Friday, November 23, 2012

Back When Newcastle Had A Rail Service


The Herald reports today:



"Workers unearthed the old track, which appears to be part of a spurline used in the late 1800s known as the sand sidings, during works on John Parade .

A map of the Burwood Estate Railway circa 1887 shows the sidings splitting from the Beach Railway in the vicinity.

The sidings then appear to stretch from near Merewether Surf Club towards Dixon Park.

Newcastle Herald historian Mike Scanlon said the rails’ location indicated they may have been part of those sidings.

‘‘This old railway line is likely to have been part of a once extensive sand removal operation that speared off from the present Watkins Street corner,’’ Mr Scanlon said.

‘‘There were once huge dunes around the Dixon Park area which were heavily exploited.’’

Mr Scanlon said the line appeared to have fallen out of use by 1900 and seemed completely gone following the Depression."



See the full story here  

Marcus Westbury at TEDxMoretonBay




Makers + Places: Marcus Westbury at TEDxMoretonBay

Some great old pictures of Newcastle NSW here too.

Marcus Westbury is the founder of Renew Newcastle and Renew Australia. His background is a broadcaster, writer, media maker and festival director who is responsible for some of Australia's more innovative, unconventional and successful cultural projects and events. He has worked across a range of media as a writer, producer, director and presenter, covering fields as diverse as culture, art, urban planning, media, sport and politics. In 2008, with his own funds and energy, Marcus founded Renew Newcastle, a low budget, not for profit, DIY urban renewal scheme that has brokered access to more than 30 empty buildings for more than 70 creative enterprises, artists and cultural projects in his hometown of Newcastle, NSW. In this presentation Marcus reveals a surprising discovery about his innovative work.