The final building visitors will enter when they visit the Newcastle Museum is the Erecting Shop, which will house The BHP exhibition.

This visually exciting exhibition will interpret the history of the BHP Steelworks in Newcastle, from conception to closure, and its immense impact on our city and people over the years. Visitors will ascend ramps and become immersed in a multi-levelled and sensory journey through The BHP. Objects, interactive exhibits, images, videos, and sound clips throughout the exhibition will answer five main questions.

• What were the sites and sounds of BHP?
• Who were the men and women of steel?
• What was it like to work for BHP?
• What was the impact of the ‘Big Australian’?
• What led to BHP’s closure?

Find out more about these five questions.

Did you work at BHP or know someone who did?

The Museum wants to hear from you. Download the invitation below or complete our online form to be included in the BHP Employee Profile at the new Museum.

Complete our online form now.

 BHP Employee Profile invitation (1.3Mb)

Can you help?

When visitors experience objects such as massive ingot moulds which were filled with molten metal or medical eye magnets used to draw out metal fragments lodged in worker’s eyes, they have an impact, but it is the personal stories and memories which equally affect our experience. Although we acquired a large collection of objects from the BHP Newcastle Steelworks, we are still searching for objects and stories to use in the exhibition.

‘Can you help with’ below features items we are trying to locate. If you have any information on the following please contact the Newcastle Museum.

Can you help with these BHP items?

• The Steelworks Band
• Stories of migrant workers at BHP
• Photographs of workers from various departments within the Steelworks
• Stories of Indigenous workers at BHP
• Reminders of workers who were killed or injured as a result of their work

If you have images or objects you would like to share with us please email the Museum with your details.

Search the BHP collection

You can search the BHP collection through the Museum’s online Collection database.