The three Newcastle plans below form part of a collection of twenty one (21) plans held at the University of Newcastle’s Cultural Collections that originally accompanied the 1911 Royal Commission as to the Decentralisation in Railway Transit, see: https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/38817720?q&versionId=51544349 and https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-234152383/view Unfortunately only the front cover of the report held at the National Library of Australia has been digitised on TROVE.
The three proposals for Newcastle Harbour by Mr. de Burgh apparently appear to show the proposed construction of coal jetties on Stockton Beach. In addition to the Newcastle proposals, the Report outlines proposals across New South Wales prepared by Chief Engineers Mr de Burgh and Mr. Keele and include Byron Bay, a new entrance for the Clarence River, Woolgoola Bay, Coff’s Harbour, Trial Bay, Port Stephens, Port Kembla, Jevis Bay, Wagonga and Twofold Bay.
We have also added a fourth, relating to Port Stephens, including a Training Wall (shown in blue) suggested by Mr. T.W. Keele, M. Inst. C. E. for the purpose of improving the entrance to Port Stephens.
We look forward to learning more about this Report and its proposals when we can obtain a copy.
We thank Zane Metcalfe, Archives Officer for digitising these plans.
Gionni Di Gravio
University Archivist.