Toronto (/təˈrɒntoʊ/ ⓘ tə-RONT-oh) is a lakeside suburb within the City of Lake Macquarie, Greater Newcastle in New South Wales, Australia, approximately 28 kilometres (17 mi) from Newcastle's central business district and is a commercial hub for the sprawling suburbs on the western shore of the lake.

[2] The area was originally the site of an Aboriginal mission called Ebenezer, established in 1829 by Reverend Threlkeld.

Threlkeld is reported to have begun construction of his chimney with a local black stone which he later realised was coal.

In 1885, the Excelsior Land, Investment and Building Co. and Bank Ltd acquired a portion of Threlkelds' original 1,280 acre grant from McMahon and Whiting plus the 100 ft waterfront reserve from the Crown for £13,722 and subdivided it in 1887.

Ebenezer was then renamed after Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in honour of Edward Hanlan, a Canadian world-champion sculler who visited Australia in 1884.

[3] The area's subdividers, the Excelsior Company, named the land in honour of Hanlan's visit, which coincided with the opening of the subdivision.

The Canadian city's name is said to have come from the Mohawk language tkaronto, meaning “where there are trees standing in the water".

[5] This process began by cutting down the famous figs that line the street, and then replacing the walkways and planting more controllable trees.

Soon after its unveiling in Victory Parade, the Monument was found to be a traffic hazard, so it was moved closer to the footpath (at the entrance to the pedestrian bridge over the railway line).

The Excelsior Company enthusiastically promoted it as "a pleasant and commodious brick building, containing about thirty bedrooms, besides parlors, bar, dining and billiard rooms, &c. Standing on one of the prettiest spots upon the shores of the Lake, in its own grounds of some twenty acres, the hotel commands a fine view of a splendid reach of water extending to the little village of Belmont.

Healthy and vigorous trees growing in Regatta Walk render the Hotel barely visible from Toronto's public baths and private jetties.

Yachts and cruisers are moored on the lake and smaller craft are pulled up onto private land at the waters edge.