As one of Australia's oldest cities Newcastle has a rich and proud history. The landscape has changed a lot over the years and sometimes it feels like the transformation has happened in the blink of an eye. We so easily forget what has changed as new landscapes become normal.
Whether you're new to Newcastle or a long-time local, there's so much more to discover about the city we know and love. You might be a history buff, or you might have a yearning to explore yesteryear. Either way, there are some great events and tours that will allow you to reminisce on just how much our home town has changed over the years!
For their 10th anniversary, Newcastle Museum want to remind you of the alterations to our normal and often unnoticed cityscape. Come along and look at the lost, changed, and new through the eyes of local artist and gold star noticer Trevor Dickinson. Oh yeah, I forgot about that: A decade of change seen through the eyes of Mr Trevor Dickinson, Artist is an exhibition full of things that have changed since August 2011 when Newcastle Museum threw open their doors to welcome millions of visitors to explore their history, science, and our city's identity.
Over at Newcastle Library you can explore an amazing collection of panoramas and postcards and the stories they tell about Newcastle in the exhibition A view of Newcastle – Postcards and Panoramas. On display at the Lovett Gallery until February, the exhibition presents Newcastle through two popular mediums - the panorama and the postcard. While panoramas provide a wide view of the landscape, the postcard takes a more compact approach to the views of the city. Both show the progress of the built environment on the Newcastle landscape from colonial times. Be amazed by how much Newcastle has changed through images that have been sketched, painted, and photographed.
Keep the nostalgia coming and climb aboard Newcastle's Famous Tram, a unique tourist icon in our beautiful city. Built from scratch in 1994, the tram is a genuine replica of the original Newcastle working tram which was in service in 1923. This is a novel and nostalgic way to explore the city and our amazing historical sights.
If you really want to find out more about Newcastle's fascinating history, book yourself on to a Fort Scratchley Tunnel Tour. The guided tours are led by passionate Fort Scratchley Historical Society volunteers with a wealth of knowledge about the site. Find out how Fort Scratchley is a fascinating part of Newcastle's military history and see how much the site and Newcastle has changed through photos, replicas and items in the Fort's historical museum.
