Heritage in Newcastle
The City of Newcastle is an Australian coastal city with a difference.
A modern city on the sea, Newcastle embraces its maritime and industrial heritage and its fascinating history, being Australia's second oldest city. Featuring a working harbour and a picturesque coastline, a hilly tree-lined topography and a rich legacy of historic architecture, Newcastle is distinctive and unique.
Many people who live and visit Newcastle cherish its enviable seaside location, its mix of heritage buildings and the impressive character of its inner city precincts.
Two major surveys have been prepared to identify the heritage assets of Newcastle and to assist in managing important items of cultural significance:
- Newcastle City Wide Heritage Study 1996/7 (10.7mb pdf)
- Newcastle Inner Areas Archaeological Management Plan 1996/7 (6.9mb pdf)
For information about Heritage Items or Heritage Conservation Areas search Newcastle Heritage Register, Heritage Publications, Heritage Items and Heritage Conservation Areas.
Born Again
Did you know that Newcastle has a large number of buildings that were constructed for an entirely different purpose to what they are used for today? Many buildings throughout the city have been born again, re-purposed into new economically viable uses, preserving important aspects of the city's urban heritage. Recycled buildings help to frame the character of this unique historic coastal city and reveal the layers of history that have shaped its development.
Newcastle's police lock-up, built in the 1860s serving the city until the 1980s, is now the Lock-up Cultural Centre, a museum, exhibition and cultural space, and is home to Newcastle Writers' Centre. The award winning Bacchus Restaurant at 141 King Street Newcastle was originally built as the Central Hall, a place of prayer for Newcastle's early Methodists. The Customs House Bar and Restaurant, 1 Bond Street Newcastle, was once a busy centre of maritime administration and port beauracracy. Many of the City's residential buildings tell a history too in their evoloving uses -Woodlands at 51 Church Street Newcastle, built as a grand residence for the owner of Castlemaine and Wood Bros Brewery, was used in both world wars for medical purposes. Restored to a residence in the 1980s, it is set to open as a B&B. Further afield, offices at 76 Cowper St Wallsend were built as a coal railway shed, while the Fernleigh track, Park Avenue Adamstown, was original built by the Redhead Coal Company to convey coal to the Port of Newcastle.
Recycled spaces not only reveal layers of history, they are an important part of the city's on-going urban renewal and economic revitalisation.
Heritage Impact Statements
Are you planning on making an alteration to a heritage item or carrying out a development in a heritage conservation area? You will need to prepare a Heritage Impact Statement, following the guidelines prepared in this document.
Want to find out more about house styles?
Heritage Victoria has produced an excellent on-line interactive exhibition showcasing the common types of historic houses found throughout Victoria. The What House is That? project also contains links to heritage blogs, photographs of heritage buildings and an exciting array of information produced for owners of historic buildings. Don't miss it!
