Category: Newcastle News

City of Newcastle has appointed five external community-minded art, design and architecture experts to help lead the future of public art in the city that reflects Newcastle’s history, culture and community.

Councillors voted to expand the expertise of City of Newcastle’s Public Art Reference Group (PARG) by appointing external members who are professionals in their fields, including local Indigenous cultural representatives and a specialist in heritage.

The appointed members include fine arts professional Edwardo Milan, creative producer and curator Charlotte Hilder, historian of art and iconoclasm Nikolas Orr, researcher and creative producer Bridie Moran, and Guraki Aboriginal Advisory Committee co-representative’s Andrew Smith and Julieanne Rose.

Councillor and PARG Chair Carol Duncan said the newly appointed members bring excellence in areas such as visual arts, architecture, cultural leadership and heritage to help further develop and enhance Newcastle’s public art scene.

“Newcastle is a major arts and cultural destination that is entering a new phase of maturity and sophistication thanks to the ongoing revitalisation of our city,” Cr Duncan said.

“By expanding and strengthening the expertise of PARG, City of Newcastle is helping take the city’s public art scene to a new level with broader diversity.

“The PARG panel will continue to come together bi-monthly to consider and consult on all aspects of public art, from advising on the commissioning of new public art proposals associated with large developments in the City to ensuring transparent commissioning processes and supporting major international street art events like Big Picture Festival.”

Since 2018, the PARG has considered a number of public art proposals related to major private developments in the Newcastle CBD including the Lyrique Lane suspended art installation, water fountain and light art installation on Hunter Street, Illuminart in Newcastle West and Indigenous murals and native artworks on Hannell Street in Wickham.

PARG member Councillor John MacKenzie said a key role of the PARG is to consider and consult on public art associated with development applications to ensure relevance of place.

“The expanded PARG will help applicants incorporate artworks reflective of Newcastle’s culture and heritage, whilst facilitating opportunities for local artists to create, and residents and visitors to enjoy,” Cr MacKenzie said.

PARG member Councillor Peta Winney-Baartz said the calibre of public art in Newcastle is impressive.

“Newcastle boasts a proud public art scene featuring work by none other than 2022 Archibald Prize winner and 2019 Kilgour Prize winner Blak Douglas. But there is no shortage of artistic talent right here in Newcastle – home to the highest concentration of artists in Australia,” Cr Winney-Baartz said.

Newly appointed PARG member Charlotte Hilder said the expanded PARG looks forward to taking Newcastle’s thriving arts scene to a new level, and is currently reviewing some exciting proposals.

“We are already poring over concepts and liaising with artists and developers to deliver public art projects for Stage Two of the East End development and the landmark Bowline residential development in Wickham,” said Ms Hilder.

“The new panel members and I look forward to delivering some exciting new public artworks for the city.”

Councillors will receive the 2021/22 PARG Annual Report at tonight’s Ordinary Council Meeting.

Families are celebrating City of Newcastle’s (CN’s) ongoing investment in recreational spaces, with two new playgrounds opened in the western corridor and plans for five more across the city unveiled.

Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes joined residents to officially open upgraded playgrounds at Minmi Reserve and McCauley Park in Tarro as part of CN’s annual playground improvement program.

“Our local parks and playgrounds are places that our community can come together to relax and interact, and I’m delighted that these two upgraded playgrounds at Minmi and Tarro are ready for play in time for the school holidays in July,” Cr Nelmes said.

“The turnout at our community openings reinforces the important role these public spaces play within local neighbourhoods, which is why we’ve invested more than $9 million in playground projects during the past five years.

“We will continue to deliver improved recreational opportunities for children across the local government area in the next 12 months, with $750,000 allocated through the 2022/23 Budget to install new and upgraded equipment at Waratah Park, Highland County in Fletcher, Harold Myers Park at Birmingham Gardens, Vera Wilson Park in Beresfield and Avon Street Reserve at Mayfield.”

Four playgrounds were included in the 2021/22 upgrade program, with the existing Minmi Reserve playground replaced with new features including a balancing trail, swings and sensory bridge, while new equipment at McCauley Park includes swings, slides, and climbing components. These improvements all cater to a broad age range of children.

Kotara Park has also been refreshed with a new design while the neighbourhood playground at Bernborough Avenue in Maryland will benefit from a full equipment upgrade in the coming months.

To stay up to date with the progress and to find out about works in your neighbourhood visit newcastle.nsw.gov.au/works

Newcastle Art Galley’s collection may have been put in storage while the building’s long-awaited expansion takes place, but that hasn’t stopped a passionate group of volunteers from creating new ways for young people to connect with the works of art.

The Gallery’s Youth Advisory Group has spent the past year working on their Youth to Collection (Y2C) Project, which will culminate this Saturday with the official launch of their interactive digital platform.

Designed to increase youth engagement with the most significant public collection of art in regional Australia, the project kicked off with the creation and publication of six zines. Each publication featured interviews with emerging local creatives alongside selected works from the Art Gallery collection that correspond to the Gallery’s collecting areas of ceramics, sculpture, prints and drawings, photography, painting and new media.

The group are now looking to expand that engagement online with the development of an interactive digital platform and video series that will allow the community to continue to connect with the collection while the Gallery undergoes its $40 million expansion.

Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said it was fantastic to see these volunteers sharing their passion for the Gallery with other young people.

“By doubling the size of the Gallery, significantly increasing the exhibition space and delivering a suite of modern facilities, the $40 million expansion will deliver an upgraded gallery of international standing that will offer a valuable cultural tourism opportunity for Newcastle and the Hunter,” Cr Nelmes said.

“While the doors of Newcastle Art Gallery are closed for the construction, we are committed to ensuring the community can engage with our collection in as many ways as possible, which is why this innovative project by our Youth Advisory Group is such a fantastic idea.

“It’s also testament to the passion and commitment shown by the dedicated volunteers, who have continued to look outside the box to find ways to stay involved with our Gallery throughout this time.”

Newcastle Art Gallery Director Lauretta Morton said the Youth Advisory Group program had been running since 2018 and was designed to engage with people aged 18-30 to deliver youth-led programming while also providing early career learning opportunities.

This year’s group members are Aidan Gageler, Belle Beasley, Benji Crocker, Kar Mun Phoon, Molly McNeil, and Nicole Klaer.

“The six-member group is generally made up of tertiary students, practicing artists, writers or performers who are engaged and participating in Newcastle’s vibrant cultural scene,” Ms Morton said.

“They put forward a range of programs and activities they would like to see occur at the Gallery in their year of tenure, which they then deliver with assistance from Gallery staff.

“With much of our programming in the past few years being disrupted by COVID-19, the current Youth Advisory Group came up with an innovative project that simultaneously showcases the breadth of the Gallery’s collection and supports local emerging arts practitioners.

“The Y2C Project sees the creation of ‘by-youth, for-youth’ content and has been a wonderful means to promote conversation between Newcastle’s emerging artists and Newcastle Art Gallery’s collection.”

Youth Advisory Group member Molly McNeil said they had enjoyed collaborating with the Art Gallery and the emerging artists on this project and were looking forward to launching it on Saturday.

“From the outset, we really hoped to engage with local emerging artists, and we ended up doing that by bringing them into conversation with the huge collection at Newcastle Art Gallery,” Molly said.

“By building an array of projects around that goal, we’ve created a platform where the Newcastle’s emerging artists can be considered alongside the esteemed and reputable works and practices found in Newcastle Art Gallery’s collection.

“We’re so excited for the launch this weekend. Being able to see our teamwork come to life and to share that with others is going to be such a great experience.”

This project is supported by a $10,000 grant from Create NSW’s Audience Development Fund, a devolved funding program administered by Museums & Galleries of NSW on behalf of the NSW Government.

The Y2C launch party will take place at The Creator Incubator on Saturday 25 June from 6pm to 10pm, featuring a selection of Newcastle’s finest DJs, video installations featuring Y2C emerging artists, projections developed by David Lobb and Mikayla Nangle, artists stalls, a pop-up bar and food truck.

The event is free, but bookings are required. Visit www.nag.org.au to find out more about the Gallery’s expansion, Youth Advisory Group and the launch party.

Emerging artists who participated in the Y2C project included Gillian Adamson, Brigitte Beyer, Jaimie Carpenter, Jasmine Miikika Craciun, Ruby Hart, Jemima Hodge, Wolfe Jessie, Tegan Kinder, David Lobb, Holly Macdonald, Grace McMahon, Mikayla Nangle, Liz O’Brien, James Rhodes, Wednesday Sutherland and Emma Wilks.

Refugee support agency Settlement Services International is proudly sponsoring the STARTTS partnered Newcastle ‘Unity in Diversity’ festival to mark Refugee Week on Saturday, June 25, 2022, at Foreshore Park.

Unity in Diversity is a full-day public program of activities, including multicultural food stalls, entertainment, and family-friendly activities. 

SSI Humanitarian Settlement Program Regional Coordinator for Newcastle and the Hunter Helen Larkin said that the festival gave people from refugee backgrounds an important platform to showcase their heritage in all its richness.

“The Unity in Diversity festival is a chance to experience firsthand the unique culture and artistry found in new communities and celebrates the contributions refugees make to their new homes,” she said.

Ms Larkin said that SSI is supporting recently arrived Ukrainian refugees to participate at the event through food stalls and entertainment. 

“SSI is proud to sponsor the festival for the second year in a row, and is excited to support our newly arrived Ukrainian refugees share their skills and talents with the Newcastle community.”

Ukrainian refugees Yurii and Inna Chuchenko have recently settled in Fern Bay and will have a raw dessert food stall at the festival. 

“We are excited to get involved in the celebrations marking this important cause, and also, connecting with the Newcastle community,” he said. 

Mr Chuchenko said he was eager to raise awareness about the benefits of refugee resettlement in regional Australia with the Ukrainian community.

“As newly arrived refugees in Fern Bay, we’ve had such a positive experience so far and want to share our insights with other Ukrainians across Australia.

“This is why we started the CH2 Project to provide a fluid, secure and efficient pathway for Ukrainian Nationals to a life in Regional NSW.

“Our first project is to build this pathway to the regional cities and townships within the Upper Hunter, Liverpool Plains and New England areas.”

Other Ukrainian refugees that SSI and STARTTS supports will feature at the festival including Zumba dancer and instructor Anna Kuskova.

For more info, visit: www.newcastlelive.com.au/events/newcastle-unity-in-diversity-festival/

Police are appealing for public assistance to locate a man wanted on six outstanding warrants.

Luke Atkinson, aged 35, is wanted by virtue of multiple outstanding warrants for drug, property, weapon, stealing, assault, traffic, and fraud offences.

Luke is described as being of Caucasian appearance, 175cm to 180cm tall, of medium build, with a shaved head and unshaven facial hair.

He is known to frequent the Hunter Valley area, as well as Sutherland and surrounding suburbs.

The public is urged not to approach Luke and police would like anyone who has information on his whereabouts to contact Muswellbrook Police Station 6542 6999 or Crime Stoppers.

Three people have been charged and two firearms seized following a pursuit and ongoing investigations into alleged firearm thefts in the Hunter region.

Earlier this month, officers from Hunter Valley Police District commenced investigations into alleged thefts of firearms from rural properties in the Upper Hunter Valley area.

Following ongoing inquiries, PolAir 7 commenced following a Landcruiser about 5pm on Tuesday (21 June 2022), which was seen driving through Muswellbrook and Scone, after receiving reports it had allegedly been previously used in a number of thefts.

The vehicle was tracked to the carpark of a fast-food restaurant on Kelly Street, Scone, when officers from Hunter Valley Police District attempted to stop the vehicle.

The Landcruiser allegedly rammed a police vehicle before driving from the scene.

PolAir continued to follow the vehicle to Swinging Ridges Road, Willow Tree, when one of the occupants of the vehicle climbed onto the rear tray of the Landcruiser and allegedly discharged several rounds from a firearm.

The Landcruiser continued to a station on Merriwa Road, Little Jacks Creek, where it entered bushland and the three occupants left the vehicle before fleeing into nearby bushland.

With the assistance of PolAir, officers located and arrested a man and two women in nearby bushland about 2.30am.

Police searched the area and located two firearms, which were seized for forensic examination. Subsequent checks revealed the vehicle had been stolen from the Southern Highlands earlier this month.

The trio were taken to Muswellbrook Police Station, where the man – aged 26 – was charged with fire firearm in or near public place, possess loaded firearm public place, possess ammunition without holding licence/permit/authority and be carried in conveyance taken without consent of owner.

He appeared before Muswellbrook Local Court yesterday (Wednesday 22 June 2022) and was formally refused bail to reappear before the same court on Tuesday 19 July 2022.

A 27-year-old woman was charged with be carried in conveyance taken without consent of owner. She was granted conditional bail to appear before Muswellbrook Local Court on Tuesday 19 July 2022.

A second woman – aged 23 – was charged with take and drive conveyance without consent of owner, use offensive weapon in company to prevent detention, drive recklessly/furiously or speed/manner dangerous, drive motor vehicle during disqualification period, aggravated break and enter dwelling in company steal and dishonestly obtain property by deception.

She was refused bail to appear before Muswellbrook Local Court today (Thursday 23 June 2022).

Investigations continue.

A man has been charged following a pursuit with police in the Hunter region this afternoon.

About 1.30pm (Wednesday 22 June 2022), officers from Forster Traffic and Highway Patrol attempted to stop a Porsche Cayman on the Pacific Highway, Coolongolook, inland from Forster, after reports regarding its manner of driving.

The Porsche failed to stop, and a pursuit was initiated, with the vehicle travelling southbound on the highway allegedly at speeds over 200km/h.

The vehicle travelled into the Heatherbrae township and entered a local car park, travelling around the carpark for some time.

The vehicle eventually exited the carpark onto Banks Street, before crashing into a fence.

The driver – a 20-year-old man – was not injured. He was arrested by police and was taken to Maitland Hospital for mandatory testing.

Subsequent inquiries revealed the vehicle was reportedly stolen from a South Brisbane address on Sunday (19 June 2022).

The man has since been taken to Raymond Terrace Police Station and charged with 11 offences including:

• Larceny
• Destroy or damage property
• Receive etc property stolen outside NSW
• Police pursuit – not stop – drive at speed
• Police pursuit – not stop – drive dangerously
• Drive recklessly/furiously or speed/manner dangerous
• Negligent driving (3)
• Possess prohibited drug
• Never licensed person drive vehicle on road

He was refused bail to appear before Raymond Terrace Local Court on Thursday 23 June 2022.

A man has been charged after a pedestrian was allegedly fatally hit by a truck in the Hunter Valley yesterday.

About 6.30am (Tuesday 21 June 2022), emergency services were called to Cessnock Road, Maitland, following reports a male pedestrian had been hit by a truck.

The driver of the truck – a 47-year-old man – immediately stopped and attempted to render assistance; however, the 62-year-old man died at the scene.

The truck driver was uninjured and taken to Maitland Hospital for mandatory testing.

Officers from Port Stephens-Hunter Police District and the Crash Investigation Unit attended and established a crime scene, which was forensically examined.

Following inquiries by Crash Investigation Unit officers, the driver of the truck was arrested and taken to Maitland Police Station, where he was charged with dangerous driving occasioning death and negligent driving occasioning death.

He was granted conditional bail and will appear at Maitland Local Court on Wednesday 27 July 2022.

A pedestrian has died after being hit by a vehicle in the Hunter Valley this morning.

About 6.30am (Tuesday 21 June 2022), emergency services were called to Cessnock Road, Maitland, following reports a male pedestrian had been hit by a truck.

The driver of the truck – a 47-year-old man – immediately stopped and rendered assistance; however, the 62-year-old man died at the scene.

The truck driver was uninjured and taken to Maitland Hospital for mandatory testing.

Inquiries are continuing into the circumstances surrounding the incident.