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Newcastle is Australia's sixth largest city and the second largest in the state of New South Wales. Situated 160 km north of Sydney, on the mouth of the Hunter River, it is the predominant city within the Hunter Valley region, a significant coal shipping centre and Australia's largest provincial city (that is, the largest city that is not the capital of a state or territory).

History

Pre European Settlement

Newcastle and The Hunter Valley were traditionally occupied by the Awabakal and Worimi Aborigines.

Founding and Settlement

The first European to explore the area was Lt. John Shortland in September, 1797. His discovery of the area was largely accidental; Shortland had been sent in search of a number of convicts who had seized the Cumberland as she was sailing from Sydney Cove. While returning he entered what he later described as "a very fine river" which he named after New South Wales' Governor, John Hunter. Shortland also returned with reports of the deep-water port and abundant coal in the area. Over the next two years, coal mined from the area was the New South Wales colony's first export.

By the turn of the century the mouth of the Hunter River was being visited by diverse groups of men, including coalhewers, timber-cutters, and more escaped convicts. Philip Gidley King, Governor of New South Wales from 1800, decided on a more positive approach to exploit the now obvious natural resources of the Hunter Valley.

Besides coal, vast cedar forests covered a huge tract up the Hunter, a source of urgently needed building timber for the infant Sydney colony.

Governor King decided to establish a small post at the river mouth, however this first settlement was short lived. It was headed by one Corporal Wixtead, who was then suddenly replaced by Surgeon Martin Mason. Surgeon Mason's rule ended in a mutiny, and Governor King closed the settlement early in 1802.

A settlement was again attempted in 1804 as a place of secondary punishment for unruly convicts. The settlement was re-named Newcastle, after England's famous coal port. The name first appeared by the commission issued by Governor King on March 15, 1804, to Lieut. Charles Menzies of the Royal Marines, appointing him superintendent of the new settlement.

The new settlement comprising convicts and a military guard, arrived at the Hunter River on March 27, 1804, in three ships, the Lady Nelson, the Resource and the James.

The old links with Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, whence many of the 19th century coal miners came, is still obvious in some of the place-names - such as Jesmond, Hexham, Wickham and Wallsend.

Major Events

Newcastle remained a penal settlement for nearly 20 years. The military rule was harsh, often barbarious, and there was possibly no more notorious place of punishment in the whole of Australia than Limeburners' Bay, on the inner side of Stockton peninsular, where incorrigibles were sent to burn oyster shells for making lime.

Under Captain James Wallis, commandant from 1815 to 1818, the convicts' conditions improved, and a building boom began. Capt. Wallis laid out the streets of the town, built the first church of the site of the present Anglican Cathedral, erected the old gaol on the seashore, and began work on the breakwater which now joins Nobby's to the mainland. The quality of these buildings was poor and only (a much reinforced) breakwater survives.

For these works, and for his humane rule in the convict colony, Capt. Wallis earned the personal commendation of Governor Macquarie. In Governor Macquarie's opinion the prison colony was too close to Sydney and in any case the proper exploitation of the land was not practicable with prison labor.

Therefore, in 1823, military rule in Newcastle ended. The number of prisoners was reduced to 100 (most of these were employed on the building of the breakwater), and the remaining 900 were sent to Port Macquarie.

Freed for the first time from the infamous influence of the penal law, the town began to acquire the aspect of a typical Australian pioneer settlement, and a steady flow of free settlers poured into the hinterland.

Coal mining began in earnest in the 1830s, with collieries working close to the city itself and others within a ten-mile radius. Most of Newcastle's principal coal mines (Stockton, Tighes Hill, Carrington, the AA Co., the Newcastle Coal Mining company's big collieries at Merewether and the Glebe, Wallsend, and the Waratah collieries), had all closed by the early 1960s, being steadily replaced over the previous four decades by the larger coal mining activities further inland at places such as Kurri Kurri and Cessnock.

About 1850 a major copper smelting works was established at Burwood, near Merewether (now a suburb), an engraving of which appeared in the Illustrated London News on 11 February 1854. The English and Australian Copper Company built another substantial works at Broadmeadow circa 1890, and in that decade a zinc smelter was built inland, by Cockle Creek.

What was said to be the largest factory of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere was constructed in 1885, on a 22 acre site between the suburbs of Tighes Hill and Port Waratah, by Mr Charles Upfold (1834-1919), from London, for his Sydney Soap and Candle Company, to replace a smaller factory in Wickham. Their soap products won 17 medals at International Exhibitions, and at the Sydney International Exhibition they won a bronze medal "against all-comers from every part of the world", the only first prize awarded for soap and candles. Following The Great War the company was sold to Messrs Lever & Kitchen (today Lever Bros), and the factory closed in the mid-1930s.

After a major steel strike in the Sydney basin, the State Government of NSW encouraged BHP to build a vast modern steel producing industry with American expertise. The land put aside was prime real estate, on the southern edge of the harbour. At one stage the idea of a Botanical Garden was considered because of the waterfront location and proximity to the wealthy suburb of Mayfield. In 1915 the BHP steelworks opened, beginning a period of some 80 years dominated by the steel works and heavy industry. As Mayfield and the suburbs surrounding the steelworks declined in popularity because of pollution, the steelworks thrived, becoming the region's largest employer.

On December 28, 1989, Newcastle experienced an earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale which killed 13 people, injured 162 and destroyed or severely damaged a number of prominent buildings which had to be subsequently demolished. These included the large George Hotel in Scott Street, the Century Theatre at Broadmeadow, the Hunter Theatre at Merewether, and the majority of The Junction school. Part of the Newcastle Workers' Club, a popular venue, was also damaged but later restored. The following economic recession of the early 1990s meant that the city took several years to recover.

Geography

Newcastle is located on the southern bank of the Hunter River at its mouth. The northern side is dominated by sand dunes, swamps and multiple river channels. Because of this, urban development is mainly restricted to the hilly southern bank. The small village of Stockton sits opposite central Newcastle at the river mouth and is linked by ferry. Much of the city is undercut by the coal measures of the Sydney sedimentary basin, and what were once numerous coal-mining villages located in the hills and valleys around the port have merged into a single urban area extending southwards to Lake Macquarie.

Climate

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high (°C) 27.8 27.4 26.1 23.6 20.2 17.6 16.9 18.5 21.1 23.5 25.3 27.2 23.0
Average low (°C) 18.0 18.0 16.3 13.2 10.1 7.8 6.4 6.9 9.0 11.9 14.2 16.5 12.4
Warmest (°C) 44.1 42.8 40.7 37.0 29.6 26.6 27.8 30.1 36.0 39.4 43.2 42.8 44.1
Average precipitation (mm) 101.6 120.7 121.5 100.5 115.0 116.7 72.6 78.4 57.4 74.4 80.1 81.5 1120.4

Source: Australian Bureau of Meteorology

Demographics

The metropolitan area of Newcastle spreads over several Local Government Areas. The estimated population of the City of Newcastle at June 2004 was 145,633 (Australian Bureau of Statistics), but its neighbour, the City of Lake Macquarie, was actually larger, with an estimated 189,196 residents as of June 2004 (ABS). The combined population of the Newcastle area at the 2001 census was 470,610. This includes Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Port Stephens and Cessnock local government areas.

Newcastle today

The Port of Newcastle remains the economic and trade centre for the resource rich Hunter Valley and for much of the north and northwest of New South Wales. Newcastle is the world's busiest coal export port and Australia's oldest and second largest tonnage throughput port, with over 3,000 shipping movements handling cargo in excess of 90 million tonnes per annum (mtpa), of which coal exports represent more than 90%. The volume of coal exported, and attempts to increase coal exports, are opposed by a number of small local environmentalist groups. Newcastle has a small ship building industry, which has declined since the 1970s due to failure to win government contract tenders.

With the closure of the steel works in 2000 many see the era of heavy industry as past. This vision contrasts with Newcastle's role as a massive coal export point, and the Hunter Valley's ongoing role in coal and aluminium production. Many of the manufacturing industries have located themselves away from the city centre, focusing on cheap land and access to road transport routes. Additionally, these industries employ relatively few people, and lack the concentrated social impact of BHP on the city's life.

The city's population is growing. The city centre, has seen some new apartments and hotels built in recent years, but the rate of commercial and retail occupation remains low as alternate suburban centres have become more important.

The old central business district, located at Newcastle's eastern end, still has a considerable number of historic buildings, dominated by Christ Church Cathedral, seat of the (Anglican) Bishop of Newcastle. Other noteworthy buildings include Fort Scratchley, the Ocean Baths, the old Customs House, the 1920s City Hall, and the 1930s art deco University House (formerly NESCA House). Residents of Newcastle refer to themselves as "Novocastrians".

Education

The University of Newcastle (formerly part of the University of New South Wales) obtained its autonomy in 1965 and now with a student population of just over 20,000, it offers over 150 undergraduate and graduate courses. The university has one of the largest international student populations of any university in Australia. Along with Hunter Health, TAFE and the schools, the University is one of the largest employers in the region.

Culture

Festivals

Newcastle holds a variety of Cultural Events and Festivals, many of which attract national and some even international attention.

This Is Not Art is a national festival of new media and arts held in Newcastle each year over the October long weekend. Since its humble beginnings in 1998, it has become one of the leading arts festivals in Australia dedicated to the work and ideas of communities not included in other major Australian arts festivals. The umbrella program includes the independent festivals Electrofringe, the National Young Writers' Festival, National Student Media Conference, Sound Summit and other projects that vary from year to year.

The Shootout Film Festival, first started in Newcastle in 1999. This is the film festival where filmmakers come together in one place to make a short film in 24 hours. It is run annually in July.

Mattara, founded in 1961, is the official festival of Newcastle with a more traditional 'country fair' type program that combines a parade, rides, sporting events, band competitions and portrait and landscape painting exhibitions.

The Newcastle Jazz Festival is held across three days in August, and attracts performers and audiences from all over Australia.

These are just a few of the many festivals and street fairs held in Newcastle annually.

Music

Newcastle has an active youth music culture. Silverchair, the highly successful Australian band, hailed from Newcastle. Numerous websites have been set up to support Newcastle's vibrant music scene, notably the Newcastle Bands Project and its community forum, the Newcastle Music Directory and The Newcastle Music Awards. There is an annual Newcastle Music Week run by Hunter Institute of TAFE which runs a number of music related courses that are held in high regard amongst the local musicians and artists.

Visual Arts and Galleries

Newcastle is home to a wide range of public, commercial and private galleries. The Newcastle Regional Art Gallery (located in Laman Street) is home to an extensive collection of works by contemporary and historical Australian visual artists. It regularly presents local exhibitions from its collection and hosts touring Australian exhibitions. Gallery Director Nick Mitzevich is the youngest gallery director in Australia and has given the gallery a much more contemporary focus since he took over in 2002. *. The gallery is currently planning a major redevelopment which is the subject of an architectural design competition.

Newcastle is also home to the Von Burtouch Gallery founded by the late Anne Von Burtouch. It is believed to be the first commercial gallery outside a capital city in Australia. Newcastle also hosts a vibrant and independent visual arts scence and hosts several artist-run projects such as the [http://www.rocketart.org/ rocketart gallery.

Newcastle was also the birthplace of noted Australian artist William Dobell.

Theatre

Newcastle has a variety of smaller theatres, but the main theatre in town is now the Civic, in Hunter Street, (seating capacity about 1500), one of Australia's great historic theatres built c1928 in the style of a Picture Palace. It hosts a wide range of musicals, plays, concerts, dance and other events each year. Newcastle previously boasted several large theatres: the Victoria, in Perkins Street (built 1890, capacity 1750), saw touring international opera companies such as the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, and other troups, and played host to some of the greatest stars of the age, such as Dame Nellie Melba, Gladys Moncrieff, and Richard Tauber, (it is now closed and derilect); the Century, Nineways, Broadmeadow, (built 1941, capacity 1800) although largely used as a cinema was a popular Symphony orchestra venue (demolished 1990); the Hunter (capacity 1000) at The Junction, had advanced modern stage facilities, but was destroyed by the 1989 earthquake. The decline in theatres and cinemas from the 1960s onwards was blamed on television.

Media Arts

Newcastle is home to the Octapod Association, a New Media Arts collective established in 1996. Octapod is one of Australia's most innovative regional arts organisations and presents the annual This Is Not Art Festival as well as a diverse range of local festivals and projects. The arts web sites Object Not Found and Art Crimes were also produced in Newcastle.

Sport

Newcastle's sports culture is centred on the Newcastle Knights, a team that plays in Australia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League. The Knights play at EnergyAustralia Stadium, situated in the suburb of New Lambton. After a recent upgrade, the stadium now has capacity for almost 27,000 spectators, but has been known to squeeze 40000 people in on occasion. The stadium is the only sports venue of its class in Northern New South Wales. The Newcastle United Jets A-league soccer team also play at EnergyAustralia Stadium.

Other major spectator and participant sports include Netball, Basketball, Football, Australian rules football, Rugby Union, Hockey and Surfing.

The Hunter Jaegers (Commonwealth Bank Trophy - Netball) are based at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre. Officially opened in June 1992, the Centre offers 5,000 square metres of clear span floor space and is capable of catering for capacities from 2,000 to 6,500 for entertainment style events. The Centre was built to house the now defunct Newcastle Falcons National Basketball League team and was also home to to the Hunter Pirates before a lack of sponsorship forced them to relocate to Singapore after the 2005/06 season, where they were renamed the Singapore Slingers. The Slingers will play one home game at the Centre during the 2006/07 season.

In Cricket, Newcastle's No.1 Sports Ground was for many years a stopover on the tour itinerary for visiting international teams as they faced the Northern New South Wales XI. In 1981/82 the ground was allocated a Sheffield Shield match when the SCG was unavailable, and healthy crowds saw No.1 then become host to at least one first-class fixture featuring the New South Wales Blues each year. Newcastle also hosts a suburban competition of its own and has been the birthplace of many New South Wales and Australian representative cricketers.

Newcastle Jockey Club Limited races 35 times annually at Broadmeadow, a spacious 2000m turf track with a 415m home straight. Broadmeadow Racecourse is only a few minutes from the city centre, and is acknowledged as one of the finest provincial racetracks in Australia.

Newcastle hosts the annual surfing contest 'Surfest' on the world professional surfing tour. Four time world champion surfer Mark Richards grew up surfing at Newcastle's Merewether Beach. Nobbys beach is a very popular kitesurfing spot, especially during the warm summer months when there are NE sea breezes. There is a Newcastle Kitesurfing Club* and people regularly socialise at the beach and in town.

Media

Newcastle is served by a daily tabloid, The Herald (formerly The Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate and then The Newcastle Herald) and several weeklies including the Newcastle Star and The Post.

The city is also served by several local radio stations, including those owned by the ABC and SBS.

Newcastle is also served by 5 television stations, three commercial and two national services, and by Foxtel pay television.

Transport

State Transit Buses

State Transit operates a bus service throughout Newcastle and suburbs. The service is growing in popularity, with more people opting to take the bus over their cars. There is a free bus service in the inner-city. The south western suburbs are left out, as the STA bus coverage is only about 3/4 of the metro area, therefore, people who live in the southern suburbs have a lot of trouble getting around without cars as local buses generally finish by 6pm and the train service ends at 11.30 pm.

Railways

Once criss-crossed by railway lines, providing passenger services to places like Belmont and Toronto, on Lake Macquarie, or Wallsend, Kurri Kurri & all towns and villages to Cessnock, vision for the future was wanting and all those lines have today been closed. Newcastle is serviced by just one main twin-tracked railway line, which includes hourly train services to Sydney and also twice-hourly services to Maitland and less frequently to Scone and Dungog. Since the late 1990s, there had been intense debate about the viability of the rail line into central Newcastle. The New South Wales government had planned to cut the line at Broadmeadow, ceasing rail services into the city and to open up the land where the railway ran for development. The state government, under Premier Morris Iemma, has since decided to keep the rail service.

Newcastle Airport

The Newcastle Airport is located 15 km north of the city, a 20 minute drive. The airport has experienced rapid growth since 2000 as a result of an increase in low cost airline operations. It is served by Virgin Blue, Qantas, Jetstar, and Brindabella Airlines. The airport is shared with RAAF Base Williamtown, a Royal Australian Air Force base.

Notable Novocastrians

References

  • Greater Newcastle City Council, Newcastle 150 Years, 1947.

  • Thorne, Ross, Picture Palace Architecture in Australia, Melbourne, Victoria, 1976 (P/B), ISBN 0-7251-0226-8

  • Turner, Dr. John W., Manufacturing in Newcastle, Newcastle, 1980, ISBN 0-9599385-7-5

  • Docherty, James Cairns, Newcastle - The making of an Australian City, Sydney, 1983, ISBN 0-86806-034-8

  • Morrison, Ron, Newcastle - Times Past, Newcastle, 2005 (P/B), ISBN 0-9757693-0-8

See also

External links

Cities in New South Wales | Coastal cities in Australia | Beaches of Australia | Local Government Areas of New South Wales | Newcastle, New South Wales

Newcastle (Australien) | Newcastle (Australia) | Newcastle (Australie) | Newcastle (Australië) | ニューカッスル (オーストラリア) | Newcastle i New South Wales | Newcastle (Australia) | Newcastle (Australia) | Newcastle, Australien | Newcastle (Austrália)

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Newcastle, New South Wales".

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