The traditional owners and custodians of the Maitland area are the Wonnarua people.[9] The Greta area was first colonised by Europeans around Anvil Creek in the 1830s.[10]
When the town was surveyed in 1842 it was given the name Greta, possibly after a small river in Cumberland, England. Coal mining was established in the area in 1862 with the development of a railway station.[10]
In 1864, kerosene shale was discovered. By the 1870s, Greta had four hotels, four churches, a school and schools of arts. Geologist Edgeworth David discovered the Greta Coal Seam in 1886. By 1907, ten collieries were in operation.[10]
At the 2016 census, the town had a population of 2,830.[11] Greta's population increased to 3,349 at the 2021 census.[12]
In June 2023, a roundabout on Wine Country Drive in Greta was the site of a bus crash that killed 10 people.[13]
The welcoming sign to Greta's Hunter River catchment area
A child's litter prevention sign. These signs were commissioned by Greta Tidy Towns to help children understand the importance of maintaining a tidy town
Notes
^ABS QuickStats only provides population data for the town of Greta, not the entire suburb.
^This is the average density of the actual town, based on figures provided by the ABS.
^Average elevation of the suburb as shown on 1:100000 map 9132 Cessnock.
^This is the area of the town, not the entire suburb.