Destination's Journey

Tag: New South Wales

  • Newcastle Museum New South Wales

    Newcastle Museum New South Wales

    Newcastle Museum

    Founded in 1988 and relocated to its current building in 2011, Newcastle Museum preserves the history of Newcastle. Situated in Honeysuckle and occupying old railway workshops, the museum opens Tuesday to Sunday. Closed on Mondays, except in school holidays, the museum is a great place to visit There is no cost to visit the museum.

    How To Get There

    Car parks on Wright lane and Honeysuckle Drive provide a convenient place to leave the car. These are pay-for-use parks, with ticket machines to buy tickets from. IF you are using light rail, the closest station is Civic.

    Newcastle Museum Displays

    Outside Displays

    Several of the Museum’s displays are located outside the main building. They are easy to find, one being a camel sculpture and another a huge dragline bucket. The building itself has historical importance, previously used as a railway workshop.

    Camel Sculpture Outside the Museum
    Camel Sculpture Outside the Museum

    Link Gallery

    Located between the old Boiler Shop and Erecting Shed, the Link Gallery holds some of the larger exhibits in the museum’s collection. These include “The Buck” an 1870 J&A Brown Locomotive No4 and the 1890 pipe organ formerly installed in St Augustine’s Church, Merewether.

    The Buck an 0-6-0 Saddle Tank
    The Buck an 0-6-0 Saddle Tank
    The Buck an 0-6-0 Saddle Tank
    The Buck an 0-6-0 Saddle Tank

    Fire and Earth

    Illustrating Newcastle’s industrial past, this gallery has exhibits from the old BHP Steel Works and coal mines. The multi-level displays allow you to view them from different angles and appreciate these industries and the people who worked them.

    Coal Loader (Jeffrey 44dd)
    Coal Loader (Jeffrey 44dd)

    Supernova

    Founded by Professor Tim Roberts in the late 1970s, Supernova is a hands-on science experience for kids and interested adults. This area explores different aspects of science, allowing you to experiment and understand them with easy activities. An excellent place to learn about science while having fun.

    The Globe in Supernova
    The Globe in Supernova

    A Newcastle Story

    This area of the museum explores how Newcastle changed over time, from the original Aboriginal inhabitants, to the World War 2 shelling by a Japanese submarine to the earthquake of 1989.

    Dedicated to the George and Richard Owens Collection, one room is full of colourful boxes and containers. This beautiful collection shows how brands were sold and presented in the past.

    Newcastle Tram 284
    Newcastle Tram 284
    George and Richard Owens Collection
    George and Richard Owens Collection
    World War One Uniforms Newcastle Museum
    World War One Uniforms
    Axe Heads and Hammer Stone
    Axe Heads and Hammer Stone
    Fossilized Backbone Newcastle Museum
    Fossilized Backbone

    Model T Ford

    Illustrating a problem many museums have is a rusty Model T Ford. Should it be left as found, or restored to its original condition? Would restoring it destroy its history and possibly lose important data?

    Model T Ford Newcastle Museum
    Model T Ford

    What Did We Think?

    We were surprised by the quality of the exhibits and had a great walking through the galleries. Anyone visiting Newcastle should visit the museum to help appreciate the city’s past. Well worth the visit!

    Our photos are available for purchase on

    To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

  • Singleton Museum New South Wales

    Singleton Museum New South Wales

    Singleton Museum

    Information from the Singleton Historical & Museum Guide. The museum is undergoing renovations.

    Located in Burdekin Park, the Singleton Museum houses an amazing collection of local artefacts, making it a great place to stop and look around. Staffed by volunteers from the local Historical Society, the museum’s displays are well curated and professionally laid out. The information displayed at each exhibit is interesting, but if you need a more in depth explanation, the staff are willing to help.

    Museum Building’s History

    The building was originally Singleton’s first “lock up” built on the site in 1840. By 1841 a detached Court House was built 50 ft to the west and donated by Benjamin Singleton to the government in return for Minimbah buildings. In April 1862 two stone cells were built on the western side of the slab cells being 8ft x 11ft with wooden floors, to hold five prisoners each having a centre corridor between.

    Two stone cells built in 1874 replaced the slab cells had concrete floors and a hallway built along the west side of the cell block. All were of stone with walls extending 4 ft below the floor level. Built onto the west side of the hallway, is a brick gaoler’s residence & guard room consisting of a room at each end with a guard room in the centre.

    With the construction of a new town lockup and residence in 1899, the Municipal Council obtained the buildings . The removal of the old gaoler’s residence and the southern partition made a Council Chamber 36ft x 14ft with a 16ft x 14ft room retained at the northern end for the Town Clerk’s Office.

    In 1963 the Singleton Historical Society gained use of the building, enabling displays featuring Aboriginal, convict, pioneer and rural articles of local heritage to be available to the public. These exhibits have been mostly collected locally and donated by the residents of Singleton Shire.

    Monument Fountain To Mayor Munro Burdekin Park Singleton NSW Australia
    Mayor Munro Monument Fountain Outside the Museum’s Entrance
    Singleton Historical Society Museum Singleton NSW Australia
    Singleton Museum
    Singleton Historical Museum Burdekin Park Singleton NSW Australia
    Tractors at Singleton Museum

    Singleton Museum’s Displays

    Rural Section

    Filled with carts, buggies, farm tools and more, this room contains an image of farm life when Singleton was first settled. The bell from St Clair Station makes an interesting exhibit, as it has been engulfed by a growing tree.

    Located in this room is a suitcase that belonged to Henry Dangar, who was a government surveyor and important pastoralist in the early 1800s.

    Horse Cart
    Horse Cart
    Horse Buggy
    Horse Buggy
    Old Farm Tools Singleton Museum
    Old Farm Tools
    St Clair Station Bell
    St Clair Station Bell
    Dangar's Suitcase
    Dangar’s Suitcase

    Displays

    Throughout the building’s other rooms containing well maintained displays covering Singleton’s past. From typewriters and surveying equipment, to aboriginal artefacts and fine china, there is a huge quantity of items to inspect..

    Hand Powered Wheelchair
    Hand Powered Wheelchair
    Old Railway Clock Singleton Museum
    Old Railway Clock
    Monarch Typewriter
    Monarch Typewriter

    Old Kitchen

    Furnished as an old kitchen, one of the old gaol cells, contains everything a pre electric kitchen needs. Beautifully laid out, this room is fun to look around and admire the old furniture and artefacts.

    The Kitchen
    The Kitchen
    The Kitchen Singleton Museum
    The Kitchen

    Gaol Cells

    Originally holding-cells for the court house, the barred doors, manacles, leg irons and bedding on display show how spartan conditions were for prisoners.

    Gaol Cell 1861 Singleton Museum
    Gaol Cell 1861
    Manacles
    Manacles

    Records Room

    The library is the custodian of an immense amount of records from numerous local companies, clubs and residents. Many records are on microfilm, however some are still only in paper form and are becoming fragile. Available for use at a modest fee, this is a treasure trove of local history.

    Hand Written Ledger
    Hand Written Ledger
    Old Record Books
    Old Record Books
    Old Books in the Records Room Singleton Museum
    Old Books in the Records Room

    What Did We Think of the Singleton Museum?

    We had a great time looking through the rooms and displays. Although small, the museum makes the best use of the available space with well curated displays which are all well maintained.

    A great place to visit if you are passing through town, and a place all locals should visit to understand the town’s history.

    Our photos are available for purchase on

    To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

  • Karloo Pools Track Royal National Park

    Karloo Pools Track Royal National Park

    Karloo Pools Track

    Getting There

    Heathcote railway station is a great place to start the Karloo Pools Track, having ample car parking, or providing easy access from Sydney’s rail network.

    We chose to use the train from Central Station, which was a quick and convenient trip taking just under an hour.

    From the train station, walk through the car park, past the Sutherland Shire Rural Fire Brigade building to the start of the track.

    Information Board
    Information Board at the Start of the Track

    The Karloo Pools Walking Track

    NSW Parks and Wildlife maintain the track and manage the Royal National Park. They give the track a rating of three, meaning that it is well sign posted, with some steep areas and unformed paths and is moderately challenging.

    Compared to other grade 3 and 4 tracks we have walked, this would be at the high end of grade 3. Several steep areas also had steep slopes adjacent to the track, so care was needed not to slip down.

    The walk starts with an easy walk through eucalyptus forest, passing the outskirts of Heathcote before descending through the valley. In places you need to climb over rocks, but the scenery is amazing and worth the effort.

    Climbing up to opposite valley, you are rewarded with views over the National Park. From here the track descends to the Karloo Pools.

    Upper Flat Section of the Track
    Upper Flat Section of the Track in Eucalypt Forest
    Steep Section of the Track
    Steep Section of the Track
    Big Rocks on the Path
    Big Rocks on the Path
    Rocky Path Going Uphill
    Rocky Path Going Uphill
    Karloo Pools Walking Track
    Karloo Pools Walking Track

    Karloo Pools

    Surrounded by forest and rock outcrops the pool’s setting is picturesque and rewards your hour’s walk to get there. Whether you want to relax in the shade, swim in the pool or sit on the rocks, it’s a great place to enjoy lunch.

    This is a popular swimming hole, it is often crowded particularly in summer, so be prepared to share it with others. Although we only saw a few people on the walking track, several dozen were there when we arrived around 10:30am.

    We relaxed there after the walk, had lunch and spent time taking photos before walking back to the train station.

    Karloo Pools
    Karloo Pools
    Kangaroo Creek next to Karloo Pools
    Kangaroo Creek next to Karloo Pools

    What Did We Think?

    We thoroughly enjoyed the walk and pools, as it was a little challenging, with a great reward. Remember to wear good walking shoes, because you will need them in some of the more difficult places. There is no lifeguard on duty so take care when swimming and supervise children. It is also important to check the the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service’s page, because the park may be closed, or warnings in place.

    Our photos are available for purchase on

    To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.