Land and Property Management Authority - Spatial Information eXchange. New South Wales Land and Property Information. Retrieved 16 June 2008.
- ^ "Williamtown RAAF Climate (1942-2024)". FarmOnline Weather. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
- ^ "Tomagos & Anna Bay Sandbeds". Hunter Water. Retrieved 16 June 2008.
