Lord Mayor Gavin Morris believes the new chapter for this iconic building will be embraced by Novocastrians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShepherds Hill Cottage has been a fixture of the coastline for more than 130 years and has played many roles in Newcastle\u2019s history, but remarkably has never been open to the public like it will be from tomorrow,\u201d Cr Morris said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was previously occupied by Defence and then Marine Rescue NSW in years gone by, but has never been somewhere that anyone could walk in and visit, so giving another heritage location back to the community to enjoy is a special moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt is a beautiful spot on Bathers Way to pause for coffee and a bite to eat, a well-deserved reward at the top of the hill for those who walk, ride or run past here. It\u2019s the perfect place to rest and take in the view before continuing your journey.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Interim Executive Director of Corporate Services Kathleen Hyland said City of Newcastle was proud to lead the project to protect and enhance the State significant site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe think the community will be impressed with how the project has sympathetically adapted the Cottage for a new use, while showcasing and preserving the important heritage elements that tell the 130-year story of the site,\u201d Ms Hyland said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCity of Newcastle\u2019s investment of more than $1.8 million to restore and re-use the space shows how we are revitalising community assets in a way that everyone can enjoy and be proud of, while also providing opportunities for local businesses to thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Eddie\u2019s joins the ranks of recent caf\u00e9 openings in City of Newcastle-owned spaces, including Sunnyboy Park at Foreshore Park, First Light Caf\u00e9 at Lambton Park, and Hilliers Caf\u00e9 at Newcastle Art Gallery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Local hospitality duo Noah Leonard and Blake Gontier of Noke Group, who are taking the reins at Eddie\u2019s, completed the caf\u00e9\u2019s finishing touches this week and are looking forward to welcoming Novocastrians into the site from tomorrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s been a long road to get here, so we\u2019re excited to finally open the doors and welcome the community in,\u201d Mr Leonard said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAlongside More Atelier, we\u2019ve put a lot of work into creating a venue that respects the history of the site while giving locals and visitors somewhere great to eat, relax and enjoy one of Newcastle\u2019s most iconic locations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe hope Eddie\u2019s becomes a place people love to visit, whether it\u2019s for a morning coffee, breakfast with family or simply to enjoy the incredible surroundings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The project began with work to restore the building following the 2015 super storm, which caused more than $800 million of damage across the region including to the Cottage and forced tenants Marine Rescue NSW to vacate the building. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Marine Rescue was able to move into a $3 million purpose-built facility on land managed by City of Newcastle at Stockton in December 2023. The 600 square metre, two-level building features a radio room, crew and training areas, administration areas, vessel and equipment storage, and can act as a command centre during major incidents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The most recent work across the Shepherds Hill site included installation of a commercial kitchen, upgraded amenities and a new accessible entry path, with heritage interpretation signage to be finalised in coming weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This final phase of the restoration project was supported by a $465,000 grant from the NSW Government\u2019s Crown Reserves Improvement Fund.<\/p>\n\n\n\n State Member for Newcastle Tim Crakanthorp said the NSW Government was committed to supporting projects that provide enhanced public spaces for all members of the community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShepherds Hill Cottage has important Newcastle history in its walls,\u201d Mr Crakanthorp said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt has been great to support this project which has helped to unlock this beautiful site\u2019s potential and be of great benefit to Novocastrians and tourists alike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am looking forward to stopping in for a cuppa and a bite to eat whilst taking in such a beautiful view of our wonderful coastline.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n The building sits at the mid-point on the popular Bathers Way coastal walk and has one of the best vantage points in Newcastle, with expansive views of the Pacific Ocean and the coastline from Port Stephens to Dudley. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Shepherds Hill Cottage forms part of the Newcastle Recreation Reserve and Shepherds Hill Defence Group Military Installations precinct listed on the NSW Heritage Register. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Cottage, battery observation post and gun emplacement were originally designed to defend Newcastle\u2019s burgeoning coal port, later serving as a command position throughout World War II. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It is the only coastal defence site in Australia crewed simultaneously during World War II by the Royal Australian Navy, Army and Air Force.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" With stunning views of the coastline and a rich place in the city\u2019s history, a revitalised Shepherds Hill Cottage will open to the public for the first time Wednesday as Newcastle\u2019s newest cafe. Eddie\u2019s at Shepherds Hill will be brewing coffee and serving up tasty treats, marking a full circle moment for the 1890s-built former military … Continue reading “City of Newcastle serves up next chapter for restored heritage cottage”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40020","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-newcastle"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40020","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40020"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40020\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40021,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40020\/revisions\/40021"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40020"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40020"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40020"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Ribbon](\"https:\/\/newcastle.nsw.gov.au\/getmedia\/e3c46e24-1731-4478-80a9-edeaf6add7bd\/Shepherds-Hill-Cottage-cafe-ribbon-cutting-web.jpg\")
Caf\u00e9 operator Noah Leonard, City of Newcastle Acting Executive Director Corporate Services Kathleen Hyland, Lord Mayor Gavin Morris, State Member for Newcastle Tim Crakanthorp and caf\u00e9 operator Blake Gontier officially cut the ribbon on Eddies at Shepherds Hill.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Restored](\"https:\/\/newcastle.nsw.gov.au\/getmedia\/6ec42cc3-09de-4606-82ec-9cdf8ed1fff3\/The-restored-Shepherds-Hill-Cottage-web.jpg\")
Shepherds Hill Cottage has been restored and adapted for use as a caf\u00e9 by City of Newcastle, opening to the public for the first time. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n