Convict Era Archives - Page 5 of 6 - Hunter Living Histories

Newcastle Proclamations and Regulations 1801 – 1818

August 10, 2011

An interesting digitisation project relating to historical documents of Newcastle has been undertaken by the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Library in London. It comprises the contents of three hand written volumes entitled: ‘Proclamations, government and general orders : made and published by the several Governors in Chief of the territory of New South Wales’ … More Newcastle Proclamations and Regulations 1801 – 1818

An Interesting Relic

January 28, 2011

“NEWCASTLE. (From Thursday’s Chronicle) AN INTERESTING RELIC. – On Friday morning last, as the workmen were employed in pulling down the walls of the Bank of New South Wales, in Watt Street, they found embedded between the plastering and the wall, a kind of small leaden case, containing a piece of white paper, about the … More An Interesting Relic

The Mysterious Origins of the Bogey Hole

December 2, 2010

Background to the original 2010 post. (Please note the links to the LPMA site are now dead) This post was updated in 2019 with extra material kindly provided by Susan Effenberger. “We attended an information session yesterday (1 December 2010) organised by Andrew Ling from the LPMA, and the designers Steve and Barney Collins who … More The Mysterious Origins of the Bogey Hole

Newcastle: Colony’s first place of secondary punishment?

November 11, 2010

Was Newcastle the Colony’s first place of secondary punishment? by Dr Brian Walsh In 1804, following the uprising at Castle Hill, a permanent settlement was established at Newcastle to house convicts who re-offended in the Colony. Until it closed in 1822 the Newcastle settlement functioned principally as a place of secondary punishment for convicts sentenced … More Newcastle: Colony’s first place of secondary punishment?

Macquarie Pier Plaque Unveiled

August 6, 2010

The Macquarie Pier Commemorative Plaque was unveiled by Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO, Governor of New South Wales at a ceremony at the Nobbys Surf Life Saving Club on the 4 August 2010 at 4 pm. The occasion was kindly sponsored and organised by the Fort Scratchley Historical Society, The Newcastle Port Corporation, … More Macquarie Pier Plaque Unveiled

The Achievements of Captain Wallis Commandant 1818

July 27, 2010

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2178450 The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser Saturday 26 December 1818 Page 1 of 4 GOVERNMENT AND GENERAL ORDERS. Government House, Parramatta, Thursday, 24th December, 1818 CIVIL DEPARTMENT. HIS EXCELLENCY the GOVERNOR, in relieving Captain JAMES WALLIS, of the 46th Regiment, from the Command of the Settlement at Newcastle, by the Appointment of … More The Achievements of Captain Wallis Commandant 1818

Quest for Macquarie Pier Foundation and Inscription Stone (1818)

February 24, 2010

In recognition of Macquarie 2010, The University of Newcastle’s Coal River Working Party will embark on the quest to find the Foundation and Inscription Stone laid in Newcastle by Governor Lachlan Macquarie back in 1818, and believed lost for over 190 years. Governor Lachlan Macquarie laid the foundation stone for the Newcastle breakwater, named in … More Quest for Macquarie Pier Foundation and Inscription Stone (1818)

ChatGPT reconstruction of original Bauer 1804 painting (now lost). [Generated 2026 from a prompt by Gionni Di Gravio]

Ferdinand Bauer 1804 View of Newcastle

February 18, 2010

1860s Linen Copy of 1804 Original Bauer Painting Digitised The Mitchell Library has digitised a circa 1860s linen copy of one of the earliest drawings of early Newcastle when only a fledgling settlement in 1804. Its creator was artist Ferdinand Bauer, 1760 – 1826. The drawing is located in the library’s collections at Call Number … More Ferdinand Bauer 1804 View of Newcastle

Image of the Government Farm, to the right and Christ Church on the left.

Remains of the Government Farm Re-discovered

August 25, 2009

We are very excited about receiving notification of the re-discovery of the footings of the Government farm on the former site of the Palais Royale in Hunter Street. We will be visiting the site this morning and will give updates as they come to hand. Here are three artistic representations by Joseph Lycett and Sir … More Remains of the Government Farm Re-discovered

Second blasting tunnel found in Nobbys headland

June 3, 2009

Link to online Newcastle Herald story 3 June 2009 – Second blasting tunnel found in Nobbys headland The Search for the Nobbys Gunpowder Tunnels The University of Newcastle’s Coal River Working Party is currently preparing a scoping document for the New South Wales Heritage Branch which sets out our goals for archaeological investigations within the … More Second blasting tunnel found in Nobbys headland