The people stories and faces that make this place special

Newcastle residents have launched a neighbourhood storytelling project that collects oral histories from long-term locals in Cooks Hill and The Junction.

The initiative gained momentum this month because winter events at venues like the Newcastle Civic Theatre draw fewer crowds than summer programs, prompting organisers to focus on resident connections rather than seasonal tourism spikes.

Volunteers meet weekly at the Cooks Hill Community Garden on Bruce Street to record accounts from people who have lived in the area since the 1980s, while similar sessions occur at the Junction Community Centre on Glebe Road. These efforts tie into broader lifestyle updates by highlighting how personal narratives influence everything from cafe menus on Darby Street to public art installations along the foreshore.

Stories from the streets

One thread running through the collected accounts involves former steelworkers who now run weekend workshops teaching basic carpentry to younger residents at the old Honeysuckle rail yards site. Another centres on families who have maintained market stalls at the Newcastle City Farmers Market on Hunter Street every Saturday since 2012.

Attendance records from the 2025 Newcastle Winter Markets show 12,400 visitors across eight weekends, with 68 percent of stallholders reporting repeat customers from the same suburbs. Ticket prices for related evening talks at the Newcastle Art Gallery on Laman Street start at $15 for locals, a figure set after a 2024 survey of 2,300 residents.

Participants can join the next recording session on July 19 at the Cooks Hill garden or submit short written pieces via the project website before August 1. Details appear on noticeboards at the Junction Community Centre and the Civic Theatre box office.