Heritage & Historical Archives - Newcastle on Hunter

Conserving Catherine Hill Bay

2 min read

Draft plans aim to preserve Catherine Hill Bay’s heritage. A new Heritage Area Plan aims to preserve, improve and celebrate the unique historic character of one of the state’s most spectacular coastal villages. The draft Catherine Hill Bay Heritage Area Plan and accompanying draft Catherine Hill Bay Planning Proposal will

Ocean Baths Final Designs

2 min read

Newcastle Ocean Baths first stage pool designs revealed. City of Newcastle has called for construction tenders for the first stage of Newcastle Ocean Baths’ revitalisation including the pools and lower promenade. ‘Stage 1’ of the upgrade project addresses key safety, accessibility and water-quality issues that have been identified through detailed

Sugar Valley Library Museum Approved

1 min read

A development application to construct the Hunter’s first library museum in Lake Macquarie has been approved by council. Community Museum Officer Meg O’Donnell with skip tags once used in the mines. Image: LMCC Lake Macquarie Mayor Cr Kay Fraser said the Sugar Valley Library Museum at Cameron Park would be

Catalina Crew Remembered

2 min read

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) conducted a memorial service for the families of the 10 crew members of RAAF No. 11 Squadron Catalina A24-50 who perished on a war-time mission 78 years ago. Catalina A24-50 was reported missing on 2 September 1943 while on a sea-mining operation to Sorong,

Not a mirage, Actually a Mirage

1 min read

Two jet fighter planes – a Macchi and a Mirage – are making their home at Scone Regional Airport. Restored by volunteers. they will become part of the Warbird Visitor Attraction. The Mirage A3-44 will travel by road from the Australian Aviation Museum at Bankstown Airport to Scone. The Mirage

Corrick Collection Restored by NFSA

3 min read

Priceless collection of 100-year-old films digitally restored by NFSA. The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) has digitally restored The Corrick Collection, containing 135 of the world’s earliest films, which formed part of the Corrick Family Entertainers variety act over 100 years ago. A selection of these priceless films

Strine Overload ~ Gaze Amazed at Australia Daze

3 min read

Australia Daze: Restored Bicentenary Documentary to Screen Across Australia. Award-winning film Australia Daze, which documented the bicentenary of European settlement in Australia, has been digitally restored by the NFSA and will screen in cinemas across the country on 26 – 27 January 2021. Where were you on 26 January 1988?

Australian ‘History’ Must Cover 60,000 Years

5 min read

The Healing Foundation urges all schools to teach the Stolen Generations story and Australia’s full history. The Healing Foundation is urging all Australian schools to include the story of the Stolen Generations in their curriculum to ensure students have a better understanding of the full history of Australia, which dates

Heritage Trail Leads to Lake History

2 min read

Suburb’s colourful history revealed with new heritage trail at Warners Bay. A new heritage walk in Warners Bay reflects on a time when the town centre was little more than an overnight camp for bullock teamsters, and when a billabong stood where sports fields now take pride of place. Billabong

UoN Author Wins Major Literary Award.

0 min read

Professor Sarah Wright, a human geographer from the University of Newcastle is part of a collective of women who were joint winners of the Prime Minister’s literary awards non-fiction category. The Gay’wu Group of Women, including Professor Sarah Wright (standing second from the left). The Prime Minister’s Literary Awards encourage

Worimi Site Workshops

2 min read

Over the past week, the Aboriginal-owned Worimi Conservation Lands north of Newcastle has hosted a series of Aboriginal Site Identification Courses, to improve understanding and protection of Worimi cultural sites. NPWS officer Craig Wall and Worimi Visitor Service Assistant Rachel Syron Worimi Conservation Lands Board of Management Chair Jamie Tarrant

History Talk Caps Singleton’s Bicentenary

4 min read

Author talk reflecting on the Hunter’s rich colonial heritage and traditional Aboriginal owners. In a bicentennial year hampered by the global pandemic, the Back to Singleton 2020 program will culminate with an author talk by respected public historian and Singleton son Mark Dunn on his latest book, Convict Valley: The

Carrington Engine House Restoration

2 min read

Port unveils next phase in historic Carrington Engine House restoration. An additional $850,000 will be invested in ongoing restoration of the 143-year-old Carrington Hydraulic Engine House. Built in 1877 and operating until 1967, the building housed the first large scale hydraulic power system to be established in Australia, providing power

Minmi Students Reconciliation Finalists

1 min read

Caring for Country in schools reconciliation challenge. The annual Schools Reconciliation Challenge has an online exhibition with the theme Caring for Country. Minmi Public School students Lachlan, Lily and Giselle show their artwork with teacher Mr James Griffiths. Student artwork and stories reflecting what reconciliation means to young people is

Heritage Grants for Coalfields Projects

1 min read

Cessnock City Council announces dollar for dollar grants for heritage projects. Owners and managers of heritage listed properties and residencies in Heritage Conservation Areas may be eligible for up to $2,000 financial assistance. Rising Sun Inn on Wollombi Road after heritage work. Cessnock City Council’s Local Heritage Fund provides financial

Cook’s Secret Mission: “With the Consent of the Natives”

3 min read

Cook’s Secret Instructions on display to mark 250 years since east coast charting. As part of the Australian National Maritime Museum’s Encounters 2020 program to mark the 250th anniversary of James Cook’s charting of the east coast of Australia in 1770, we have the opportunity to see Cook’s copy of

City Updates Heritage Strategy

1 min read

Newcastle Council has updated its heritage strategy. The document aims to promote and restore the city’s 700 heritage items, eight heritage conservation areas and 23 archaeological sites, following the adoption of an updated Heritage Strategy. The Heritage Strategy 2020-2030 was endorsed by Council on Tuesday (27 Oct 2020) and sets

Hornets Take a Road Trip to Canberra

1 min read

F/A-18A Hornet on it way to Australian War Memorial. The first of two ‘Classic’ Hornets allocated to the Australian War Memorial for heritage display is being transported by road from RAAF Base Williamtown to Canberra. F/A-18A Hornet A21-022 is lifted by a crane onto a trailer at RAAF Base Williamtown

Indigenous Food Database

3 min read

The Orana Foundation launches their Indigenous Food Database. The Foundation commissioned The University of Adelaide as their research partner to deliver on four key projects: Indigenous Food Database: to build a native food database to collate knowledge of Australian plants (native and introduced) that have been used for food by

Stegga’s City Emporium

4 min read

Stegga’s City Emporium survives today (2019) at 517 to 529 Hunter Street, Newcastle. I visited Antiques on Hunter at this address to shop, some time in 2001, and a few years later they moved to King Street, where they were still doing business in 2018. Did they ever change the

Museum and Art Gallery Funding

2 min read

$630,000 boost for Newcastle Museum and Art Gallery. Newcastle Museum at Honeysuckle. Photo: Gerson008. Local stories will increase at Newcastle Museum with a multiyear funding allocation from the NSW Government. The museum will receive $135,000 each year for three years under the Create NSW Local Government Authorities (LGA) Arts and

Maritime Museum Still Waiting for Ship to Come In

1 min read

With the impending dissolution of the Newcastle Maritime Museum Society (NMMS), council has offered a tough stop-gap proposal. City of Newcastle will purchase items from the NMMS, which will use the money to pay creditors. Those items will go on display at Newcastle Museum in a permanent maritime exhibit. A

Plan for Maitland Gaol

0 min read

Council adopts the future vision for Maitland Gaol. Maitland Council adopted the Maitland Gaol Development Plan and Site Master Plan after a prolonged community and stakeholder engagement process. After a 28 day exhibition period which attracted 15 community submissions, Council adopted both the Development Plan and Site Master Plan at

No.1 Sportsground to be No.1 Again

3 min read

Redevelopment of Newcastle’s No.1 Sportsground should be ready for its 100th anniversary next year. Artists impression of the upgraded No.1 Sportsground with enlarged field, floodlights, and bleachers. The project includes enlarging the playing field, upgrading floodlighting, and new tiered seating. Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said redeveloping No.1 Sportsground so

Was That You, Bazza?

1 min read

History Illuminated recalls halcyon (or not) days gone by. Revellers throwing back schooners at Dozens Day in 1980s Swansea had little idea they were making Lake Mac’s long and lively history. That’s exactly what has happened. Eventually banned due to complaints about “drunkenness, vulgarity and nudity”, Dozens Day was held

Gift Enables UoN Fraternity Studies

1 min read

Donation of private collection lets students preserve an important piece of history. Mt Gambier Freemasons in 1894 ~ Image Trove. A collection of fraternal society memorabilia – the largest of its kind in Australia – has been donated to the University of Newcastle. Its study will shed a new light

‘History: What is it good for?’

1 min read

History Illuminated 2020 asks the question: “What is history good for?” Rathmines Theatre, renovated and opened in 2020. With the year packed with bushfires, protests ,and pandemics, these events from the present back to the past have roots linked in history that has seldom been so important in the present

National Archive Documents The New Normal

1 min read

NFSA To Preserve Broad-Ranging Audiovisual Record Of Australia During COVID-19. The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) will collect and preserve key moments in Australian history such as the COVID-19 crisis. The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia described how it would collect and preserve a wide

Awaba House Redux

1 min read

Awaba House to rise from the ashes with new concept plan. A terrace for outdoor dining, a boutique dining and restaurant space and a new covered walkway are part of a proposed concept design for to resurrect Awaba House, gutted by fire last year. Council’s Manager Property and Business Development

Scott Sisters of Ash Island

1 min read

New film captures historical story of Scott Sisters of Ash Island. Harriet and Helena Scott worked and grew up during the 1840s-1860s on Ash Island, which is now part of Kooragang Island, learning to be scientific illustrators. Up until that point of time a lot of the artworks of animals

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