Category: Newcastle News

Officers from the Marine Area Command have helped rescue a skipper and sinking yacht off Newcastle during a 26-hour operation.
The Marine Area Command (MAC) received reports of a 50-foot Beneteau yacht taking on water 95 nautical miles off the coast of Newcastle about 12am on Friday (15 May 2021).
Port Stephens Water Police with assistance from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority located the yacht 73 nautical miles off the coast about 10am.
In rough seas, the vessel and sole occupant – a 40-year-old UK national – were towed to Newcastle Harbour, arriving about 1.30am yesterday (Saturday 15 May 2021).
The skipper has been processed through immigration by Australian Border Force (ABF) officers.
He was then escorted by police to a hotel in Sydney’s CBD where he will undergo mandatory quarantine.
The vessel remains moored at Newcastle Harbour.

A man has died after a motorbike crash today in the Hunter Valley.
About 12.25pm (Saturday 15 May 2021), emergency services responded to reports of a motorcycle and utility crash on the Great North Road, Laguna.
Police were told a man riding a motorcycle in a northerly direction, collided with a ute in the south bound lane.
The 49-year-old man was treated at the scene by paramedics, but was pronounced deceased a short time later.
Officers attached to Hunter Valley Police District established a crime scene.
A report is being prepared for the Coroner.
The occupants of the ute, a man and woman, were not injured in the crash.

Rare and fragile items dating back to the early 1800s are now able to be digitally preserved for future generations by City of Newcastle.
Officially launched at Newcastle Library today, the high-tech digitisation lab will feature cutting-edge equipment including 3D scanning instruments and robotic page turners capable of converting 2,500 pages an hour into digital information.

The $400,000 DigiLab was co-funded through the City of Newcastle’s works program and an $85,000 Metropolitan Public Library Grant from State Library of NSW.
Councillor Carol Duncan said the DigiLab will enable the City to preserve hundreds of thousands of archival records, photographs, maps, pictures, newspapers and rare books, which document the story of Newcastle and the Hunter Region.
“Collecting, preserving, and sharing our local history and cultural identity is a key pillar for our Library Service and aligns with the objectives of our Community Strategic Plan 2030,” Cr Duncan said.
“The Library History and Heritage Collection encompasses more than 440,000 items, with some of these collections dating back to the early 1800s and featuring rare, unique and notable items.
“As the custodians of the City’s archives, we look forward to being able to preserve the many ageing records we look after thanks to the assistance of the State Library of NSW grant and our own significant investment.
“Following our successful digitisation of these records, we look forward to being able to open up this exciting service to our customers.”
Manager Libraries and Learning, Suzie Gately said providing greater access to this wonderful collection will support local researchers and inspire local creatives to interpret and use the digitised materials to present local history in different ways to reach new audiences.
“The DigiLab will provide rich, high quality content for both physical exhibitions as well as augmented and virtual reality, allowing us to tell Newcastle’s stories in new and innovative ways,” Ms Gately said.
“We will also be able to integrate this output with the technologies on offer at our Digital Library at 12 Stewart Avenue, including the 8 metre-wide Digital Storywall and the digital multimedia ‘Magic Box’, which is only the second of its kind in Australia.”
One aspect of the DigiLab that will be available for use by the community now is the Memory Lab, which will allow people to preserve their own histories and stories for future generations by converting treasured family items on VHS, VHS-C cassette and 8mm video camera tapes into digital files for free. Bookings are required to make use of the MemoryLab, contact Newcastle Library for more details.

Police are appealing for public assistance following two home invasions in the Port Stephens and Lake Macquarie regions.
About 4.15am on Tuesday 23 March 2021, three men allegedly forced entry to a home at Lemon Tree Passage, and seriously assaulted a man. The men were armed with a hammer and a knife.
In the second incident, about 2pm on Thursday 25 March 2021, two men allegedly forced entry to a home at Kahibah and seriously assaulted a man. The men were armed with a pole and bat.
Detectives attached to Port Stephens-Hunter Police District are conducting investigations into links between both incidents.
The same vehicle was reportedly used on both occasions, described as a blue Mazda6 sedan.
Police are seeking to speak with three men who may be able to assist with their inquiries. They have all been described as aged in their 20s.
Detectives are appealing for anyone who may have information about the incidents, or has dashcam footage of the incidents, to contact Port Stephens-Hunter Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report crime via NSW Police social media pages.

A man has been charged after he allegedly stabbed a woman at a café near Newcastle today.
About 2.35pm (Wednesday 12 May 2021), emergency services were called to a café on Maitland Road, Mayfield, after reports a 27-year-old woman had been stabbed to the chest region.
Officers from Newcastle City Police District established a crime scene and commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
A 23-year-old man was arrested nearby and was taken to Newcastle Police Station.
He was charged with attempt murder and wound person with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
He was refused bail and is expected to appear in Newcastle Local Court tomorrow (Thursday 13 May 2021).
The woman was taken to John Hunter Hospital and remains in a serious but stable condition.

Police will address the media after a woman was allegedly stabbed at a café near Newcastle.
About 2.35pm today (Wednesday 12 May 2021), emergency services were called to a café on Maitland Road, Mayfield, after reports a 27-year-old woman had been stabbed to the chest region.
She has been taken to John Hunter Hospital under police escort in a serious condition.
A 23-year-old man was arrested nearby a short time later.
He has been taken to Newcastle Police Station where he is currently assisting police with their inquiries.
Officers from Newcastle City Police District have established a crime scene and have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
One eastbound lane of Maitland Road is currently closed, with traffic impacted in the surrounding area. Drivers are urged to avoid the area with peak hour approaching.

Police are reappealing for public assistance to locate a man missing from the state’s Hunter region.
Allan Bentley, aged 63, was reported missing to the Port Stephens-Hunter Police District on Thursday 29 April 2021; CCTV footage has confirmed he was last seen leaving his home on Pindimar Road, Pindimar, for work about 7.30am on Tuesday 27 April 2021.
Police have conducted extensive land and air searches – with the assistance of PolAir – however have not located Mr Bentley or his vehicle.
Police and friends are concerned for his welfare as he hasn’t attended several pre-arranged appointments which is out of character.
Allan is described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 179cm tall, of medium build with short brown and grey hair and a beard.
It is believed he may be driving a white coloured Holden combo van, with NSW registration UQG-146, which has ‘catering’ written on the side. He may also have power tools and firewood on board his vehicle.
He is known to frequent the Pindimar, Tea Gardens, Hawks Nest, North Arm Cove, Hexham and Karuah areas for both work and personal purposes.
Anyone who may have information regarding Allan’s whereabouts is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

A new exhibition highlighting the beauty of everyday objects will also provide a snapshot in time of Newcastle’s ever-evolving history.
RACHEL MILNE: Nest is the first major solo exhibition at Newcastle Art Gallery by local artist Rachel Milne.

Featuring intimate paintings and portraits set in her home and studio, as well as plein air landscapes of iconic places in Newcastle, the exhibition also includes a series of paintings completed while Rachel was the artist in residence at the former David Jones building.
Abandoned at the time, Milne’s artworks capture a unique moment in the history of the iconic former department store, which is now on the verge of permanent change as part of Iris Capital’s East End development.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the exhibition gives the community an opportunity to experience Newcastle landmarks and everyday objects from someone else’s point of view.
“It is wonderful to see Newcastle Art Gallery showcasing the work of a highly regarded local artist, whose paintings beautifully capture so many different perspectives that will be familiar to Newcastle audiences,” Cr Nelmes said.
“Whether it’s the view from the stage of the Victoria Theatre to the interior of the old David Jones building, which at one time was the heart of retail activity in Newcastle and is in the process of being reinvented by Iris Capital for future generations of residents and visitors to enjoy, Rachel’s work provides a fascinating snapshot in time as our city continues to grow and evolve.”

The English-born artist moved to Newcastle in 2013 and quickly made her mark on the local art scene as the winner of the Singleton Portraiture Prize that year. A three-time finalist in the Kilgour Prize at Newcastle Art Gallery, Milne also made the shortlist twice in the prestigious Wynne Prize at the Art Gallery of NSW and has work in the collections of Bathurst and Maitland Regional Art Galleries as well as Newcastle.
Newcastle Art Gallery Director Lauretta Morton said Milne’s richly layered observational works were a wonderful example of the artistic genre of Intimisim, which captures the beauty of everyday objects and scenes.
“Milne’s observational paintings depict ordinary objects like a child’s pram, a chair from her studio or food she has prepared. Paintings of local public swimming pools depict nostalgic scenes that have remained unchanged for years,” Ms Morton said.
“The exhibition also includes recently created works of art by Milne on display for the first time. A series of paintings set in Newcastle artists’ cooperative, Creator Incubator, provide insight into a vibrant creative arts community set in a large industrial space, now re-purposed and part of Newcastle’s ever-evolving history.”
RACHEL MILNE: Nest will be on display at Newcastle Art Gallery from 15 May – 1 August, 2021. As part of the opening weekend, Rachel will take part in a talk with writer Laura Jackel from 2pm on 15 May that will explore Newcastle’s ever-evolving urban landscape and the enduring reference to beauty in the everyday in Milne’s work.

A man is in a stable condition after presenting to hospital with several stab wounds overnight.
About 12.10am (Wednesday 12 May 2021), emergency services were called to a home on Renfrew Crescent, Edgeworth, after reports a man had been injured in an altercation.
Upon arrival, officers attached to Lake Macquarie Police District established a crime scene and were notified that a 30-year-old man had presented at John Hunter Hospital suffering stab wounds to his arms and buttocks; his injuries are not considered life-threatening.
Police have been told the man was confronted by three people at the home before he was assaulted and stabbed.
Detectives have commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident and how the man came to be injured.
Anyone who may have seen or heard anything in the nearby area between 11.30pm yesterday (Tuesday 11 May 2021) and 12.30am today, or who may have CCTV or dashcam footage is urged to contact Belmont Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

A man has been issued an infringement notice following an investigation into an alleged spitting incident at Newcastle last week.
A man is alleged to have spat on the footpath outside a courthouse on Hunter Street, Newcastle, on Friday 7 May 2021.
Officers attached to Newcastle City Police District, assisted by Mt Druitt Police Area Command, commenced an investigation.
Following inquiries, a 38-year-old man attended Waratah Police Station today (Tuesday 11 May 2021), where he was issued with a criminal infringement notice for offensive conduct.