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| View from The Esplanade
over Newcastle Beach |
Newcastle
Second largest city in New South Wales. Once a major
industrial city, now an elegant and attractive destination
full of historic buildings and interesting walks.
With a population of over 250 000 Newcastle is the
second-largest city in New South Wales and the sixth-largest
in Australia. 156 km north of Sydney via the freeway and at
sea-level, Newcastle is located at the mouth of the Hunter
River. It has the largest export harbour in the
Commonwealth, by tonnage, and the second busiest. It is
known, quite reasonably, as the 'gateway to the Hunter
Valley' and certainly is the commercial, administrative and
industrial centre of the region. It has numerous beaches, a
rich heritage of Victorian architecture and a fabulous
lookout at Mount Sugarloaf.
The Hunter Valley was once occupied by the Awabakal and
Worimi Aborigines. Indeed the foreshore area adjacent what
is now Newcastle Harbour was once a major campsite. They
called the river 'Maiyarn', meaning 'river that comes from
the sea'.
When Captain Cook sailed up the east coast in 1770 he
noted what is now called Nobbys Head at the mouth of the
Hunter River but did not investigate further. In 1797, while
pursuing a group of escapees, Lieutenant John Shortland
landed in the vicinity, 'discovered' the river, which he
named after Governor Hunter (though it was known as Coal
River for some time), and reported coal deposits. It was
then that the potential of the area was recognised. The
following year ships began collecting coal from the
riverbanks and selling it in Sydney and in 1799 a shipment
of local coal , which was sent to Bengal, was Australia's
first export.
In 1801 a convict camp known as King's Town (after
Governor King) was established to mine the coal and cut
timber. What is thought to be the first coal mine in the
Southern Hemisphere was sunk at Colliers Point, below Fort
Scratchley, in 1801 and the first shipment of coal (24 tons)
dispatched to Sydney (by comparison, in 1997, the 272-metre
S.G. Universe carried 148 000 tons of coal to the state
capital). However, the settlement was closed less than a
year later. Around this time timber cutting also began in
the Hunter Valley.
The real beginning of the town was in 1804 when the
administration in Sydney, under Governor King, decided that
the site's isolation, combined with the hard manual labour
of coalmining, lime-burning, salt-making, timber-cutting and
construction work, would make the base for an ideal
secondary penal colony for recidivists. The Lower Hunter was
then covered in subtropical forest which was rich in cedar,
so much so that the tributaries around Newcastle were then
known as the Cedar Arms. The only initial source of lime
were Aboriginal middens at Stockton while the salt was
attained through the evaporation of the highly saline water
of the Stockton mangroves.
The penal settlement was placed under the direction of
Lieutenant Menzies though he soon resigned and Charles
Throsby was in charge from 1805-08. The convict settlement,
named Newcastle after the English city, rapidly gained a
reputation as a hellhole. The regime was severe and the work
arduous. From 1814 it became the major prison in NSW with
over a thousand convicts. An early Australian novel, Ralph
Rashleigh (written in the 1840s), by ex-convict James
Tucker, describes dung-eating, flogging and murder at the
penal colony.
The settlement remained small but it did start to
develop. In 1816 a public school was built at East Newcastle
(the oldest public school in Australia) and the following
year both a gaol and a hospital were erected, though no
buildings survive from this rough-and-ready period.
The convict settlement only lasted for twenty years. The
gradual movement of settlers up the coast and inland around
the Hawkesbury meant that the original isolation of the
'undesirable elements' disappeared. The convicts were moved
further up the coast to Port Macquarie in 1823 as settlement
of the Hunter Valley began.
When the town site was surveyed in 1822-23 there were 71
convict homes and 13 government buildings. The government
initially managed the mines but the Australian Agricultural
Company acquired sole rights to the coal in 1828 and opened
the first modern colliery in 1831.
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| Ship moored at Lee Wharf,
Throsby Basin |
By the 1850s the industrial base of the city had been
established and the commercial sector began to grow. Demand
built up with the growth of Melbourne and the development of
the rail system (extended to Maitland in 1857). Newcastle
rapidly became a major coal producer, port and railhead.
Mining villages such as Stockton, Carrington, Cardiff,
Swansea, Charlestown, Minmi, New Lambton, Wallsend,
Hamilton, Adamstown, Abermain, Gateshead, Merewether and
Waratah began to develop. Some of these names reflected the
fact that many early immigrants were coalminers from
northern England, Scotland and Wales.
Copper smelting, potteries, shipbuilding, engineering and
metal-working diversified the economic base. The extension
of the rail system into the Hunter Valley also meant that
Newcastle increasingly became a major service centre for the
agricultural areas.
The prosperity of the 1870s and 1880s saw a flurry of
substantial buildings emerge engendering a strong heritage
of Victorian architecture. The population increased
eight-fold between 1860 and 1890 and by the turn of the
century it exceeded 50 000.
A major moment in Newcastle's history occurred in 1911
when BHP chose the city as the site for its steelworks due
to the abundance of coal. It opened in 1915 with the
government providing port facilities and roadways. The city
was soon reoriented from coal to a predominant emphasis on
steel production, iron-smelting and subsidiary industries.
Steel remained the lifeblood of the city but, despite
record company profits, BHP, in 1997, announced plans to
abandon most aspects of its steelmaking operations in
Newcastle in the year 2000. However, the phase-out has been
gradual and other aspects of the local manufacturing sector
are still strong. Retail trade, health and education are the
other major employment sectors.
Things to see:
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1.NEWCASTLE EAST AND THE HEADLAND
Tourist Information
People who don't know Newcastle are always surprised at how
many different activities the city offers. A logical place
to start is the visitors' centre which is situated at 363
Hunter Street (on Wheeler Place). The staff are
knowledgeable and very helpful, tel: (02) 4974 2999 or
contact them via email at tourism@ncc.nsw.gov.au
The Famous Tram
A 45-minute overview of the city, its major tourist
attractions, convict past, fort, gaol etc, with an
informative commentary, is provided aboard Newcastle's
Famous Tram, a replica tram from the days when they were a
major means of intracity transport. It departs from
Newcastle Railway Station (cnr Watt and and Scott Sts) on
the hour from 10.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m., seven days a week,
with an extra 3.00 p.m. service in school holidays. It does
not operate on school holidays. Ring (02) 4963 7954 for
prices or contact them via email at tram@castle.net.au
Former Police Station
Walk east (towards the ocean) along Scott St. At 92 Scott
St, opposite Pacific St, is the fine old stationmaster's
residence (1858). Beautifully restored it has fine iron
columns supporting a porch with very ornate cast-iron
lacework. Opposite, at the corner of Pacific and Scott Sts,
is a building partially obscured by hedges and trees. It is
the former Newcastle East Police Station (1880) built as a
water police residence.
The Old Courthouse Column and Coal Mining Monument
Head east along Scott St. Near its end Parnell Place runs
off to the left. This thoroughfare was hit by shells from a
Japanese submarine in 1942. To the immediate right is a
small park wherein lies a large column. This belonged to the
old courthouse (1841) on the corner of Bolton and Hunter Sts
which was demolished in 1899 to make way for the post
office.
At the end of Parnell Place is a complex intersection, to
the side of which is a monument to Newcastle's coalmining
and shipping industries with a series of plaques depicting
the evolution and interaction of both industries.
Fort Scratchley and Maritime Museum
From this intersection a small driveway heads up the steep
hill to Fort Scratchley which is perched atop a large knoll
that lies immediately behind, and overlooking, Nobbys Beach,
the headland and the river mouth. Called Braithwaite's Head
by Lt. Shortland in 1797 this eminence was later known by
various names (Fort Fiddlesticks to the convicts). Being an
obvious place for a warning beacon, a signal mast was set up
in 1804, earning it the name Signal Hill. It was replaced by
a coal-fire beacon in 1813 which burned until Nobbys
Lighthouse was set up in 1858.
The army gained use of the site from 1843 and it was, for
some time, used as a training ground. When fear of a Russian
invasion gripped the colony in the 1870s it was decided that
Newcastle, because of its strategic importance as a coal and
steel producer, needed to be properly fortified. The fort,
designed by Lt-Col. Peter Scratchley, was built between 1881
and 1886 though it was, of course, upgraded in the twentieth
century. The Heritage of Australia notes that Fort
Scratchley 'is one of only two examples of late 19th-century
military fortifications in New South Wales'.
The fortıs moment came in June 1942 when a Japanese
submarine attacked Newcastle which, as a coal port, was an
obvious target. The guns of the fort (which, at this point,
had been waiting for action for sixty five years) then fired
the only shots ever launched at an enemy vessel from the
Australian mainland.
The military finally departed from the site in 1972 and
it is now the Newcastle Region Maritime and Military Museum,
open from 10.30 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. every day but Monday.
Displays include the Boat Gallery, a carronade gun from
1762, a torpedo (they're bigger than you might think), items
salvaged from the French barque Adolphe which was wrecked on
the northern breakwater in 1904 (and which can still be seen
at times) and the Time Ball, which stood atop Customs House
from 1877 to the 1940s, and which was lowered at exactly
1.00 p.m. each afternoon to allow ships to check their
chronometers.
In the rock platform below Fort Scratchley are the ocean
pools known as the Soldiers Baths, built in 1882.
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| Fort Scratchley
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Nobbys
Immediately below Fort Scratchley, off the roundabout at the
end of Nobbys Rd, is a kiosk and a large carpark adjacent
Harbourside Park. From this point a very narrow finger of
land extends out from the mainland to the knoll known as
Nobbys Head whereon sits a lighthouse standing sentinel over
the southern side of the Hunter estuary. Beyond the headland
the rocky mass of the southern breakwater lends a sheltering
arm to ships entering the harbour.
Captain Cook, passing up the coast in 1770 described
Nobbys as a 'small round rock or Island, laying close under
the land'. This refers to the fact that it was then
disconnected entirely from the mainland.
Lieutenant Shortland sought shelter at Nobbys while
searching for escaped convicts in 1797 and named it Hackings
Point. There he found coal and this resulted in a subsequent
visit by Lt James Grant who called it Coal Island. Coal was
mined there until 1817 but the hillock was known as Nobbys
by 1810.
Utilising convict labour and rock fill from the Fort
Scratchley area, work began on the construction of a pier
out to the island in 1818, thought to be the oldest
rock-fill breakwater in the Southern Hemisphere. It was
named Macquarie Pier after Governor Macquarie who laid the
foundation stone. Work was halted in 1823, recommenced in
1836 using rocks from Nobbys, completed in 1846 and rebuilt
in 1864. In 1855 Nobbys was reduced in size from 61 m to 27
m and the lighthouse erected in 1857 to replace the
coal-fire beacon of Fort Scratchley. The original lighthouse
was designed by Edmund Blacket though it has since been
replaced
You can walk along this artificial promontory, with
Nobbys Beach to your right, past the lighthouse and along
the breakwater to its terminus, from whence there are
excellent views across to the northern breakwater which
extends outwards from the southern end of Stockton Beach, a
massive stretch of sandy shoreline which you can see
trailing off in a north-easterly direction to Port Stephens.
Not far from the northern breakwater, clearly visible on the
shoreline of the beach, is the 1974 wreck of the Sygna.
Towards the end of the pier are five bas-relief
sculptures reflecting upon various aspects of Newcastle and
its history.
Walking back towards the mainland the remnants of some
more military fortifications are clearly apparent on Nobbys,
though they are not very accessible.
2.THE FORESHORE
If you look to your right, as you return along Nobbys Head
towards the mainland, you will see tiny Horseshoe Beach
facing east out to the ocean. The rock wall adjacent
Horseshoe Beach is a popular fishing spot. It lies at the
tip of the harbourside area now officially known as The
Foreshore.
Start walking in a westerly direction along The
Foreshore. At the end of the rocky section is an area known
as the Boat Harbour, a stone harbour constructed between
1866 and 1873. It contains the Pilot Station, established in
1866, and the Tug Wharf and has been used continuously for
over one hundred years. The earliest pilot station was a
convict-manned whaleboat which commenced operations in 1812.
Tugs still take the huge coal and container ships from the
ocean up the estuary to their moorings. Beyond the pilot
station is King's Wharf.
The large section of adjacent grassy parkland is
Harbourside Park. The enormous barbecue and shelter shed in
the park was originally a railway shed (c.1880) as this area
was once the site of the Newcastle East Marshalling Yard.
The gigantic yellow building looming over the park at its
southern fringe (in Stevenson Place) is the former John Bull
Warehouse (c.1890).
There is a pond in the park known as the Frog Pond which,
in its original form, was a well fed by a freshwater spring.
It was the major source of freshwater for the first European
settlers. Convicts once carried 100 gallons of water a day
to the prison in Scott St and ships docking in the harbour
used it to restock supplies.
The original shoreline of 1797 lay close to this site,
drawing attention to the fact that the harbour foreshores
are entirely man-made and bare little resemblance to the way
the Hunter was prior to the 19th century. They were
constructed from about 1840 with material supplied by ship's
ballast, the dredging of the river mouth and sand taken from
the dunes of Newcastle East.
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| Restaurants at Queens
Wharf, Port Hunter |
Queen's Wharf
Walk westwards along Wharf Rd and you will come to Queens
Wharf. The observation tower,which is linked, via a walkway,
to the city mall offers an excellent view up the Hunter
River and across the city. There is also a marina, a ferry
wharf (you can cross the Hunter on the Stockton ferry - a
pleasant 15-minute trip), a tavern, boutique brewery, cafe
and restaurant.
Great North Walk and the Yuelarbah Track
A plaque on the tower indicates that this is also the end
point of the 250-km Great North Walk from Sydney Cove
through the Hunter Valley to Newcastle, a 14-day walk taking
in a wide range of environments and attractions, both
natural and man-made. It can be broken down into smaller
subsections, such as the Yuelarbah Track (the local section)
which covers 25 km. Contact the tourist information centre
for a brochure.
The William IV and Merewether St Wharf
Just a little further west along Wharf Rd are the Merewether
St wharves where, on the third Sunday of each month, the
William IV, a replica of the first Australian built coastal
steamer, departs at 11.00 a.m. and 2.00 p.m. for a cruise
around the harbour, tel: (02) 4926 1200. The original vessel
was built near Clarencetown and the replica was constructed
at Raymond Terrace.
The industrial area of Carrington lies on the other side
of the harbour. Directly opposite the wharves is the state
dockyard. To the left of that you will see The Basin
receding to the north.
On the corner of Wharf Rd and Argyle St is Argyle House,
the former headquarters of the Australian Agricultural Co.
(c.1883). It has some particularly fine cast-iron lacework
around the eaves and columns.
3.THE SOUTHERN COASTLINE
Newcastle Beach
Newcastle Beach lies off Shortland Esplanade which follows
the coastline south from Fort Scratchley down to King Edward
Park. There is safe swimming from in front of the surf club
at the northern end of the beach. Also at the northern end
is a large ocean bath and the canoe pool - an old, large and
safe children's wading pool. The southern end is noted for
its surfing. Indeed the Surfest Surfing Competition is held
annually on Newcastle Beach in April.
King Edward Park
There is an army fortification zone on the hilltop at the
southern end of King Edward Park. The military remnants can
be seen near the carpark at the crest of the street known as
The Terrace. The fortifications were established in 1890 but
rebuilt during World War II when it was known as Park
Battery. A cement fortess and a series of pillboxes remain
though they are now crumbling and marked by graffiti.
From this point there are good views eastwards over the
ocean where there are usually dozens of ships queueing for
entrance into the harbour. To the north are Newcastle Beach,
Nobbys Head, the two breakwaters which superintend the river
estuary and, beyond that, Stockton Beach. Within the river
mouth the Hunter recedes north-west into the distance and
northwards into Stockton Channel where it passes under
Stockton Bridge while Throsby Creek snakes its serpentine
way to the south-west. As you gaze down towards the harbour
you can see an obelisk at the far end of the park, Newcastle
Anglican Cathedral towering atop an intervening hill and the
weight of heavy industry encamped implacably about the
estuary voiding its bowels to the sky.
Wander down The Terrace, observing the fine Victorian
terrace houses (c.1890) which give the street its name. At
the bottom of The Terrace turn right into Reserve Rd then
take the left into Wolfe St. There is a signposted set of
steps to your right leading up to The Obelisk situated atop
a hill from whence there are excellent views. A windmill
built on this site in 1820 became a major navigational aide
for shipping. Its demolition in 1847 provoked protests from
mariners and, consequently, the obelisk was erected as an
alternative marker in 1850. An early water reservoir was
situated under this spot in 1885.
Looking south, back down into the gully, there is a
lovely octagonal band rotunda (1898) with finial, columns,
balustrades and intricate lacework, all of cast iron, as
well as a frieze around the base. This depression was once
the site of a paddock for Australian Agricultural Company
horses which worked in an adjacent pit (at the corner of
Bingle St and Anzac Parade). It now features a sunken
garden.
If you walk along Reserve Rd to the fencing on the
hillside you will find a road alignment post on the far side
dating from 1864, together with an explanatory plaque.
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| Waves breaking over the
Bogey Hole |
One of the roadways which winds through the park leads
down to the Bogey Hole at the very bottom of the cliffs
below the fortifications. This large excavation in the rocks
tells us something of the nature of Newcastle in the early
19th century. It is, in fact, a bathing pool which was built
by convict labour for the personal pleasure of Major James
T. Morriset, the military commandant from 1819-1822 who did
much to improve the breakwater, roads and barracks in the
settlement. Known for many years as Commandant's Bath it
became a public pool in 1863. As one stands and watches the
waves ceaselessly washing over the pool the extent of the
achievement and the grossness of the indulgence becomes
apparent, for the convicts must have dug this hole between
waves, waste high in water.
Shepherds Hill
Just south of King Edward Park the land continues to rise to
a high point atop Shepherds Hill. The name presumably
derives from Lt-Col. Paterson's 1801 survey report, in which
he named it Sheep Pasture Hill after the English
associations its appearance stirred in him. Strzelecki
Lookout, atop the hill, is named in honour of the Polish
geologist and explorer whose chemical analyses and research
into coal deposits from 1839-45 influenced the development
of the region.
Looking southwards from this excellent vantage point the
form of the coastline is clear: a series of beaches
separated by rocky chunks of headland which rise steeply
above the waterline. These bluffs range in size from small
headlands to sizeable stretches of coastline. To be more
specific, as one gazes southwards, the tiny beach near the
southern end of Shepherds Hill is Susan Gilmore Beach, then
there is Bar Beach followed by a small rocky outcrop, on the
other side of which are Dixon Park Beach and Merewether
Beach. Next is a major headland, followed by Burwood Beach,
a small promontory known as Little Redhead Pt, Dudley Beach,
then a lengthy strip of escarpment and finally Redhead Beach
which becomes Nine Mile Beach on its sojourn to the Swansea
area at the mouth of Lake Macquarie.
Looking westwards the view extends over Newcastle West,
Hamilton, Broadmeadow, Waratah, Jesmond and on to the
mountains. The north-eastern tip of Newcastle is obscured
though it is possible to follow the south-westerly course of
Throsby Creek and to discern the belching smokestacks of the
Mayfield steelworks.
Hang-gliding is very common from the hilltops,
particularly off Shepherds Hill.
Susan Gilmore Beach and Bar Beach
Memorial Drive follows the rim of Shepherds Hill south past
another carpark and lookout area to Bar Beach, a popular and
patrolled family beach behind which is Empire Park. From the
northernmost end of Bar Beach there is access to tiny Susan
Gilmore Beach, named after an American ship which was
wrecked there. It is separated from Bar Beach by the
protrusion of Shepherds Hill's southern end; a degree of
isolation which makes it popular with those seeking a more
complete tan.
Dixon Park Beach and Merewether
At the southern end of Bar Beach a small headland separates
it from Dixon Park which abuts Dixon Park Beach - another
patrolled family beach, the southern end of which is known
as Merewether Beach. There is a fine and very large ocean
pool at its far end, said to be the largest in the Southern
Hemisphere. The carpark above Merewether Beach offers good
views northwards to Shepherds Hill.
In European terms Merewether was initially part of the
Burwood Estate which belonged to James Mitchell who
commenced coalmining here in the 1840s. He built a copper
smelter and later added a rail link to the Newcastle
wharves.
Merewether Heights and Hillcrest
From here the main road (Scenic Drive) climbs steeply to
Merewether Heights. There are good views westwards over the
sprawl of suburban Newcastle. Not far from the road, to the
right, on a hillside surrounded by trees, is an historic and
very attractive mansion known as Hillcrest (it is the only
distinctive building to be seen and is a light mustard
colour characterised by numerous gables).
It was built by Edward Merewether, after whom the area is
named, in 1861. Merewether came to NSW in 1838 as
aide-de-camp to Governor Gipps, became Mitchell's son-in-law
and was superintendent of the Australian Agricultural
Company from 1861 to 1875.
Near the top of the hill take the sharp left into Hickson
St for more fine views along the coastline. From here the
land drops again down into Murdering Gully.
Yuelarbah and Burwood Beach
Scenic Rd soon rejoins the Pacific Highway. About 1.5 km
south, turn left into Kahibah Rd then left again into
Burwood Rd. As you drive south along Burwood Rd watch for
the railway line across the road. Tiny Kahibah Station is to
the right. Just past the line, to the left, is the Yuelarbah
Picnic Area and walking track which leads through dense
bushland along Flaggy Creek to Glenrock Lagoon and on to
Burwood Beach (2.5 km). This is part of the aforementioned
Great North Walk which leads on to Newcastle (8.9 km) and,
in the other direction, for those who are feeling fit, to
Sydney Cove (241 km).
Glenrock Recreation Area and Dudley Beach
Further south along Burwood Rd there is a good view to the
left down to Dudley Beach and the tankers entering or
leaving Newcastle Harbour. Just beyond this point there is a
left turn into Dudley Beach Rd (the signpost says Glenrock
Recreation Area) which leads down to a large carpark behind
Dudley Beach, another fine stretch of coastline which feels
quite remote and un-suburban. This is a very pleasant spot
with wooded slopes rising to the west and high headlands
demarcating either end of the beach. There are usually
around two dozen tankers offshore.
Awabakal Nature Reserve
At the southern end of Dudley Beach is a stretch of rocky
coastline which forms the eastern boundary of Awabakal
(pronounced 'ar-wob-a-cawl') Nature Reserve, 200 ha of
freshwater swamps and creeks, sheltered gullies, wet
sclerophyll forest, wet and dry heath, rock platform and a
variety of animal life, as well as Aboriginal middens and
campsites. There are several lagoons and an old quarry site
which can be reached by means of walking trails which also
lead out to Dudley Bluff on the coastline.
These walking tracks depart from the end of Collier St,
Redhead, and from the ends of both Boundary St and Ocean St,
Dudley. However, they are not clearly signposted and hence
it is advisable to ring the local ranger on (02) 4942 6311
in advance of any prospective visit in order to clarify
matters.
Redhead Beach
Just south of Awabakal, at the end of Beach Rd, is Redhead
Beach, a fine surfing beach that extends southwards as Nine
Mile Beach to the Swansea area. There were once several
farms within this intervening stetch of land. An orchard
existed at Redhead in the 1860s but the area was later given
over to mining. The pit was located adjacent Redhead beach
with a jetty for shipment up to Newcastle harbour.
4. NATURAL ATTRACTIONS - NON-COASTAL
Blackbutt Reserve
Nothing more could give the lie to the notion that Newcastle
is an exclusively industrial area than Blackbutt Reserve,
one of the highlights of any trip to Newcastle. This
beautiful area (180 ha) of tall blackbutt forest, woodland
and rainforest pockets contains a wealth of flora, birdlife
and other animals well within the boundaries of suburban
Newcastle, south-west of the city and due south of Lambton.
The surrounding vegetation is quite dense and lush with a
good canopy, perhaps a reminder of how the land here looked
before white settlement. The strange sounds of the
Australian bush are quite astonishingly loud and clear at
dusk. What is more it is all free.
The main and by far the best recreation area is the
elaborately developed Black Duck Picnic Area at the southern
end of Carnley Ave (which constitutes the eastern boundary
of the reserve), not far from its intersection with
Charlestown Rd. There is a large carpark, a very large, open
grassed area for play with childrens' recreational
facilities, toilets and shelter sheds, a pioneer cottage
which replicates the rough style of domestic housing
utilised by early and mid-nineteenth century settlers, a
large pond with a range of waterbirds, a very large
enclosure full of kangaroos, emus, euros and peacocks and,
finally, a fenced-off wildlife exhibit which is open from
10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. daily.
With regards to the latter a wooden pathway leads past a
series of observation platforms which overlook enclosures
within which are some beautiful and brilliantly coloured
bird species including the appropriately-named black-winged
stilt, the very peculiar rufous night heron, turquoise and
king parrots, rosellas, coucals, curlews, the crested pigeon
with its peculiar mating dance, the tiny and delicate
peaceful dove and the lustrous tropical colours of the
lorikeets. The walkway leads to a larger viewing area which
encircles an enclosure full of koalas in tree forks. Beyond
it is a rocky ledge occupied by wallabies and wallaroos.
Near the carpark is a large signpost which features a map
of the whole reserve with its access points and its walking
trails, their points of origin and termination and their
lengths.
From the southern end of the Black Duck carpark is a
signpost indicating the circular Main Ridge Walk (2.4 km),
which also takes in the picnic area adjacent Lookout Rd, and
the Rainforest Walk (2 km). Another trail behind the
kangaroo enclosure heads off to the northern picnic areas.
They can also be reached by driving north along Carnley Ave
and turning left into Orchardtown Rd. The third left is
Freyberg St, at the end of which lies Richley Reserve.
If you continue to the end of Orchardtown Rd then turn
left into Queens Rd you will come to the Mahogany Picnic
Area from whence there are more signposted walking tracks,
although this area is more thinly vegetated, less
interesting and not so well maintained. However, if you
follow the road around the corner as it becomes Mahogany
Drive then a driveway to the right leads to a very pleasant
clearing with a readily identifiable walking path which
starts you on the circular Tall Tree Ridge Walk (45 minutes)
through very tall open forest and woodlands.
There is another well-signposted recreation area on the
eastern side of Lookout Rd. This section has two levels.
There is a picnic area just off Lookout Rd which is the
starting point for the Lookout Walk (20 minutes), supposedly
offering spectacular views, though sometimes the dense tree
growth obscures the vista. A subsidiary road leads down to
the Main Ridge Picnic Area from whence signposted walking
trails head off into the very attractive and quite dense
bushland, ranging in length from the very pleasant Senses
Track (150 m) through the Rainforest Walk (1.5 km) to the
Main Ridge Walk. For further information ring (02) 4952
1449.
Shortland Wetlands Centre
The Wetlands Centre is a 45-hectare area on the edge of
Hexham Swamp which has been returned to its natural state
after spells as a rubbish dump and a football club in the
days when marshland was regarded as waste ground. There are
walking trails, ranging from 300 m to 1.6 km, interpretation
trails with help stations, a bicycle trail (3 km - also
suitable for walking) which takes in an old Aboriginal stone
manufactory site, a canoe trail along Ironbark Creek and its
tributaries, bicycle and canoe hire (or bring your own),
picnic and barbecue facilities, ands a visitors' centre
where there is a theatrette, a classroom/laboratory (the
centre caters for schools and research groups), a cafe and
souvenirs for sale.
There are around 170 species of birds on the grounds,
including about 30 which breed on-site. Some, such as the
freckled duck and magpie geese are rare or endangered. Other
species include black swans, ibis, superb blue wrens,
nankeen night herons, brown honey sparrows, little grebes,
yellow-faced honeyeaters, dusky moorhens, red-rumped
parrots, willy wagtails, swamp hens and egrets. The latter
nest in paperbark trees in summer and can be viewed from a
special viewing tower (bring your binoculars). There are
also reptiles, amphibians, mammals, insects, fish and other
pond life.
To get there turn south off the highway at Sandgate along
Wallsend Rd which becomes Sandgate Rd, then turn right at
the roundabout. For furter information contact the Centre on
(02) 4951 6466 or twc@wetlands.org.au. They are open seven
days from 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.
Mt Sugarloaf Lookout
Main Rd, which heads west off Lookout Rd adjacent Blackbutt
Reserve, becomes George Booth Drive near West Wallsend and
continues on beyond Seahampton, at the outskirts of
Newcastle, towards Kurri Kurri. Just beyond Seahampton is a
signposted turnoff to the left into Mt Sugarloaf Rd which
takes you to the top of Mt Sugarloaf itself where, at 412 m
above sea-level, there are picnic and barbecue areas,
several walking tracks (ranging from 275 m to 1.6 km) and
some magnificent views of Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the
Lower Hunter Valley. The two large steel structures at the
top are TV transmitters.
The view from the top carpark is eastwards. In the
foreground is West Wallsend with the industry about the
Hunter estuary in the distance and, beyond that, the ocean.
The large inland body of water to the south is Lake
Macquarie with Cockle Creek wending westwards and, at dusk,
the bright lights of Cardiff are plainly visible at the
northern end of the lake.
The bitumen walkway which heads off from the carpark
winds its way up and around the summit and leads to The
Pinnacle from whence the views are outstanding. To the
south-east it is possible to see a great deal of the Central
Coast and its hinterland dominated by the lake system. On
the western shore of Lake Macquarie are the stacks of
Eraring Power Station. Rotating slowly to the right the eye
meets the Watagan Mountains to the south-west, then the
congregations of houses which constitute Cessnock to the
west, Kurri Kurri to the north-west and Maitland to the
north.
5. MAN-MADE ATTRACTIONS
Newcastle Regional Museum
Located at 787 Hunter St, Newcastle West, Newcastle Regional
Museum is a large modern centre housed within an old brewery
with a range of displays relating to the industrial and
technological heritage of the city, including a major
coalmining exhibition, items of social history and, perhaps
its greatest attraction, the Supernova Science Centre - a
very much child-oriented, hands-on, interactive science
display on the top floor which includes Mininova for 3 to 8
year olds. It is open every day but Mondays from 10.00 a.m.
to 5.00 p.m. and entry is free, contact (02) 4974 1400 or
nrmuseum@ncc.nsw.gov.au
Activities Centres
There are a number of activities centres of different types
in the larger Newcastle area. Go Karts Go is located at
Marathon Stadium in Broadmeadow (tel: 02 4952 9129),
Newcastle Supa Putt, at the corner of Turton Rd and
Griffiths Rd, Broadmeadow (tel: 02 4952 1344), Megaplay at
292 Maitland Rd, Mayfield (tel: 02 4960 8400), the Playtime
Family Entertainment Centre at 184 King St (tel: 02 4925
2660) and Timezone at 209 Hunter St, tel: (02) 4929 1761. To
contact Newcastle Paintball ring 1800 633 317.
Art Galleries
The major art gallery in Newcastle is Newcastle Region Art
Gallery in Laman St. Newcastle's major gallery it houses
over 3000 works, focusing principally on Australian art
dating back to the colonial period, with works by Arthur
Streeton, William Dobell, Russell Drysdale, Sidney Nolan,
Arthur Boyd and Brett Whiteley. There are also fine
collections of Australian and Japanese 20th-century ceramics
and Aboriginal bark paintings from Arnhem Land. The gallery
is beautifully situated in leafy surroundings opposite Civic
Park and is open every day but Monday from 10.00 a.m. to
5.00 p.m. , contact (02) 4974 5100 or kmewing@ncc.nsw.gov.au
The Von Bertouch Galleries are also on Laman St (no. 61)
and they are open Friday to Monday and by appointment,
contact (02) 4929 3584. Outback Art at 64 Industrial Drive,
Mayfield, is housed in Simpson's Cottage built in 1852 by
local stonemason William McNulty who built several churches
in the area. They are open weekends or by appointment,
contact (02) 4963 3229 or outbackart1@bigpond.com
Others include the John Paynter Gallery at 90 Hunter St
(tel: 02 4925 2265), Back to Back Galleries at 57 Bull St
(tel: 02 4929 3677), Studio 48 Art Gallery in Mackie Ave,
(tel: 02 4956 4515), the Watt Space Gallery at the corner of
King and Auckland Sts, (tel: 02 4921 8733), the John Earle
Studio at 126 Glebe Rd, Merewether (tel: 02 4965 3121), the
Steep Stairs Art Gallery at 96 Glebe Rd, The Junction (tel:
02 4965 4494), and three in Cooks Hill: the Cooks Hill
Gallery at 67 Bull St (tel: 4926 3899), the Gibson St
Gallery at 15 Gibson St (tel: 02 4929 3070), and the Wide
Horizons Gallery at 144 Darby St, tel: (02) 4929 6883.
Tours and Explorations
There are numerous tour operators who offer trips to various
types of attractions in various different areas aboard
various modes of transport. As previously mentioned the
William IV, a replica steamer, departs from the Merewether
St Wharf at 11.00 a.m. and 2.00 p.m. for a cruise around the
harbour on the third Sunday of each month, contact (02) 4926
1200.
Newcastle's Famous Tram departs from Newcastle Railway
Station on the hour between 10.00 a.m. and 2.00 p.m., seven
days a week for a 45-minute tour of the city, its major
tourist attractions and its heritage sites, together with a
running commentary. There is an additional 3.00 p.m. tour
during school holidays but the service does not operate at
all on public holidays, contact (02) 4963 7954.
Horizon Safaris conduct 4WD tours from Newcastle north
through Stockton Beach up to Port Stephens or through the
vineyards of Port Stephens and the Lower Hunter, as well as
a tour through the heritage of Morpeth, contact (02) 4982
6328. Scenic Tours Australia are located at 50 Hunter St,
Newcastle, contact (02) 4929 4333. Hunter Valley Day Tours
offer a range of guided 4WD tours of the Hunter Valley
complete with commentary. They pick up clients from
anywhere. Bookings are necessary, contact (02) 4938 5031.
Hunter and District Excursions are based in Mayfield (tel:
02 4967 5969 or email: Gmorganhades@aol.com) while Sand
Safaris Active Adventure Tours explore areas such as
Stockton Beach (tel: 02 4965 0215 or
info@sandsafaris.com.au).
Local history walks and talks are conducted by Carole
Frazer, tel: (02) 4967 5969. Two books concerning local
walking trails are Walks in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie,
and Coastal Walks from Newcastle to Sydney, both by Ken
Scott.
Events
Some of Newcastle's major annual events include the
Newcastle Maritime Festival (January), the Newcastle
Longboard Pro Am (February), the Newcastle Regional Show,
Surfest and the Autumn Racing Carnival (March), the Beaumont
St Jazz and Arts Festival (April), the Shoot Out Film-making
Competition and the Hunter St Festival of Sport (July), the
Conservatorium Keyboard Festival, the Newcastle Jazz
Festival and the Newcastle Cathedral Flower Festival
(August), the Spring Horse Racing Carnival, the Newcastle
Cathedral Festival and the Newcastle Young Writers Festival
(September), Fiesta (in Beaumont St, Hamilton), Mattara (aka
the Festival of Newcastle) and the Mattara Hill Climb in
King Edward Park (October), the King St Fair and Carols By
Candlelight (December).
6.HERITAGE BUILDINGS
Newcastle has numerous buildings and sites of historical
value, some of them of considerable architectural quality
and interest.
|
| The Customs House near
Port Hunter |
Customs House
The former Customs House is a large and graceful building
adorned by a prominent clock tower. One of Newcastle's most
impressive architectural monuments, it was designed by
colonial architect James Barnet and built in 1876-77 with
the Watt St wing added 1898-1900. To the rear is the old
railway pay office (1879).
This whole block of land was once occupied by a convict
stockade, established in 1805 under the supervision of
Charles Throsby. It functioned as the major work area for
convicts, being principally a lumber yard. It was destroyed
by fire in 1851 by which time it was in commercial use.
Railway Station
Opposite the Customs House is Newcastle Railway Station.
Considered a major example of Victorian railway architecture
it constitutes five buildings, symmetrically arranged and
was built in 1878. The line to Sydney was not completed
until 1889.
The fact that these civic buildings stand virtually
adjacent to and overlook both city and harbour is entirely
appropriate as it reflects the integration of what is very
much a working harbour into the city's public life.
Hunter St (PWD Building, Police Station Museum and
Post Office)
Proceed up Watt St then turn right into Hunter St. The three
buildings on the right-hand side of the road occupy an
entire block and together they make a major contribution to
the quality of the inner city streetscape. They also
represent the work of three of NSW's four most significant
government architects. To the immediate right, on the
corner, is the old Public Works Department Building,
originally a post office (1860) but redesigned by James
Barnet in 1872 for the PWD with the upper floor added in
1877. A plaque on the building reminds us that several of
Newcastle's major thoroughfares are named after noted
engineers - George Stevenson, Thomas Telford, James Watt,
Matthew Bolton, Thomas Newcomen, Arthur Wolfe and the
Perkins family.
Next door is the police station, a two-storey sandstone
building designed by Mortimer Lewis in 1859 and extended by
James Barnet in 1890. It now houses the John Paynter Gallery
and the police station museum which features the original
padded cell and exercise yard of the old lock-up.
On the corner of Hunter and Bolton Sts is the post office
- a fine piece of Edwardian Classical architecture designed
by W.L. Vernon and erected on the site of the old courthouse
in 1903. With its ground-floor arcade, first-floor
colonnade, parapet and cupolas it was apparently based on
Palladio's Basilica at Vicenza. The Bolton St annex was
formerly a Bond Store (1875-1903).
Further west along Hunter St is the mall which retains a
large number of Victorian and Edwardian facades above
ground-floor level.
Longworth Institute
Turn right down Bolton St then left into Scott St. Around
the corner, at 127-131 Scott Street, is an excellent
two-storey red-brick building with an elaborate facade
designed by Frederick Menkens who moved from Germany,
bringing with him the baroque style of his native land. This
was his favourite building and he subsequently worked from a
room on the second floor. Its highlights are the superb
oriel windows on the first floor, the carved keystones to
the ground floor windows, the door, and the overall
ornamental detail culminating in a niche containing an
anthropomorphised sculpture of 'Commerce'. It was built in
1892 for brewer and alcohol merchant Joseph Wood as offices
and auction rooms, became the Longworth Institute (a
library, art gallery and music recital centre) and is now
the Air Force Club.
Bolton Street
Retun up Bolton St, one of the first thoroughfares of the
settlement, and proceed to the King St intersection. Across
the road, on the south-western corner, are the old court
chambers (1898) - a building which sports a considerable
variety and degree of ornamentation about the gables,
windows and doors and which bears a corner plaque with the
bust of a judge, together with the name of the building and
architect.
Behind the building at 51-55 Bolton St is Rose Cottage
(1828), Newcastle's oldest surviving building. It was,
apparently, once the home of 'Black' Harris, a man of
dubious but well-established local renown.
At the corner of Bolton and Church St is the Grand Hotel
(1891). On the opposite corner is Newcastle East Public
School, Newcastle's first school which was established in
1816 by Commandant Thompson under a convict teacher. It is
the oldest school still in existence in Australia and was
moved to this site in the 1830s. It became a public school
in 1883. The present building dates from 1908.
Courthouse
At the head of and overlooking Bolton St are the imposing
archway and the pillars of justice (overseen by the lion and
unicorn and a bust of Queen Victoria) of the courthouse
(1890). It is a symmetrical design with a central block
flanked by two wings and a pediment capped by a small tower.
Newcomen Street
Proceed westwards up Church St then turn left up Newcomen
St. On the right-hand side is a very large grammar school
(c.1860). Return to and cross over Church St, continuing
northwards down Newcomen St. On the left, occupying the
latter end of the street, is the Newcastle Club. The
building which now constitutes the southernmost section of
the club complex is Claremont (c.1840). One of Newcastle's
oldest surviving buildings, it was built for the Australian
Agricultural Company. The wall was erected by convicts.
|
| Christ Church Anglican
Cathedral |
Christ Church Anglican Cathedral
Return to Church St and turn right, continuing westwards.
The building which gives its name to the street is Christ
Church Anglican Cathedral which replaced an earlier Anglican
church dating from 1817. This gigantic building is one of
Newcastle's most impressive. However, its construction has
been lengthy and piecemeal. Originally designed by J.
Horbury Hunt in 1869, work did not commence until 1883 as a
result of financial difficulties and arguments about design.
Even then Canon Selwyn's interference and determination to
wrest control from Hunt slowed construction which ceased
again in 1885 and did not recommence until 1891. Although
the building was dedicated in 1902 the chancel remained
incomplete until 1912. The nave was finished in 1928, the
tower in 1979 and the central spire still awaits
construction.
There is a separate timber bellcote on the grounds, 72
stained-glass windows, a wealth of religious adornment
within (mostly donated) and fine views from the grounds. It
is, of course, advisable to inspect the interior where you
will find a self-tour pamphlet. Guided tours can also be
arranged by prior arrangement.
Over the road is Cathedral Hall (1883), also designed by
Hunt, which served the congregation while the cathedral was
being built.
Church Street
Proceed westwards over Wolfe St. To the right are a series
of Victorian terraces from the 1890s. Duck up Perkins St. On
the right is St Mary's Star of the Sea Catholic Church
(1866). Just past it is the presbytery, originally the
residence of the man who kept the light towers ablaze (see
entry on Tyrrell St).
On the north-eastern corner of Church and Brown Sts is
Minumbah (1890), a substantial Victorian residence thought
to have been built by Newcastle's first lord mayor as a
wedding present for his daughter. Just beyond this point, to
the right, is the site of the Australian Agricultural
Company's 'A' Pit - the first they established in Newcastle
and, in fact, the first privately owned colliery in
Australia. The private railway line they built to carry the
material to the harbour was the first railway in Australia.
As you approach McCormack St, to the left, are two fine
19th-century mansions at 49 and 51 Church St. Marlborough
House is a very fine, two-storey red brick house with arched
windows and doors, while Woodlands is a rather beautiful
mansion built in 1878 for Joseph Wood of Castlemaine and
Wood Brewery with quoins, columns and cast-iron lacework,
set in an attractive garden with stone fencing.
Laman St (The Regional Art Gallery, Baptist Tabernacle
and St Andrews)
Turn left into McCormack St and, at its end, take the right
into Tyrrell St. Near the bottom, to the right, is a
synagogue dating from 1927. Cross Darby St and enter shady
Laman St. To the right is beautiful Civic Park and to the
left is the Newcastle Regional Art Gallery.
By the corner of Laman and Dawson St is the Baptist
Tabernacle Church (1889) with elaborate pillars and arched
entranceway and, just beyond it, to the right, is St Andrews
Presbyterian Church (1880s), an impressive building designed
by Menkens with a very vertical aspect and tall spire.
Further down Laman St (at no.61) are Von Bertouch
Galleries in a lovely old building (c.1870).
City Hall
Turn right down Auckland St then right into King St. The
city hall, to the left, is a large and impressive civic
building with a tall clock tower which was opened in 1929.
Just beyond it is the unusual circular design of the City
Council Administration Building.
Civic Park
Cross over King St and enjoy a walk beneath the enormous
shady trees of Civic Park. There are two war memorials and
the unconventional sculpture of Captain Cook Memorial
Fountain. This is also a very pleasant spot for a night
visit when the bats are plainly audible and, in springtime,
the ripe fruit falls from the trees like raindrops, forming
a thick slippery surface beneath the feet and filling the
air with the heavy odour of mouldering matter.
Tyrrell St (School, Tower and Reservoir)
The steps by the fountain lead you back to Laman St. Cross
Darby St and head east back up shady Tyrrell St. As you
climb the hill the well-established trees which line the
street almost form a covering canopy. There are some
attractive houses and the scent of the gardens is heavenly
in spring.
At the top of the hill is the intersection with Brown St.
To the right is a public school which dates from 1878 and
which became Newcastle's first high school in 1911. It was
on this site that the aforementioned Newcastle East Public
School was established in 1816.
On the other side of the road is a large stone tower, one
of two built in 1865. Fires lit in their crenellated peaks
served as navigational markers to orientate ships entering
the harbour. The views down the hill over the harbour and
the Hunter River are excellent.
Behind the high brick wall diagonally opposite the light
tower is Newcastle's first water reservoir (still in use),
dating from 1881 and storing water pumped from Walka pumping
station near Maitland.
On the right-hand side of Tyrrell St, just before and
after you cross Wolfe St, is an attractive series of
Victorian terrace houses dating from 1870-1890. Note also
the beautiful houses across the road at 22-26 Tyrrell St,
opposite the bottom of Barker St.
Turn up Barker St. To the right, at number four, is
another exceptional, enormous and extravagant building named
'Shalamah' with a fine timber verandah and stained-glass
windows. Being situated on increasingly elevated ground with
fine views the quality of housing here suggests that it is
an up-market section of town.
Jesmond House
At the end of Barker St is Ordnance St. To the right,
appropriately crowning the hilltop, is an extraordinary and
enormous mansion named Jesmond House. Built in 1870 it was
apparently considered Newcastle's most fashionable house at
one time and it is not hard to see why. Highlights are the
elaborate staircase leading to the second-storey verandah
with its beautiful central pillar, ornamental cast-iron
fencing and ornate columns. On the other side of Barker St
(no.11) is Bryn-Y-Mor Lodge (c.1880) built as stables for
Jesmond House. Nearby is The Obelisk and King Edward Park.
Military Barracks
Turn left into Ordnance St and cross over Newcomen St. Look
down over the brick fence to the left into the grounds of
the James Fletcher Psychiatric Hospital. This was the site
of a military barracks built in 1841.
Just below the fence, at the street corner, is the
original residence of the barracks' military commandant
(1841). Look northwards along the Newcomen St fenceline.
About halfway along is the main barracks building (also
1841).
At the end of Ordnance St turn left down Watt St. On the
left you will soon come to the hospital's main entry point.
Newcastle's first underground coal shaft was sunk 18 metres
inside this driveway in 1814.
Just past the driveway, to the left, is Fletcher House, a
large brick building which was erected in 1841 as the
gatehouse to the military barracks.
Fletcher Park
Over the road is Fletcher Park, named after James Fletcher
whose likeness appears on the statue which is the reserve's
centrepiece. Fletcher (1834-1891) was chairman of the first
district miner's union in 1861, a founder of the Newcastle
Morning Herald in 1876 and a Member of the Legislative
Assembly from 1880-91, during which time he served both as
minister of mines and of public works. He was known as a
friend to the miners and was held in sufficient esteem to
occasion the erection of the park's statue in 1897 by public
subscription.
Watt St and the earliest days of the penal settlement
Watt St was effectively Newcastle's first street. It started
its life as a track down which convicts pushed barrows of
coal to the original wharf near the site of the present
Customs House. Initially known as High St the name was
changed in 1823.
The next crossroad is Church St. On the corner,
approximately on the site of the present police station,
Government House, the residence of the penal settlement's
commandant, was built in 1804, though it was destroyed by
fire in 1823.
Opposite, on the north-western corner is Buchanans
Terrace (c.1890). Sessions House stood here from 1822 until
that time. It was originally Newcastle's first courthouse,
then served as the first post office (1828), a temporary
customs house (1839) and a presbyterian manse (1859).
A little further down the street, to the left, where St
Philip's Presbyterian Church now stands, a military barrack
was erected in 1816. In a game of musical churches, the
original St Andrew's Presbyterian Church was built here in
1850 but rebuilt in Laman St in 1890 while the present St
Philip's was built at 178 Hunter St in 1863 but moved here
in 1905.
Over the road, where there is now a carpark, the
subaltern's barracks were erected for junior military
officers in 1818. Continue north down Watt St to the King St
intersection. The north-western corner is the approximate
site of the penal settlement's commissariat store which
stood here from 1812 to1849. On the right-hand side of the
road, just before the corner of Watt and Hunter Sts, where
the walk started, is the former site of a large building
erected to house convicts in 1820.
7.HERITAGE BUILDINGS - FURTHER AFIELD
Hunter St Technical College and Trades Hall Group
This fine complex stands out from the mundanity that
prevails at the western end of Hunter St. It is located at
606-608 Hunter St, just past the Union St intersection and
to the right if you are heading west. Built in 1894-95 of
terracotta and polychrome brick it is a flamboyant design
with a highly decorative facade of yellow bricks and carved
grey stonework.
Cooks Hill
Cooks Hill is named after Samuel and Elizabeth Cook who took
up residence in this area in 1869. There are too many
heritage buildings to be thorough but hopefully the
following are the most interesting.
St John's Anglican Church, at the corner of Parry and
Dawson Sts, is Newcastle's oldest surviving church, designed
by Edmund Blacket in the Early English style he favoured and
built in 1856-59 with the church hall erected in 1860.
Head west along Parry St for two blocks and turn left.
The thoroughly unimpressive and very small section of park
in the middle of Corlette St is of interest purely for the
fact that it was the site of Newcastle's first cricket pitch
(c.1860).
Return to Parry St and continue west for one block,
turning right into Union St. At 163 Union St is Leslieville,
a fine house with a lovely garden built by William Arnott of
Arnott's biscuit fame (c.1880).
The terrace groups from 39-45 Union St (c.1880) and
Strathearn (1889), around the corner in Bull St, are also of
notable quality. At the corner of Bull St and Corlette St is
a corner shop, the birthplace of famous Australian painter
William Dobell (now thoroughly altered). At 25 Olsen St is
the birthplace of painter John Olsen whose Five Bells can be
found in the opera house. He also has a mural in the
Newcastle City Hall.
Hamilton
At the corner of King St and Stewart Ave (the Pacific
Highway) there is an enormous and impressive looking head
frame (1928) from Burwood Colliery with a huge coal scoop
(approximately 6 m x 5.5 m x 5m) of unexplained origin and
function. A fine and large brick building over the road at
the Technical College dates from c.1888 when it was part of
the Castlemaine Brewery which drew its water from an
abandoned mineshaft at the Hamilton sandbeds.
In Dennison St is St Peter's Anglican Church, designed by
J. Horbury Hunt and completed in 1885.
Waratah
Just south of the Pacific Highway as it heads west out of
Newcastle (via Maud St) is Waratah. This area initially
passed into European hands in 1823 when it was issued as
part of a land grant to John Laurio Platt. He later sold
this property to the Australian Agricultural Company which
established coal mines. A settlement of miners and
brickmakers developed in the early 1850s, originally known
as Hanbury Village. The present name comes from Waratah
House, built by Charles Simpson, who bought some land here
in 1848. He rowed to work at the Newcastle Customs House. It
is today an industrial and dormitory suburb.
At the corner of Lorna and Bridge Sts is the former
Catholic Deaf Centre (1886-88), now the St Catherine of
Sienna Nursing Home. The Bridge St side of this enormous
building is in fact the rear and is unremarkable. Its
elaborate facade with decorative work along the gables is
best viewed from inside the driveway which runs off Lorna
St. Both buildings were designed by Menkens. The Catholic
Church (cnr of Bridge and Platt Sts) appears to be by the
same architect.
At the corner of Georgetown Rd and Harriet St in Waratah
you will find yourself at the top of a hill. Head downhill
along Georgetown Rd and, to your right, between Harriet St
and Tighe St, are the former Hanbury Public School (1864),
the former courthouse and, at 96 Georgetown Rd, opposite
Tighe St, the former police wireless station. The latter two
date from the 1870s and were designed by James Barnet.
Bethel Chapel, Lambton
Immediately south of Waratah is Lambton, another former
mining village with a number of old miners' cottages along
its back streets. Bethel chapel attests to the fact that
many of them were once occupied by Welsh miners. They built
the chapel in 1868 of locally quarried sandstone and, for
many years, services were conducted in the Welsh language.
Later a congregational church, it is located at 43a Dickson
St, between Grainger and Morehead Sts.
Stockton and Mayfield
It isn't a bad idea to take a drive over to Stockton, not
necessarily for its heritage values but for a closer look at
the industrial aspects of Newcastle.
The Pacific Highway passes through Mayfield north-west of
the city centre. It was once a wheat and wine grape area and
a popular spot for urbanites seeking a bush picnic. Some
substantial homes were built late in the 19th century as the
area became a residential site for those who came into
wealth in the boom years of the 1870s and 1880s. However,
when BHP established its Port Waratah Works in the 1910s,
the character of the area changed as the local economy was
reoriented to heavy industry.
Turn right off the highway into Vine St, follow it to its
end, turn left into Industrial Drive then right into Tourle
St which will take you by the Newcastle steelworks and over
the South Channel of the Hunter River on to Kooragang
Island, reclaimed in recent years for industrial usage and
the construction of the Kooragang coal loader.
What is most striking is the sheer vastness and enormity
of everything - massive buildings, massive ships, massive
mounds of coal, massive silos, massive cranes and a gigantic
windmill looking like an enormous aeroplane propellor.
Industry as far as the eye can see, dirty and dreary but
quite awesome nonetheless.
This road takes you across Stockton Bridge, after which
you take the right turn into Fullerton St and follow it
south alongside the Stockton Channel of the Hunter River
which is to the right. On the other side of the channel is
the eastern rim of Carrington.
Stockton was originally known as Pirate's Point.
Aborigines, who had camped here for hundreds of years, had
left middens which were the only source of lime in the early
days of the penal settlement. Salt was attained through the
evaporation of highly saline water attained from the masses
of mangroves which lie off Stockton's shores.
A village of weavers and spinners grew up around a large
tweed factory established in the early 1840s off present-day
Punt Rd, near Griffith Park. When the factory burned down in
1851 the economic focus shifted to timbergetting,
shipbuilding and maritime services. The Stockton Coal
Company estbalished a mine in 1886 but it was troubled by
waterlogging. The mine had closed by the turn of the century
but by that time Stockton had become a residential area
supported by new industrial developments.
At the southern tip of Stockton is Griffith Park, not the
most cultivated of parks but there are good views across to
Newcastle. From left to right the landmarks are Nobbys Head
and Lighthouse, Fort Scratchley, the tug wharf, the
foreshore, Customs House and the railway station, Queens
Wharf and, behind it, Christ Church Cathedral. From here the
hilly nature of the terrain on which Newcastle stands is
most apparent. The ferry service also operates from here
across to Queens Wharf.
It is a pleasant walk around to the northern breakwater
where you can see the remains of the Adolphe, a French
barque wrecked in 1904. The wreck of the Sygna (1974) is
plainly visible further north along Stockton Beach.
Broadwalk
Business Brokers
Broadwalk Business
Brokers specialise in General Businesses for Sale, Caravan Parks for
Sale, Motels for Sale, Management Rights & Resorts for Sale, Farms for
Sale, Hotels for sale,Commercial & Industrial Properties for Sale.
Phone:
1300 136 559
Email:
enquiries@broadwalkbusinessbrokers.com.au
AUSTRALIAN BUSINESSES FOR SALE
COFFS HARBOUR BUSINESS BROKERS
BROADWALK BUSINESS BROKERS
GOLD COAST BUSINESSES FOR SALE
BRISBANE BUSINESSES FOR SALE
SYDNEY BUSINESSES FOR SALE
CARAVAN PARKS FOR SALE
BUSINESSES FOR SALE
MOTELS
FOR SALE
HOTELS
FOR SALE
Disclaimer
We advise prospective purchasers that we take no
responsibility for the accuracy of any information in the business
provided by vendors or their professional advisers and that they should
make their own enquiries as to the accuracy of this information,
including obtaining independent legal and/or accounting advice
Newcastle
