[2] The suburb stretches 3 km (2 mi) from Merewether Beach in the east to Adamstown in the west.

In 1938 an Act of the New South Wales Parliament created a "City of Greater Newcastle", incorporating 11 municipalities into one local government area, including Merewether.

The former Council Chambers, opposite the Post Office, became the clubhouse of the Australian Returned Services League.

[4] The Happy Valley Colliery (drift), opposite Rowan Street, and worked by the Maheen family, also closed about the same time.

Coal mining also took place to the south of Merewether at Glenrock Lagoon, and in Murdering Gully.

Murdering Gully had Glenrock Colliery which comprised several drifts feeding a large coal loader above Burwood Beach.

[8] Tenders called for the sale of all equipment at the colliery between Aug-Nov 1944,[9] and the railway line from The Junction up the centre of Watkins Street to the first tunnel was lifted in 1946.

[15][16] Following 18 months construction, Merewether Bowling Club, with one green, was opened on 6 February 1954 upon a long-closed old colliery west of the railway line, in Caldwell Street.