Get a preview of our July podcasts.

Narelle Austen concludes this series, imagining the lives of those who lived and breathed Coal River.

In this audio extract from the March 2025 Female Convicts of the Hunter Valley Seminar, Dr Jude Conway reveals the life of Elizabeth Hannell – a Mother of Newcastle.

Benita Parker from the 'West Wallsend District Heritage Group', delves into the early ambitious attempts to uncover coal deposits, “In the Shadow of Mount Sugarloaf”.

Narelle Austin explores the relationships between the European settlers of Coal River and First Nations peoples and uncovers the stories of Commandant James Wallis, Awabakal leader Burigon and Joseph Lycett—an unlikely trio whose interactions preserved Aboriginal knowledge and captured glimpses of a culture under immense change.

Join Dr. Pamela Harrison OAM as she describes the journey that transformed palliative care in Newcastle and beyond.

Benita Parker from the 'West Wallsend District Heritage Group' tells of the life and times of Jospeh Holmes and his family, after whom the township of Holmesville is named.

Narelle Austen looks at the lives of convicts John Tucker and James Hardy Vaux and their significant co-operation with Commandant Thomas Skottowe, offering us a glimpse into a unique time and place in our local colonial history.