Local studies
The Local Studies Section of Newcastle Region Library collects and provides access to material on and about the Hunter Region.
The collection began in 1957 following a donation of local history material from Wilfred Goold F.R.A.H.S. and has continued to grow to become one of the largest collections of its kind in Australia.
Over time, the focus of the collection has broadened to encompass all aspects of life in the Hunter Region, the history, people, geology, geography, art and literature are all represented in the collection.
Archives
The Local Studies Section is the archival repository for the records of Newcastle City Council and has other considerable collections from public institutions, private companies and individuals. Most collections are available to researchers, however in some cases restrictions apply. Two days notice is required for all archival requests.
For further information about access to our archival holdings, or acquisition policies please contact the Local Studies Librarian
Research Service
Local Studies offers a comprehensive research and information service on the Hunter Region for historians, genealogists and other researchers. We can call upon a range of unique resources in the collection, including archival records, newspapers, photographs, maps, plans and historical documents relating to the Hunter region.
Enquiries can be sent to ASK a Librarian or mail. Research fees may apply.
Photographic Service
Newcastle Region Library has an imaging service which offers a range of photographic formats suitable for personal or commercial use. Copies of images can be ordered from the Library.
Charges for reproduction services and copyright clearance will vary depending on the image and the proposed use of that image. Separate permission must be sought from the Library before you reproduce or publish images.
Hunter Photo Bank
The Hunter Photobank is Newcastle Region Library's digital image database. It contains a large collection of historical and documentary images of the Hunter Region. A portion of the collection can be searched online and photographic reproductions of images may be ordered from the library.
Click here to access the database
Newcastle Herald Index
The Newcastle Herald has been the Newcastle newspaper since the 1860's and contains valuable information about the development of the Newcastle area. This subject index has been created from an indexing project undertaken by Newcastle Region Library and the Newcastle Herald in the 1970's and provides subject access to articles of local significance from 1869 to 1943. The index has over 160,000 individual entries. A complete set of the Newcastle Herald in its various incarnations is available at the Local Studies Section in both microfilm and original paper copies.
Newcastle Morning Herald Index
Hunter Valley Place Names Index
Discover interesting information about the naming of historical locations in the Hunter, your street or your suburb.
Hunter Valley Place Names Index
Text Archive
A collection of full text publications concerning various aspects of Hunter history:
- Jubilee Souvenir of the Municipality of Hamilton (1921)
A history of Hamilton written in 1921 to mark 50 years of the incorporation of the suburb.
- History of Merewether by Jonathon Dixon (1935)
This history of Merewether was written for Merewether Council by Jonathon Dixon. Dixon was a member of the Merewether Council for 30 years and Mayor for 3 terms.
- History of the A.A. Company by W.E. R. Wilson (1932)
An account of the development of the Company in New South Wales, 1824-1932, of its pastoral activities in the Newcastle and Peel River district, and its coal-mining activities near Newcastle.
- Writings of A.B. McLagen – Labour history in the Hunter
Alexander McLagan was born in 1887 and came to Newcastle to work in the original blast furnace at the BHP Newcastle steelworks. He was especially active in the Union movement in Newcastle as Assistant Secretary of Newcastle Branch of the Ironworkers Union from 1915-1917, before he changed industries and worked on the waterfront as a coal trimmer in 1919. He was an active trade unionist, he was Mayor of Carrington 3 times, and one of the first men elected to the Greater Newcastle City Council. He wrote extensively on the trade union movement in Newcastle.
- Centenary of the Co-operative Colliery
- The centenary of the Miners Federation
- Changes in Newcastle since early closing
- A history of Newcastle unions in the years of peace
- The Federation question in Newcastle March – June 1898 by W. G. McMinn
An analysis of Newcastle opinions on the Commonwealth Federation Bill.
Winner of the Newcastle City Council Award for Local Historical Research 1959
- Towards the wage-earners welfare state – Walsh Island Dockyard, Newcastle 1910-1918 by David Cameron (1994)
An account of the establishment of the New South Wales State Government Dockyard & Engineering Works, Walsh Island, Newcastle, 1910-1918.
Celebration Pack
A gift with a difference - the Celebration Pack combines nostalgia and history. People celebrating their birthday, anniversary, retirement or any special occasion can look back at the world as it was.
More...
House Search
Have you bought a house and want to know its history? Maybe you are compiling your family tree and want to research the history of an ancestor’s house.
There are resources available, including Valuation and Rate Books, which you can use to document a building’s history. The information available will vary from house to house.
Alternatively our Research Service can do the work for you. Contact our Research Service with your enquiry.
Bookshop
The Local Studies bookshop sells a wide range of publications about the Hunter Region.
Links
PictureAustralia
atmitchell.com
