Newcastle: The lives and times of a city

Newcastle finds itself on shifting ground. But it’s not an earthquake, or subsidence due to an old mine. It’s perception that’s shifting. Not only is Newcastle rapidly changing, but so are people’s views of the city.

People are ‘discovering’ Newcastle. Or, more pointedly, they are seeing Newcastle for what it is. In Newcastle Scott Bevan examines the character and the soul of the city he grew up in, its past and where it’s likely to head. He traverses from early contact between the Awabakal people and missionary Lancelot Threlkeld, Newcastle’s convict and steel city past, its famous children (from Silverchair to William Dobell) and the city’s role as the world’s largest coal export port, to its recent blossoming as a tourist destination and creative hub.

About the author:
Scott Bevan was born in Newcastle and is a writer, journalist, broadcaster and playwright. He is the author of The Hunter, The Harbour: A city’s heart, a country’s soul, Battle Lines: Australian Artists at War, Water from the Moon: A Biography of John Fawcett and Bill: The Life of William Dobell. His documentary work includes Oll: The Life & Art of Margaret Olley, The Hunter and Arthur Philip: Governor, Sailor, Spy.

Scott Bevan
Published October 2025
Paperback
432 pages 
234mm x 153mm
ISBN 9781742238043