University of Newcastle Special Collections and Archives

Collection Highlight ✨

📸 The Hannan Photographic Archive

Donated to Special Collections in 2014, the Hannan Photographic Archive holds more than a million images documenting life in Newcastle and the Hunter Region from the mid-1950s through to the 2010s.

Thanks to the dedication of our volunteers and students, this incredible visual record is continually being made accessible to the public — and we’re excited to share that hundreds more images have just been uploaded!

💡 Explore the archive and uncover fascinating glimpses of our region’s past on Living Histories — Link in bio.

1. Coal and Allied Golf Day at Bonnie Doon Golf Club, 1963, teeing off
2. Coal and Allied Bowls Gala, East Cessnock, NSW, 1963
3. Commonwealth Steel Co., workers tipping a sheet wearing aprons and gloves, 1963
4. View towards Nobby's headland from Caravan Park, Stockton, 1963

It's Find it Friday! 🔎

Take a look at this photo from our Ralph Snowball collection. Do you recognise this spot? Maybe you've walked past it a hundred times, or maybe it holds a memory or two.

Have a guess in the comments and let us know if you know the story behind it. We'll share the answer later today, so keep an eye out.

If you enjoy a trip down memory lane, come back each Friday for a new mystery photo from around the Hunter Region.

Want to explore more of Ralph Snowball's photography? Search our "Ralph Snowball" collections on Living Histories, the link is in our bio.

📷: Foreshore gathering, [Speers Point], NSW, 26 January 1900
This image was scanned from the original glass negative taken by Ralph Snowball. It is part of the Norm Barney Photographic Collection, held by Special Collections and Archives

Our newest display has just opened in the Flowers Room, Level 4 of the Auchmuty Library, welcome to Philia (FIL-ee-uh) 💛

Philia is the ancient Greek concept of friendship, shared experience and common purpose. Discover the story of Mary Stewart, one of the first alumni of the University of Newcastle, and engineering students James Carr, Ernest Walpole and James Mackie, who reunited 50 years after graduating from what was then Newcastle University College. You'll also find the story of the Friends of the University, a group of volunteers supporting current students and our campus.

This display follows our first, Agape (ah-GAH-pay), which used images from across the Hunter region held in our archives to explore selfless, unconditional love, shown in community, in times of crisis, and simply because.

Come and read their stories on your next visit to campus 🌻

Mary: https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2025/12/01/uon60-an-early-university-graduate-shares-her-story/

James, Ernest & James: https://uoncc.wordpress.com/2013/05/20/newcastles-first-graduates/

Images:
James Carr, Ernest Walpole and James Mackie (Private collection)
The three reunited again in 2003 (Private collection)
A group of unidentified women preparing for the Friends of the University Book Fair, the University of Newcastle, Australia
Open Day, the University of Newcastle, Australia - 1970
Mary and her family (Private collection)
Student protest, the University of Newcastle, Australia

🔬✨ It’s National Science Week!

Every August, we celebrate the excitement and discoveries that science brings to our lives. This year, we’re taking a trip back to the 1950s biology classrooms at Newcastle Teachers College.

Scroll through to see students:
🦋 identifying insects (bonus points if you spot the guinea pig!)
🧪 conducting experiments
❤️ dissecting animal hearts
🏛️ and heading off on excursion to the Sydney Museum.

These snapshots capture the hands-on spirit of science education in the past—and remind us that curiosity, observation, and discovery are timeless.

Explore more of our photo archives on Living Histories – link in bio.

📷 Featured images
- Anthropology - Biology - Sydney Museum visit by Newcastle Teachers' College students and staff, Australia - 1956
- Students dissect animal hearts in Section 8 Biology, Newcastle Teachers' College, Australia -1955
- Section 8 Biology students, June Calder and Jan Marshall, Newcastle Teachers' College, Australia - 1955
- Biology Option - 1952
- Section 8 Biology students conduct a science experiment, Newcastle Teachers' College, Australia - 1955

🌿 The Magical World of May Gibbs 🌿

Did you know our Library holds a collection of works by the beloved Australian author and illustrator May Gibbs?

Her enchanting tales and iconic illustrations of native flora and fauna — especially the much-loved Gumnut Babies — have captured the hearts of readers for generations. Through her stories, May Gibbs created a uniquely Australian fairyland that continues to inspire children and adults alike.

💗 Do you have a favourite May Gibbs story or illustration? Let us know in the comments!

📖 Come explore her timeless work in our collection and discover the magic for yourself. Bookings essential — Link in bio!

It's Find it Friday! 🔎

Take a look at this photo from our Ralph Snowball collection. Do you recognise this spot? Maybe you've walked past it a hundred times, or maybe it holds a memory or two.

Have a guess in the comments and let us know if you know the story behind it. We'll share the answer later today, so keep an eye out.

If you enjoy a trip down memory lane, come back each Friday for a new mystery photo from around the Hunter Region.

Want to explore more of Ralph Snowball's photography? Search our "Ralph Snowball" collections on Living Histories, the link is in our bio.

📷: Looking towards Belmont Lagoon and the lake's entrance, Lake Macquarie, NSW, [1 May 1903]
This image was scanned from the original glass negative taken by Ralph Snowball. It is part of the Norm Barney Photographic Collection, held by Special Collections and Archives

At last month's Hunter Living Histories Showcase, Associate Professor Paul Hogben gave a talk, "Newcastle's New Garden Suburb: The Making of Merewether Heights."

Associate Professor Hogben is currently researching the post-war architecture of Newcastle and the broader Hunter region. He is eager to connect with anyone who can provide additional information, particularly regarding the social history of Merewether Heights. He also shared a selection of newly digitised images from our collection that highlight the suburb's unique modern housing and architecture.

Associate Professor Paul Hogben is the Discipline Director of Architecture at the University of New South Wales and specialises in Australian architectural history.
https://ow.ly/fteI50ZxfTM

Images:
https://ow.ly/gHFh50ZxfTN
https://ow.ly/YgAk50ZxfTO

💏 The Chiswick Shakespeare Series — featuring A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Romeo and Juliet 💏

Today we’re celebrating the timeless beauty of books and the joy they bring into our lives by showcasing these exquisite treasures from the Chiswick Shakespeare series.

This renowned collection brings together all of Shakespeare’s masterpieces in 39 pocket-sized volumes, each carefully crafted with updated text and stunning art-nouveau gilt bindings. The enchanting illustrations by Byam Shaw (1872–1919) capture the magic, drama, and romance of Shakespeare’s plays.

💗 Which of Shakespeare’s works is your favourite? Share with us in the comments!

📖 Interested in viewing the Chiswick Shakespeare series? Book an appointment in our Reading Room — Link in bio!

🌏✨ Today is International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.

Did you know our Special Collections participates in the Indigenous Archives Collective’s Right of Reply to Indigenous Knowledges and Information held in Archives?
This initiative empowers Indigenous peoples to enhance, correct, update, critique, or withdraw material about their Culture that exists in archives.

Too often, collections were recorded through a colonial lens. The Right of Reply ensures Indigenous voices and perspectives are central in shaping how this material is shared and understood.

🔗 Explore the Right of Reply Collection on Living Histories: https://ow.ly/MZhA50ZxfN4

Since 1965, Autonomy Day has marked the University of Newcastle’s independence from the University of New South Wales.

For six decades, University of Newcastle students have celebrated Autonomy Day, a beloved tradition of spirited fun, protests, and fundraising.

Students would often run amok, throwing flour, playing games, and creating a spectacle.

Explore these throwback photos capturing the essence of Autonomy Days over the decades, and enjoy a special 1970 interview with a former student sharing firsthand stories of the memorable antics and incidents from the day: https://bit.ly/40Vbc6m

📸 Featured images:
- Procession through Newcastle on Autonomy Day, 19th July 1967
- Autonomy Day Complaint - 17th July 1963.
- Students at a university surfing barbeque, the University of Newcastle, May 1969
- Procession through Newcastle on Autonomy Day, 19th July 1967
- Students on campus during Autonomy Day at the University of Newcastle.
- Procession through Newcastle on Autonomy Day, 19th July 1967
- Autonomy Day at Bus Depot, Newcastle East - 19th July 1967