NEWCASTLE, THE SIXTH LARGEST CITY IN AUSTRALIA, IS A MAJOR PORT AND INDUSTRIAL CENTRE. IT LIES AT THE MOUTH OF THE HUNTER RIVER, ABOUT 168 KM (104 MILES) NORTH-NORTH-EAST OF SYDNEY, IN NEW SOUTH WALES. ITS POPULATION IN 1990 WAS ABOUT 428,800.
THE MOST IMPORTANT INDUSTRIES IN NEWCASTLE ARE CONCERNED WITH THE MINING OF COAL, AND THE PRODUCTION OF IRON AND STEEL. THE CITY IS THE LARGEST COAL-EXPORTING PORT IN AUSTRALIA. OTHER INDUSTRIES INCLUDE HEAVY ENGINEERING, SHIP-BUILDING, METALLURGY, AND THE MANUFACTURE OF TEXTILES. THE PORT, WHICH INCLUDES A FLOATING DOCK, IS ONE OF THE LARGEST IN AUSTRALIA. IN ADDITION COAL AND OTHER INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS, IT HANDLES MANY AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES FROM THE INTERIOR OF THE COUNTRY, NOTABLY WHEAT AND WOOL.
NEWCASTLE IS ALSO A MAJOR CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL CITY. IT HAS A CULTURAL CENTRE, AN ART GALLERY AND A UNIVERSITY. AROUND THE BUSY CITY CENTRE ARE MANY ATTRACTIVE PARKS AND GARDENS, PLEASANT SUBURBS, AND SURFING BEACHES. JUST SOUTH OF NEWCASTLE IS LAKE MACQUARIE, A SEASIDE LAKE WHICH IS ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S LEADING WATER SPORTS CENTRE. NEWCASTLE HAS A TEMPERATE CLIMATE, WITH TEMPERATURES RANGING FROM 9`C (48`F) IN WINTER TO 16`C (61`F) IN SUMMER. THE YEARLY RAINFALL AVERAGES 1,040 MILLIMETRES (41 INCHES). THE AREA THAT NOW CONTAINS NEWCASTLE WAS EXPLORED IN 1797 BY A BRITISH OFFICER, LIEUTENANT JOHN SHORTLAND, WHO WAS AT THE TIME TRACKING DOWN ESCAPED CONVICTS. HE DISCOVERED THE HUNTER RIVER AND SOME COAL DEPOSITS NEAR BY. A CONVICT SETTLEMENT WAS BUILT ON THE SITE IN 1801 AND CALLED COAL HARBOUR PENAL SETTLEMENT. IT GREW SLOWLY AT FIRST, BUT AFTER HUGE COAL RESERVES WERE FOUND IN THE NEAR BY HUNTER REGION, IT EXPANDED QUICKLY AS A COAL EXPORTING PORT. IT BECAME A MUNICIPALITY IN 1859, AND A CITY IN 1885. NEWCASTLE’S FIRST LARGE STEELWORKS WAS OPENED IN 1911 AND THE CITY SOON BECAME ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S LEADING MANUFACTURING CENTRES.
Published: July 15, 2006
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