Borough of Newham

Newham is known as the gateway to London.  It is located five miles east of the City of London and is surrounded by three key rivers: the River Thames, the River Lea and the River Roding. ‘New’ham was formed from the former boroughs of West Ham and East Ham in 1965. This area was originally a rural area. As other areas in London transformed during the 1800s, Newham’s change happened through the industry of ship building.  It was home to the Royal Docks, Victoria Dock, Albert Dock and King George V Dock, and was responsible for building large steam ships that were directly linked to railways which was a powerful combination.  As a result, other industries such as oil boilers, varnish makers and eventually sugar refiners were drawn to the area, making it the most important manufacturing area in southern England and the largest group of docks in the world, at that time. The ethnic diversity of this area got its beginning during this period when immigrants from Indian, China, Africa, Israel and Italy came to work in the factories.  The West Ham football club began in 1900/1901 with workers from the Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company in Canning Town. During the First World War, 100,000 men from this borough served in the armed forces.  The chemical manufacturers produced TNT for use in bombs.  People with German connections suffered persecution. During the Second World War, this area felt the first bomb fall as the Blitz began on 28th August 1940 with the full force being felt from the 7th of September onward.  Disaster struck when a mix-up in communication delayed a transport of homeless families waiting in a Canning Town school.  A bomb directly hit the school making it the worst civilian disaster during the war.

 

After the war, industry and population declined.  Housing was in short supply and tower blocks began to surface in the area.  Due to labour shortages, appeals were made in the former colonial areas to come and work to rebuild London.  East African Asians answered the call. Newham, today, is replacing its heavy industrial past for industries that centres around culture, leisure and air transport.  Newham is home to the ExCel Centre and London City Airport which were both built on the former dock area.  It hasn’t closed its door to its diversity. Over half of the borough’s population come from ethnic minority groups making it the “most ethnically diverse borough in Britain.”

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