SELF-GUIDED | Walking Tours take you behind the scenes of the City

A sense of adventure, a bit of leisure time and a comfy pair of walking shoes… that's all you need to discover or rediscover Newcastle! Five self-guided walking tours have been created for you to enjoy and experience Newcastle focusing on Art, Convict and Industry, War in Newcastle, The Shoreline and Newcastle Architecture.

Each of the self-guided walking tours includes maps and audio that take you behind the scenes of our City, pointing out some of its lesser known but fascinating treasures.

The Artists' City Walking Tour (Moderate Walk - 2hrs 30mins/ 5.1km)

Newcastle has nurtured, supported and inspired generations of artists and with this tour, you can explore the city through their eyes. Visit the galleries that have displayed and celebrated their work and view examples of the extraordinary public art that populates the Newcastle landscape.

This walking tour starts at Obelisk Park, one of the favourite drawing spots of Newcastle's most celebrated adopted artist, Margaret Olley. Margaret fell in love with Newcastle after being invited to visit by local gallery owner Anne Von Bertouch in the early 1960’s. She found the architecture, landscape and the sounds of industry that formed the city's heartbeat inspiring.

Visit Foundation Seed, which is the tallest piece of public art in Newcastle, standing 14 metres high. It was created by John Turier - an artist, musician and qualified plumber who has lied in Newcastle since 1975. Along the way you will also learn about William Dobell, one of Australia's most celebrated painters, who grew up and fist began sketching in Cooks Hill. His skill and fascination with drawing led him to be apprenticed to a local architecture firm ater he left school.

Dobell left a physical mark on the Newcastle landscape during his early architectural career, designing several buildings around Newcastle. The tour concludes at Newcastle Art Gallery, home to a collection of more than 6,100 works of art that belong to the people of Newcastle.

Newcastle Architecture Walking Tour (Easy Walk - 1hr 30mins/ 2.2km)

The architecture of Newcastle is defined y a rich diversity of styles that reflect the city's posperity and growth throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Explore buildings that have acted as cultural, political and economic icons for the people of Newcastle. Discover the works by architects that are not just of local, but national and international significance.This walking tour begins at City Hall, which has been at the centre of Newcastle cultural and political life since it was completed in 1929. It ends at the Civic Theatre, Newcastle's premier live theatre venue and one of the last significantremaining examples of picture palace architecture in the state.

Convict and Industry Walking Tour (Moderate Walk - 2hrs 45mins/ 5km)

Much of the modern Newcastle landscape has been shaped by the hands of convicts and industry. Explore the city's early years as a convict settlement. Visit remnants of the great industrial enterprises that once defined the cit. Discover amazing engineering feats that allowed the city and its people to prosper.

This walking tour starts at the Convict Lumber Yard, one of the most significant achaeological sites of convict industry in Australia. From 1804 to 1822, Newcastle was a penal settlement established for the punishment of secondary offenders from Sydney. Convicts were employed in the coal, timber and lime-burning industries.

This was the location of Newcastle's Lumber Yard and represents one of the earliest sites of convict industry in Australia. The tour also takes in Newcastle’s iconic Bogey Hole, which was another lasting project produced by convict labour. Located at the base of Shepherds Hill, construction began in 1819 by order of Commandant Morisset for his personal use. Formerly known as the Commandants Bath, the pool was cut by hand into the rock platform by convicts.

While its completion date is not known, it was in use when the Commandant left the settlement in 1823. It remains a favourite swimming spot to this day (maybe time to stop for a dip before proceeding!)

The tour ends at Newcastle Museum, the home of incredible objects and exhibitions that celebrate the industrial and convict heritage of the region.

Newcastle at War Walking Tour (Moderate Walk - 2.5hrs/ 4.4km)

Generations of Novocastrians experienced the impact of war on their lives and their city. Explore Newcastle through the conflictsthat have shaped its landscape and character. Meet locals that left Newcastle to participate in some of the most devastating wars in history.

You'll walk in their footsteps, and visit places dedicated to their memory. This walking tour begins at Fort Scratchley, the only coastal fortification in ustralia to return fire on an eney vessel during World War Two. It ends at the Newcastle War Memorial Cultural Centre (Newcastle Region Library); a place where locals gather not just to remember and reflect, but o learn, research and engage with art and culture.

You may choose to extend your journey to take in the magnificent Memorial alk opened April 2015, the 100 year anniversary of the ANZAC landing on the Gallipoli peninsula. This walk commemorates those from Newcastle and the Hunter region who enlisted for service in WWI. The Shoreline Walking Tour (Heavy Walk - 3hr/ 3.2km) With its spectacular harbour and coastline, the Pacific Oceanhas always played an important part in Novocastrian’s work and leisure.

Explore the city through its relationship with the shoreline. Visit places that once formed a crucial part of Newcastle’s working harbour and maritime culture. Enjoy the city’s spectacular coastline and discover places that Novocastrians have been visiting for generations to swim, relax and play.

This walking tour begins on the Newcastle Foreshore, at the viewing spot for Destiny, a sculpture that commemorates Newcastle’s role as a commercial port. It concludes at the Newcastle Memorial Walk, a spectacular walk that offers 360-degree views of the city and its coastline.

HOW TO COMPLETE YOUR SELF-GUIDED TOUR:

ONLINE Visit www.visitnewcastle.com.au/newcastle-walking-tours. Choose the tour that most interests you (or the one you are about to embark on) and click to view additional information including downloadable map and brochure and the audio for each of the stops on the way (Don’t forget to bring your earphones!).

PRINTED MAPS/BROCHURES Free printed walking tour maps are also available at the Newcastle Museum or the Visitor Information Centre located at the Maritime Centre both located in the Honeysuckle precinct.