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Local history
Newcastle has a long history.
The Awabakal and Worimi peoples are recognised and acknowledged as traditional custodians of the land and waters of the Newcastle area.
The earliest Aboriginal reference to the naming of Newcastle is Muloobinba (meaning Mu-lu-bin [edible sea fern] -ba [place of)].
Following European settlement, Newcastle became a penal station, a coal town, a steel city. It has a working port, and is steeped in a long heritage of labour and trade unonism.
Today, it is NSW's second largest city and the seventh largest city in Australia.
Read our history and icons page for more stories about our city's past.
