It’s welcomed almost 1.5 million visitors, won 20 state and national awards, displayed 71 exhibitions, and held thousands of special events – but after a decade at Honeysuckle there’s still more to discover at Newcastle Museum.
Last week marked the 10th anniversary since the Museum opened its doors at Honeysuckle after transforming the former Railway Workshops into a state-of-the-art cultural facility.
Newcastle Lord Mayor, Nuatali Nelmes said Newcastle Museum is one of the jewels in the city’s cultural crown.
“Newcastle Museum plays a key role in the rich diversity of experiences that help attract visitors to our city,” she said.
“The award-winning Museum is on the cutting edge of contemporary museum practice and has been nationally recognised for its innovative exhibitions, which create insightful and immersive ways to interpret and preserve our city’s fascinating history.
“Upgrading and expanding this critical facility through its move to Honeysuckle saw the Museum become a cornerstone of the wider Civic cultural precinct.
“I’m proud to see how much it has achieved during the past 10 years and I can’t wait to experience what else it has in store during the next decade and beyond.”
Newcastle Museum Director, Julie Baird said it had been amazing to see the transformation both within the Museum’s Heritage-listed buildings and in the surrounding landscape over the years.
“The Museum’s transformation will continue following the mass planting of various native tree species in four sections of Museum Park yesterday as part of the Museum’s Living Labels project,” Julie said.
“The trees and shrubs planted relate directly to objects within the Museum’s collection and offer a new way to interpret and understand Newcastle’s geography and history, providing a living connection between the natural landscape and the stories of our past.
“We plan to celebrate the Museum’s significant milestone with activities across the next 12 months, kicking off with a 10th anniversary exhibition showcasing specially commissioned works by much-loved local artist Trevor Dickinson, whose colourful, larger-than-life murals including the Newcastle Museum Photowall have formed such an intrinsic part of the Museum and its surrounds.
“Newcastle Museum is a celebration of our city and we are a significant element of the lives and identity of Newcastle’s people.”
Newcastle Museum is committed to telling the stories of both ordinary and extraordinary Novocastrians through their collections, exhibitions, and audience engagement.
“This facility plays a major role in Newcastle, not just as a tourist attraction but as an inclusive and accessible space that educates, entertains and benefits the community in so many ways,” Julie said.
Among those who have benefitted from the Museum since it moved to Honeysuckle is 10-year-old Sebastian Skrynnik, whose parents immigrated to Newcastle from Russia and have been taking him to the Museum since he was a baby.
“We’ve shared a lot of great memories inside these walls,” Sebastian said.
“It’s where I came a few times a week as we couldn’t afford to go to preschool or playgroups – but the museum gave me a place that had everything I needed. I remember playing here with so many different kids, exploring and learning.
“My parents came to Australia to give me a better life, and what they found for us was a new family and a community that’s part of my life now.”
IMAGE | Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes (middle) and Newcastle Museum Director Julie Baird (right) celebrate the 10th anniversary milestone with long-time Museum visitors Sasha Pyatetskaya and her sons Brooklyn and Sebastian Skrynnik.
