Early history of Smithtown

Smithtown and Gladstone are twin towns separated by the Macleay River. Located on the left bank, Smithtown was known for some time as West Gladstone. When the member for Hastings-Macleay, Robert Burdett Smith, secured a post office for the township, it was as a tribute to him that the name 'Smithtown' was gazetted in 1877.

The land on which the township was settled was once part of Seven Oaks Station, leased in 1840 by Major Henry Oakes, the first Commissioner for Crown Land on the Macleay.

Among the early families associated with land ownership at Smithtown are the names Croad, Hoy and Christian.

The Macleay Valley Historical Society publishes information on self-guided historical walks in the region, including a walk at Smithtown. See Walks in History - Smithtown(PDF, 88KB)