The Rise and Fall of the Newcomen-street Corporation Baths: Newcastle’s White Elephant

Ashleigh Duncan, Intern University of Sydney, Museum and Heritage Studies The secret pool hidden beneath City Arcade in Newcastle has been a topic of conversation that is renewed almost yearly since 2012 when Barney Langford[1] wrote an article for the ABC about the history of the site. The baths reside on Awabakal land, and while … More The Rise and Fall of the Newcomen-street Corporation Baths: Newcastle’s White Elephant

Spanish Flu and Newcastle 1919: What can we learn today?

The Spanish Influenza epidemic of 1918-1920 struck Newcastle and the lower Hunter between March and September, 1919. During that time the disease claimed 494 lives in the district. Planning for the necessity of responding to the epidemic began before the disease’s arrival. An Influenza Committee was set up, and when the first cases appeared in … More Spanish Flu and Newcastle 1919: What can we learn today?

“M.E.H.”, Rob the Ranter’s Adored Poet

  By Louise Gale In Ross Edmonds’ post of 14 May 2019 on “Rob the Ranter” (1), he discusses the anonymous “Rob’s” contribution to the cultural life of Newcastle in 1861, and mentions Rob’s literary fellows: three equally anonymous poets who used only their initials in their contributions to the Newcastle Chronicle and Hunter River … More “M.E.H.”, Rob the Ranter’s Adored Poet

‘Rob the Ranter’-Literary Life in Early Newcastle

By Ross Edmonds. The early decades of White colonisation in and around Newcastle were dominated by the struggle for survival. In these circumstances any form of culture was thin on the ground, nevertheless the desire of at least a few people for more than purely material gain had made itself felt as early as 1835. … More ‘Rob the Ranter’-Literary Life in Early Newcastle

Survey Report – Do You Think Newcastle’s History is Significant?

The following is a general overview of an on-line survey investigating people’s perceptions of Newcastle’s history. The project was undertaken by UON Cultural Collections team and co-ordinated by UON student Brendan Josevski in the GLAMx Lab as part of an 80-hr social science placement. A simple 14 question survey was formulated and conducted asking the general … More Survey Report – Do You Think Newcastle’s History is Significant?

The Three Victorias

Trying to understand the early history of the Victoria can be very confusing and an interesting problem to untangle. The late Dr Lionel Fredman, writing in 1988, said: “There have been three theatres named the Victoria. The first, in the 1850’s, was converted from a wooden building backing onto a hotel in Watt Street, the … More The Three Victorias

Landcare Australia: Newcastle Foreshore Landscape and Urban Design Competition – 1982

“This competition for Newcastle is to produce a design in harmony with the opportunities and constraints upon the site; realistic and capable of implementation by the Council; enriching to the urban fabric of the city in contemporary terms yet recapturing the flavour of Newcastle’s illustrious past.”