Virtual Newcastle circa 1800 -1830 AD

Screen shot of 3D Virtual Model of Newcastle as it looked circa 1830, by Charles Martin, with assistance from Russell Rigby

If you have an interest in 3D mapping for research and teaching, or just want to have a look at the work of Charles Martin and his Virtual Newcastle from 1830, you are very welcome to come along to the next meeting of the Coal River Working Party to discuss construction of a Newcastle Time Machine. It will be the final meeting for the year.

Charles Martin (a design and illustration contractor for EJE Architecture) has created a series of 3D Newcastle fly throughs from 1800 to 1830, anatomically correct and based upon authentic historical archival maps and records. With the assistance of Russell Rigby, Charles has created a series of 3D Virtual fly-throughs of Newcastle circa 1800 and 1830, the latter being based upon the John Armstrong Survey 1830 (in the Alexander Turnbull Library New Zealand) and the Sir Thomas Mitchell Sketches 1828 (in the Mitchell, Sydney).

It would be great if we could obtain sponsorship to commission him and a team to use the model to incorporate the Edward Charles Close panoramas, Lycett details etc to recreate Newcastle during Wallis/Macquarie period, early 1810-1820s.

We are hoping to expand it into a truly co-operative and interdisciplinary teaching/research tool across the University. We would love you to see it and discuss some ideas with others with an interest in such virtual environments.

The meeting will be held on Monday 3rd December at the IDC (Confucius Centre) on University Drive from 1-3pm. The Industry Development Centre (IDC) is on University Drive, it has a golden seahorse on the front. See the campus map here: http://www.newcastle.edu.au/maps/callaghan/.

Gionni Di Gravio

University Archivist and

Chair, University of Newcastle’s Coal River Working Party