Anzac Day 2012

The sun rises over Newcastle's Nobbys Beach
during the ANZAC Day dawn service.

ABC News: Dan Cox

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayseedali/sets/72157629530961346/

Gordon Whitehead's #newcastlemorningphoto

A new tradition starting on social networks is sharing of photos via Twitter and Facebook. Gordon Whitehead is a great example and shares with us some pictures of the local area during his morning ritual photo shoot.

Nobbys Head Newcastle NSW

 

 

Merewether Baths NSW

 Gordon's "Where Am I?" challenge. 

Do you know where this photograph is taken?

And remember you can meet Gordon Whitehead 

and all the gang from #Newcastlecoffee 

Every Friday morning at 7.45am at Coffee on Crown. 

Everybody is welcome to join us! - Lindy Asimus

Yesteryear In Newcastle: 1940 Tram

The line went straight across Hunter Street. Here seen is a train standing in Burwood Street waiting for a tram to pass up Hunter Street in 1940. The same route had been used for over 100 years. Only this load of coal came from the Glebe Pit.

Same site in 1897

Find more on this http://www.flickr.com/photos/uon/5903876058/in/set-72157625938635093/

Hunter Businesses Using Social Media

While all the reports of gloom and doom tell us how bad the economy is we do well to remember how much better off we are here in Australia than so many parts of the world.

Focus on what you can do
Where we sometimes fall into the trap of focusing on what we can't do, we can overlook the things that are basic that we can be doing to promote our local businesses and social media is a great example of that.

The key to developing social marketing for any local area is to create a good network online of people who support each other and contribute to each others success. Sounds like the way local businesses have always done and that's the secret. While the technology is different, social media is just like any other way that we communicate, share, listen and tell stories just in a different place.

Social Marketing
Social marketing is much more than setting up a Facebook page but this is often the story that business owners get. This is not something to give your teenager to do, it should be integrated with your traditional marketing and support your other activities, your website and online presence generally, incorporate your PR and open doors to areas that have until now been inaccessible. Your blog is a great example of an easy step that you can take to start generating some interest online in what you have to offer. You need good pictures of your products (you need these anyway!) and posting them online can generate interest from people in your local area who have never heard of your business. Good content and good images are the way to get attention. Knowing where to get these seen is another part of the puzzle.

Part of that is building good links to other businesses that are related to our own and service the same kind of market.  I know that working with local businesses to develop and support their network with reciprocal links to websites and comments on web platforms to promote your business and a link on your site to theirs is to your advantage in helping you get found in Google searches. Google works on the basis of authority sites connecting and is always favouring genuine business sites with connections in related business. Many things that Google does in adjusting the way they conduct search changes but this one element is constant. Good quality information is what they are seeking and reward.

Grow Sales From New Sources
You may be getting traffic that is converting from different sources and not directly from Google right now. That's probably because you have no strategy to develop those other streams of visitors to your business,  Every other door you open for people to find your business has the potential to be the No1 money generator for your business. Make sure you have your hat in the ring,.

Not sure how to start? Contact me on 0403 365 855 and mention this blog for a special offer.

Luxe Photography Makes Your Product Look Good

 

Name: Tania Salitra      

What brought you to photography as a career?

Photography has always been a passion and so it was a natural progression from the another creative field - Fashion.  I decided that I wanted to learn as much as I could about photography and so undertook the Diploma Of Photography at Ultimo SIT

What do you like most about your work?

Not only do I photograph but also style the shots, so the challenges and the creativity that entails/come into play are very exciting for me. The variety is great – no two days are the same – photography has given me some great experiences but also being able to help people achieve what they want and need for their business is a real kick for me. The look on clients' faces and feedback I get is a really wonderful feeling that I have given them something that they can use to show their product or themselves beautifully and better than they had imagined it. Being able to meet and then exceed my clients expectations is very important.  

Is there a typical kind of person or business with whom you work?

Not really. My clients vary as the need for good photography to market business, whether it is a product or service, is so essential it is wide reaching. I do love working with small business and sole traders, no typical customer as such but similar situations -  they all need great images to help sell their products and services.

    

What role does photography play in promoting a business effectively? What about service businesses – can they use photographs to good effect too?

Photography allows a person to see straight up, exactly what they are getting or who they are engaging with. When it comes to service providers, potential customers are interested in seeing who you are - Is the person genuine? Are they going to be someone I can relate to? Will they understand me? are all questions that can first up be answered with an image of the person. 

So for head shots, it is important the photographer understands what it is that the person needs to convey – trust, reliability, confidence, care – all can be shown far better with one image than any words. 

For products, including restaurants, customers want to know, Is the product what I want it to be or was thinking it was? What can I expect it to look like? What will I be getting? Will it suit me? Am I going to like this? Great images help push the decision making process along and encourage your potential clients to take the next step/convert.

Are there common problems you see in how businesses sometimes use images?

The two biggest and most obvious problems are using stock or the DIY images. To me, the use of stock images makes a customer wonder what your business actually looks like – and why you don’t want to show it for what it really is. Yes, it can be an easy and cheap quick fix to needing images on your marketing material, but it is a compromise on quality and a compromise that your customers will see before you get a chance to interact with them. 

I often hear customers say ‘I’ve got a great camera’ however, if you don’t know how to use it properly, what lighting works best, what background to use, how to make the person being photographed feel comfortable, and everything else that goes into making great images, then it just doesn’t matter how good the camera is. DIY photos of products, staff and premises just look cheap and nasty, it detracts from the professionalism and polished service or product you want to provide. It looks like a business ran out of budget or aren’t that fussed about how their customers perceive them, not to mention how the staff must feel with mug-shot style photos.

If selling a product, then crisp clear images of that product and brand imaging are essential - it is a chance to make a customer want to buy - make it work.  

What would you suggest business look for when showcasing their products? 

Make sure you have a clear understanding of what your product is and how you want it represented, who your target market is, is also very important as you need to communicate on their level. 

Be true to who you are and your brand – don’t try to be like everyone else. Don’t be afraid to do something different, that way you will be guaranteed of standing out from the crowd.

Businesses are often looking to scrimp and not spend money when they don’t have to – does it cost a lot for professional product photography?

Considering what goes into the photography session, and the benefits a business will gain, no it doesn’t. Marketing is always the first to suffer when times are tight, but that is when it is most important and you need to ramp it up. Great images are an integral part of a successful marketing strategy.

Great photos display really well online. What are some other places besides a website where your clients have been able to use photographs with good results?

Business cards – this is a great place for images – not only does it make the card more interesting and so makes people actually read it before putting it away, but it also immediately connects the person with what you do rather than just words.

Flyers, brochures, blogs, any form of advertising, avatars for social media such as Twitter and FB, wall art for offices and public spaces – the list for how you can make your images work is endless.

Do you have any tips for businesses looking to hire a photographer for product images?

Of course, first step is to check out their website/portfolio, see if you appreciate their style, then meet with them to see if they ‘get you and your product’ and they are a person you would like working with. Make sure they are listening to what you are saying and what you want first, then they can offer suggestions to build on this or offer advice if they think it could be done better. 

Like any creative service – your photographer needs to ‘get’ you and your business to best be able to capture it.

What location do you service?

Hunter Valley, Newcastle, Central Coast, Sydney… Australia wide, Worldwide.. I am very lucky to love what I do and am happy to travel pretty much anywhere I am needed.  

How can people reach you if they would like to discuss photographs for their products?

I would love to speak with you about how I can help your business and your image needs. 

You can call me on 0409 249 609 or email me: tania at luxephotography.com.au

You can find Tania’s work displayed at:

www.luxephotography.com.au

Day Trips: Bushrangers Bar & Brasserie Largs NSW

Bushrangers Bar & Brasserie Largs NSW

Quality Food Presented With Care

Mine Hosts (owner/operator) Bruce & Vicki Woods

Business: Description
Multi award winning restaurant & hotel centrally located in Hunter, specialising in fine Hunter Valley wines & fresh seasonal produce

What's the number one reason people like to come here?
To dine with friends & family in our restaurant & to catch up with the locals & what’s happening in town

What do you love about your work?
The daily challenge of getting the food right & making it work, whilst working towards our next Award and growing our business

Are customers from the local area or do you get travellers?
We have a strong regular & local clientele throughout the hotel, with a mix of locals & visitors for the restaurant

What are some of the unexpected ways that people use the hotel?
Central meeting place for a catch up ie: people from Muswellbrook will meet people from the Bay, ‘halfway house’

Used for wakes, as so many come home for funerals and again it’s easy to meet here

Are there special events through the year that people can find out about?
100^th Anniversary Celebrations (weekend 27/28/29^th April)  Chef’s Tables, wine tasting’s cider/beer tastings. Annual Largs Village Ball, Brenda Clouten memorial Schlorship for the Young in Visual Arts, Community Consultation, usual holidays: Australia Day. Anzac Day, Easter, Mothers Day, Fathers day

How would you describe your food style?
Simple food – done well. Flavoursome, with a mix of Modern Australian & Pub Classsics

Do you cater for special occasions?
Weddings, Engagements, Wakes, graduations 21^st,  80^th’s & everything in between

Tell us about your wine list.
Cellar Selection has 55 wines listed, 52 of which are Hunter wineries. Our Museum Selection has 15 aged/special wines, 8 from Hunter, 5 from other regions in Australia, 2 French

You serve great coffee. Is that important to you?
Bruce is passionate about good coffee, & this is why we choose to use Lavazza. Good consistent brand, well known & readily available
Are children welcome in the restaurant?
Absolutely , we have a special children’s menu, highchairs, baby change table, outdoor kids playground

Is it necessary to make a booking?
We prefer/encourage bookings so we are able to have the right amount of staff to look after. We offer a ‘Reservations  dinner voucher draw’ every month for those people that make a booking


What's the best thing about being in Largs?
Sense of community. It is a town of 4^th & 5^th generation families & everyone knows you. Sometimes that can be a little scary though!!


Social media is very popular now but many businesses have just not done anything to be findable online.  Can people find you to connect on Facebook and Twitter?

Like us on Facebook  Bushrangers Bar & Brasserie or

Follow us on twitter http://twitter.com/bushrangersbar

Contact details and web

Bushrangers Bar & Brasserie

46 High Street, Largs   NSW   2320

Phone: 49301201   Fax: 49301051   Mobile: 0407301201

Email: info@bushrangersbar.com.au

Web: www.bushrangersbar.com.au

CEOs Sleeping Out For Homeless

CEO’s with Soul is a one night Sleepout at Tamburlaine Winery in the Hunter Valley on Friday 9^th March 2012.

Name : Vicki de Carle

What's your connection to CEOs with Soul: 

Through some friends I found out about Soul Café and their desperate need for funding for a new kitchen to continue their amazing work. We discussed ways to help them raise awareness and funds and the idea for an executive sleepout evolved. As I have been involved in a sleepout on the Central Coast we thought this was a good idea for the Newcastle Hunter region. I am helping to organise the night.

What's CEOs with Soul all about? 

 CEO’s with SOUL is an Executive Sleepout where business people get an opportunity to experience a little of what homeless people go through every night, sleeping rough. The experience for a business person who gets to go to a warm bed, shower and food can be quite life changing. We can truly never know the hardships faced by homeless people but this experience will provide some empathy and understanding. It is not a career choice to be homeless, people end up in this situation through a variety of problems. By raising a relatively small amount of money, the business people spread the word as they ask people to sponsor them, which raises awareness and funds.

Many of us walk by a homeless person and look the other way because we don’t understand, we find it confronting and generally we don’t quite know how to react. The best way to react is to support the organisations such as Soul Café who provide support way beyond the food they provide.

We encourage business people to take up the challenge, raise some money and step a little out of their comfort zone and sleep rough for one night! It will also be a great networking opportunity, lots of business people and even a politician or 2 with no distractions for 12 hours.

How did it start?   

We were throwing around some ideas about raising awareness and funds and it is so obvious that if people can experience sleeping rough, they will want to help as they will have first hand understanding of the issues of not having a roof over your head.


What is the outcome that this event is intended to achieve? 

 Money and awareness!

Do we have any high profile people who will be there?  

Absolutely, we have Tim Owen MP, Steve Thompson, Regional Manager Westpac along with some other high flyers of the district. We still have room for lots more

What's the benefit to companies to get involved? 

The benefits to the companies is that their managers get to know their district a little better and have a better understanding of philanthropy from a hands on view. Many of us go about our daily life, embroiled in day to day issues of our immediate business. Learning more about your community can only benefit local businesses.

Managers should be aware, and we will be pointing this out at CEO’s with SOUL, that many of their workers are only 2 pay packets away from potential homelessness. It can take only one major illness, one unexpected job loss for a family to become homeless. The average Australian family does not have financial reserves to survive for more than a few weeks with no income.

It can only be a good thing if our business leaders understand their community, the stresses on their workers and are prepared to step a little outside their comfort zone for the benefit of those less fortunate.

How will the money raised be used? 

The money will be used fitting out the new kitchens and to provide the ongoing services that SOUL Café provides. Unfortunately it is never enough for the need.

How do people register?  

You can register online at www.ceoswithsoul.com.au

What other ways can people help? 

Convince their boss to register and sponsor him or her to sleepout. Challenge them to step outside their comfort zone. You can also go to givenow.com.au and give a one off donation, search for CEO’s with SOUL and follow the instructions. Or email me at Vicki@ceoswithsoul.com.au

Women In Pubs Acknowledged

Newcastle and Hunter pubs often owe a debt of thanks to the women who play such a big role in their success.

AHA NSW will be celebrating the gals at a Girls' Picnic to be held at Customs House in Newcastle near the Foreshore and proceeds from the event will be donated to HMRI for research into Multiple Sclerosis.

The event will be held on Thursday March 8 11am - 3pm and there will be  door prizes, raffles and guest speaker Prof. Maree Gleason.

For more details contact Debbie Potts on 0405 127 660 or email swanseahotel@westnet.com.au

Shade To Order: Hunter Business Serves Global Customers

Lyndon O'keefe - Sales Manager

 Shade To Order What does the business do?

Weather proof Membrane Structures/ Shade Structures

Do you only do commercial shade solutions? No.. We take on any project big or small, commercial or residential.

How did you come to be in this business?
Industry background and an active interest in fabric architecture.

What do like most about your work?

Seeing the before and after transformation of a project... the end result. Helping the client/architect achieve their main objectives in a first class design.

What is the typical situation where your products are especially suited?

Pubs and Clubs and Resorts.

Colleges, School Playgrounds, Aquatic Centres, Walkways and Bowling Clubs, the sky is the limit.

What's the advantage of your products?

Comprehensive weatherproof shelter and 100% UV protection, custom designed to meet your specific criteria.

Increased usable area, additional revenue for the client.

What should a business look for when installing shade products?  Is there a common mistake that people make when selecting the right product for their location?

Most definitely.. Longevity, No ongoing maintenance, Weatherproofing, 100% UV Protection for the life of the structure, Increased useable area and a design to complement the existing building. Tension Membrane structures are a long term solution. A realistic life span of 25 years is normal..

People often mistake woven knitted shade cloth as the premium choice for a 'Shade sail'. Whilst these are extremely cheap, they offer minimal shade, no weatherproofing, and usually sag and flap around within a couple of years.

What do customers usually say after they have the product installed?

Glowing recommendations! The perfect alternative to a conventional steel roof structure. "Adds an elegant touch to our complex whilst maintaining natural levels of light transmission"

What's the most unusual place you've installed your product?

We have installed Membrane Structures all over the world, on top of sky scrapers, cruise ships and for detention centres.

Do you have any tips for businesses looking to install something like this?

Weigh up these keys things...  Durability of the structure, Aesthetics, Low maintenance, A genuine warranty backed by company's time in business, and above all ability to deliver as promised, i.e. previous jobs!

What locations do you service?

Worldwide!

That's fantatstic that you are able to expand your work beyond the local region into overseas projects too. What did you have to change to make that possible?  

The director first started taking on overseas project in the 1980's.. I believe 'attitude' is the biggest change that would have made it possible… thinking outside the square, above and beyond what we work with in our own backyard.

Visit Shade To Order on Facebook and Like their Page!

Shade To Order Pty Ltd

34 Metro Court

GATESHEAD   NSW   2290

Australia

Ph: +61 2 4942 5793 (4 lines)

Mob: 0459 423 793

Fax: +61 2 4942 5322

Web: www.shadetoorder.com

Email: lyndon@shadetoorder.com

Wallis Collection Displayed In Newcastle

Wallis collection unveiled at Newcastle Art Gallery

See full gallery of images on ABC Radio Newcastle's site  (audio interview too)

21 Feb, 2012 

WHEN James Wallis sailed for England almost 200 years ago, he took a collection of sketches and paintings to document life in the new colony of NSW.

The album Captain Wallis compiled, one of the most significant collections of convict-era artworks ever discovered, was unveiled to the public for the first time at Newcastle Art Gallery yesterday.

Captain Wallis was the commandant of the Newcastle penal settlement from 1816 to 1818, and many of the unseen works depict the undeveloped city landscape and the Hunter’s Awabakal people.

Richard Neville, librarian at the Mitchell Library in Sydney, told yesterday’s unveiling of his excitement when he heard the collection had been found as part of a deceased estate in Ontario, Canada.

The album had been kept in a cupboard by a Wallis descendant.

‘‘One could see immediately how important [the album was] and how vital it was to purchase it,’’ Mr Neville said. ‘‘The last time the album was in Australia was on the third of March, 1819, when Captain Wallis put it in a ship and took it back to England.’’
Many of the images are believed to have been painted by Joseph Lycett, a convict artist sent to Newcastle from England for forgery.


The 194-year-old album of Captain James Wallis depicts scenes in and around Newcastle in the New South Wales Hunter region in early colonial times. Picture: NSW State Library 

The album, compiled almost 200 years ago by commandant of Newcastle Captain James Wallis, was gathering dust in the back of a clothes cupboard in Canada.

After winning the bid at auction last October the State Library of New South Wales, has rescued the artefact and the two dozen original works of art in it returned to Australia and were displayed for the first time yesterday in Newcastle.
 
State librarian Alex Byrne said the paintings were "incredibly significant" historically, because of the scenes they depicted and the fact Aborigines were named.

"There is still some research to be done, but it looks like this is what Wallis did in retirement - he made this scrapbook showing the high point in his career," Dr Byrne said.

The scrapbook includes a book Wallis wrote about his time in Newcastle and the artworks pasted in one by one.

Newcastle NSW In 1892

Love this photograph of penny-fathing bicycles lined up outside the courthouse in Newcastle NSW in September 1892

Penny farthing bicycles outside old Newcastle Court House, Hunter Street, Newcastle, NSW, 3 September 1892

Newcastle Hospital, Newcastle East, NSW, November 1892

 

 

Denison Street, Hamilton, NSW 13 February 1892

Thomas Tudor's Hotel, Denison and Steel Streets Hamilton NSW, 1892

 

 Find more pictures of Old Newcastle NSW here

Food And Wine At Hamilton Festival 2012

 Feb 19 saw the annual Food and Wine Festival for 2012 fill the streets once again with visitors and entertainments for all.

 

For more pictures and information on Hamilton NSW visit the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce on Facebook and remember to Like their page!

We Do Things A Little Different Here

Julie Baird talks about Newcastle's new museum. From TEDXNewy 2011.

Dobell, Whitely, Nolan and Boyd Masterpieces On Show Newcastle

NEWCASTLE Art Gallery is hosting Australia’s most important modern artworks next month will be a ‘‘once-in-a-lifetime opportunity’’ for art lovers. Rarely seen away from Sydney, a collection of 20th-century Australian masterpieces will soon adorn the walls of the Newcastle gallery.

Legendary artists such as William Dobell, Arthur Boyd, Sidney Nolan and Brett Whiteley are on loan to Newcastle from the permanent collection of the Art Gallery of NSW.
 
Iconic works by Newcastle-born painter William Dobell are among the paintings selected for the Australian Modern Masterpieces exhibition.

They include Dobell’s 1941 painting Portrait of a Strapper, which the Newcastle gallery owns and which will sit alongside his Archibald Prize-winning portrait of Margaret Olley from 1948.

Entry will be $8 per adult, with children under-12 free.

Newcastle Boys and Girls High Historic Records Donated

Eleven school enrolment registers from the former Newcastle Girls High School and two from Newcastle Boys High School were donated yesterday to State Records NSW.

The records have been digitised and will help family historians and migrants needing to prove residency.
The registers show each student’s name, address, father’s occupation and their post-school destination.

Among the girls’ school records were daughters of tallowsmen and dredgemasters who went on to either Newcastle Teacher’s College or the old Royal Newcastle Hospital.

Full article 

Nobbys Lighthouse Newy's Latest Attraction

Nobby's Lighthouse lights up as Newcastle's newest attraction

[Wed 12/10/2011 09:56:41]

After more than 100 years of restricted public access, renowned historical landmark Nobby's Lighthouse has opened its doors as the newest attraction in Newcastle.


Nobbys Head was the 3rd lighthouse built in NSW

One of the city’s oldest buildings, the lighthouse now invites visitors to access the structure atop Nobbys Headland and take a look into Newcastle’s nautical past while enjoying sweeping views over the city and out to the Pacific Ocean.

Established in 1854, Nobbys Lighthouse was the third lighthouse built in NSW and is included in the City of Newcastle's Coat of Arms. The original 20,000 candle-power light was attended by three keepers, until the light was converted to electric operation in 1935.


Newcastle city views from Nobby's Lighthouse

The lighthouse and its grounds are now accessible to the public free-of-charge, on the first and third Sunday of each month between 10:00am and 4:00pm.

The journey to reach Nobbys Lighthouse is an experience in itself. Located at the end of a long man-made spit at the entrance to beautiful Newcastle Harbour, the lighthouse is accessed by an 800-metre scenic pathway running from the base of the headland, along the breakwater and up to the peak where a spectacular view awaits.

Light refreshments are available at the lighthouse kiosk which operates on open days, or visitors can pack their own picnic to enjoy at the top.

Open days at the Nobbys Lighthouse are managed by L!vesites – an initiative of Newcastle City Council which brings people and businesses in the local community together to deliver creative events and cultural experiences in the city’s public spaces.

The lighthouse will be a key site for upcoming events in Newcastle, including Australia Day and New Year’s Eve activities, one-off art exhibitions and other special experiences. The site is also available for private functions.

For more information on the lighthouse site in Newcastle please visit www.visitnewcastle.com.au

Urban Insider - Cooks Hill NSW

Cooks Hill is an inner city suburb of Newcastle NSW. Here are some urban shots from the local online hipster magazine Urban Insider.  See full gallery here 

Cooks Hill grew from coal mines in the area. Land sales developed from Brooks Street onto Darby Street to create the commercial centre there today. Darby Street was originally known as Lake Macquarie road and was one of the few public access roads through AA Company Coal Mine land.

Raymond Terrace On The Williams River

 

Williams River at Raymond Terrace NSW

 

Just over the Hexham Bridge, Raymond Terrace is an easy commute to Newcastle, Nelson Bay, Maitland and Hawks Nest.  The Newcastle Airport is close by and services are easy to access. 

See also Botanical Gardens entry

Day Trips: Hawks Nest and Tea Gardens

Newcastle is fortunate to have many interesting areas to visit all within an hour of the Newcastle and 3 hours drive from Sydney. The twin hamlets of Tea Gardens, with its river leading to the Great Lakes and Hawks Nest with 26 miles of sandy beach are one such trip that's worth taking. There is also a ferry running across the bay to Nelson Bay.

Here are some views.

Tea Gardens and Hawks Nest

Smart City - Innovative Newcastle NSW Video