16 News

Wednesday 18 June

• From 8am to 1pm, buses replace trains between Newcastle Interchange and Telarah or Muswellbrook.
• The 08:29 Newcastle Interchange to Dungog will not run. Catch the 08:48 Newcastle Interchange to Telarah train and change at Maitland for a bus towards Dungog.
• Buses also replace the 10:02 Dungog to Newcastle Interchange service.
  
• Replacement buses for trackwork may be affected by driver shortages. We are doing all we can to minimise the impact to your journey and provide a safe service, however cancellations or delays may occur.
• Plan your trip before you travel for up-to-date real time information. You can also subscribe to planned trackwork alerts.

Bus routes
1HU Newcastle Interchange, all stations to Telarah and return
4HU Maitland, all stations to Dungog (in that direction only)
7HU Warabrook Station to University shuttle bus
15HU Maitland, all stations to Muswellbrook (in that direction only)
19HU Dungog, all stations to Maitland, Victoria Street, all stations to Beresfield, Warabrook, all stations to Newcastle Interchange (in that direction only)
28HU Muswellbrook, all stations to Maitland, Victoria Street, all stations to Beresfield, Warabrook, all stations to Newcastle Interchange (in that direction only)

Maitland students will soon be enjoying new play space and modern classrooms as the Minns Labor Government delivers a multimillion-dollar upgrade for historic Thornton Public School in the 2025-26 Budget.

The major upgrade for the school, which dates back to 1919, will include a new, state-of-the-art building with 16 new contemporary classrooms, a new library, new student and staff bathrooms, additional parking and a covered outdoor learning area (COLA).

Due for completion in 2028, the upgrade will expand the school’s capacity and help cater for the population boom in the local area.

Maitland is one of the fastest-growing areas in NSW, with significant population growth underway southeast of the Maitland city centre. In the Thornton and Chisholm communities, the number of students has already increased from 2,100 in 2018 to 3,000 students in 2025. It’s expected these areas will expand by close to 9,500 people in the coming years.

Despite this rapid population growth, the Liberals and Nationals denied Thornton Public School needed an upgrade, saying the school was dealing with temporary “fluctuations” in enrolments in 2022.

After 12 years of mismanagement and neglect by the Liberals and Nationals, the Minns Labor Government is building a better a better NSW.

We are providing the essential school infrastructure that young families rely on, giving our children a head start and setting our state up for long-term prosperity.

As part of our long-term plan, the Minns Labor Government is delivering better public school facilities for families across the Hunter region.

This includes delivering a new public school and high school at Huntlee, a new high school for Medowie, major school upgrades at Newcastle High School, Hunter River High School and Irrawang High School, and a full redevelopment of Gillieston Public School in Maitland, which will deliver a new co-located public preschool.

These upgrades are part of the Minns Labor Government’s record $9 billion investment over four years to deliver new and upgraded schools across NSW.

Acting Minister for Education and Early Learning Courtney Houssos said:

“In recent years, the community in and around Thornton has rapidly grown – but the Liberals and Nationals denied this school needed an expansion.

“The Minns Labor Government, with the leadership of Deputy Premier and Education Minister Prue Car and the tireless advocacy of Jenny Aitchison, have listened to the community, and I am delighted to announce we will deliver this long-awaited major upgrade for the Thornton Public School community.

“This new project, as part of the Minns Government’s budget, demonstrates our commitment to continue delivering the vital school infrastructure that Hunter families need.”

Member for Maitland Jenny Aitchison said:

“This is a huge win for our community. This area is growing rapidly, and our schools need to grow, too. This upgrade ensures our kids have the learning environment they need.

“This is about future-proofing education in one of NSW’s fastest growing areas.”

Thornton Public School principal Stuart Wylie said:

“Our school community is thrilled to see this project get the green light. We are rapidly growing, and this upgrade will make a real difference to our students and teachers.

“We’re excited to see our school evolve to meet the needs of our growing community while keeping learning on track every step of the way.”

Police are appealing for public assistance to locate a man missing from the Hunter region.

John Littler, aged 50, was last seen on Labulla Parade, Glendale, about 7:40pm on Sunday 15 June 2025.

Unable to be located or contacted since, officers attached to Lake Macquarie Police District were notified yesterday (Monday 16 June 2025) and commenced inquiries to locate him.

Police and family members hold serious concerns for John’s welfare as he lives with medical conditions which require medication.

John is described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 175cm tall, of solid build, with short grey hair and a grey beard.

He is known to frequent Redhead Beach and Nobbys Beach/break wall.

Margarete Ritchie was just three years old when she and her family left Austria in 1955 to make a new life on the other side of the world. 

Their journey across the Red Sea and Indian Ocean to Australia is just one of the stories woven into the rich tapestry of memory in Newcastle Museum’s new exhibition, Heimat in the Hunter, which opens to the public tomorrow. 

Hedy Fairbairn, Associate Professor Julie McIntyre, Lord Mayor Ross Kerridge, Julie Baird, Dr Sacha Davis, Tim Crakanthorp and Dr Jaime Hunt take a look at the new Heimat in the Hunter exhibition, which opens at Newcastle Museum tomorrow.

Developed in partnership with the University of Newcastle and drawing on the academic research of Dr Sacha Davis, Dr Jaime Hunt and Associate Professor Julie McIntyre, the free exhibition reveals the history and experiences of German-speakers in the Hunter region. 

German is the tenth most common language other than English spoken in Newcastle and the Hunter. 

Lord Mayor Ross Kerridge said exhibitions such as Heimat in the Hunter offer a valuable insight into the history of our city. 

“It is important to share and preserve stories of the communities and residents who have made Newcastle what it is today,” Cr Kerridge said. 

“I commend the work of Newcastle Museum and the University of Newcastle on this wonderful exhibition, which will hopefully promote better understanding of the city’s many migrant community experiences.”

City of Newcastle’s Director of Museum, Archive, Libraries and Learning, Julie Baird, said partnerships between Newcastle Museum and research institutions like the University of Newcastle offer new ways to connect the public with contemporary historical research.  

“This is a history not just of German-speaking migrants, but of courage, creativity and connection, where objects become anchors for memory, cultural continuity and the migrant experience,” Ms Baird said. 

“Heimat in the Hunter brings together humble objects, images and interviews that reveal extraordinary stories and the importance of home and connecting world events to our shared local stories.” 

The exhibition showcases items from the Museum’s collection as well as treasured family heirlooms generously loaned by members of the community. 

Margarete’s story is brought to life through the remarkable travel album created by her father, Franz Ranzenbacher, which is filled with descriptions and photographs of their journey as well as a hand-drawn map of their migration route. 

Travelling with her mother, father and eight-year-old sister, Margarete set off from Genoa aboard the MS Aurelia and sailed through the Suez Canal to Columbo in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), before docking in Fremantle and then finally Sydney, where they caught a train to the Greta Migrant Camp. 

“I am quite honoured to have my parent’s quest to make a good home for their family in Australia, far from the turmoil in Europe in the early to mid-1950s, included in this exhibition,” Mrs Ritchie said. 

A beautiful wool dinner suit tailored by Franz Schwaller helps tell the story of Viennese migrant Ernst Baumwald, who left war-torn Europe in 1939 to make a new life in Newcastle. 

With strict limitations on what he could bring with him, Ernst arrived in Australia with little more than some clothing, a collection of German-language engineering books and his precious slide rule, which are among the items loaned to the exhibition by his daughter Hedy Fairbairn.   

“Ernst was a civil engineer and spent the larger part of his working life at Newcastle’s State Dockyard. He was responsible for the design of the turntable on the Southern Hemisphere’s first drive-on-drive-off passenger ship, Princess of Tasmania,” Mrs Fairbairn said. 

“Two vital items came with him from Vienna: his technical books/manuals and his slide rule. He relied on those books all his working life. Every calculation and computation for his design work was made with that slide rule. Later in life he purchased a pocket calculator, but the slide rule was never truly replaced.”   

University of Newcastle Discipline Lead for History, Dr. Sacha Davis, said German-speaking migrants form an important element in the rich history of the Newcastle and Hunter region.  

“Their experiences on the one hand are individual and specific, and on the other hand speak to the story of migration to the region more broadly. Yet German-speaking migration to the region has frequently been overlooked,” Dr Davis said.  

“The great strength of this exhibition has been the passionate and generous involvement of the community in the telling of these stories.” 

Visitors to the exhibition are also encouraged to share their stories via a QR code as part of the University of Newcastle’s current research project, German as a Heritage Language and Culture in Newcastle and the Hunter Valley, led by Dr Hunt. 

This exhibition has been supported by the NSW Government, through Create NSW, the University of Newcastle Copley Bequest Pilot Research Fund, and the Australian Linguistic Society. 

Heimat in the Hunter opens on Tuesday 17 June and will be on display until Sunday 21 September.

Work will begin tomorrow on a new playground and half-court basketball area at Beauford Avenue Reserve in Maryland as part of City of Newcastle’s annual Playground Replacement Program.

Playgrounds at Morpeth Road Reserve at Waratah West, Johnson Park at Lambton and Stockton Pool will also be replaced as part of a $750,000 investment to provide improved recreational opportunities for families across the local government area.

An artist’s impression of the new playground and half-court basketball facility being built by City of Newcastle at Beauford Avenue Reserve in Maryland.

City of Newcastle’s Executive Manager Community and Recreation Lynn Duffy said the Playground Replacement Program has upgraded, replaced or improved 28 popular recreational areas since 2018.

“We know parks and playgrounds are an integral part of life in Newcastle,” Ms Duffy said.

“City of Newcastle has invested more than $14 million into playground projects across Newcastle during the past seven Budgets as part of our commitment to delivering enhanced and accessible recreational opportunities for the community. 

“Additionally, the draft 2025/26 Budget features $10 million for the Foreshore Park inclusive playspace, which will be the city’s first regional level playground, with $750,000 also included for the local playground renewals.

“The four playgrounds chosen as part of this year’s Playground Replacement Program will receive new equipment such as nest seat swings, climbing structures, a variety of slides, rubber softfall and inground trampolines.

“Work will begin at Maryland tomorrow and over the next few weeks we’ll carry out demolition, drainage improvements, concreting and sandstone elements to get the site ready for the equipment as soon as possible.”

Chair of City of Newcastle’s Infrastructure Strategic Advisory Committee, Councillor Peta Winney-Baartz, said it’s important to consider the needs of all users when designing playgrounds.

“We aim to deliver enhanced and accessible playspaces for children right across the city,” Ms Winney-Baartz said.

“We’ve incorporated inclusive play elements into each location, as well as challenging play components such as slides and bridges.

“Beauford Avenue Reserve Playground and Stockton Pool Playground will have new paths added to ensure everyone can access the facilities.”

The playground at Stockton Pool is due to be replaced by the time swimmers return to the facility in September, in addition to new barbecue shelters.

Morpeth Road Reserve and Johnson Park playgrounds are scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.