Port Stephens

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Port Stephens is a large coastal inlet and a local government area. just north of Newcastle in New South Wales, Australia.

Port Stephens is located about 170 kilometers north of Sydney. It is larger than Sydney Harbour and has a narrow entrance between two striking hills of volcanic origin. The harbour is mostly shallow and sandy but contains sufficient deep water to accommodate large vessels, the Queen Mary docked there during World War II. It is excellent for fishing and recreational boating.

The port (and also its southern headland Point Stephens), were named by Captain Cook when he passed on 11 May 1770, honouring Sir Philip Stephens who was Secretary of the Admiralty and a personal friend of Cook. It seems Cook's initial choice had actually been Point Kepple and Kepple Bay, but instead he used Kepple later.<ref>Ray Parkin, H. M. Bark Endeavour, Miegunyah Press, second edition 2003, ISBN 0-522-85093-6, page 213.</ref>

The area surrounding Port Stephens has mostly rather poor soil, and has limited agricultural potential. For this reason, no large towns developed there historically and it was never developed as a significant port. The major city and port of Newcastle developed at the mouth of the Hunter River, about 50 kilometers south of Port Stephens. A number of small towns developed around the port as fishing, holiday and retirement communities. Since the 1970s, with improved road access from Sydney, and the increasing popularity of coastal retirement lifestyles, there has been major expansion of these towns. Port Stephens Council is the local government area, based in Raymond Terrace.

The Karuah River and the Myall River (through the Myall Lakes)drain into Port Stephens.Image:Shoalbay.JPG Towns on the shores of Port Stephens include Shoal Bay, Nelson Bay, Salamander Bay, Lemon Tree Passage, Karuah, and the coastal villages of Tea Gardens and Hawks Nest.