 In 1947, Lettesi (a settler group made up of nearly 150 families from the village of Lettopalena in the
Abruzzo Region of Italy), initially settled in Islington but they soon expanded into the nearby suburbs of Hamilton and Mayfield.This was primarily due to Islington's proximity to the BHP steel works.Before long Hamilton (especially Beaumont Street) was to become a strong community and commercial centre for Newcastle’s Italians.