Miles Jackson at Maitland

Friends of Grossmann House present Miles Jackson, guitarist from New Zealand, on Friday 6th March, 7.30, at Brough House. Miles will present a program on the music of Spain, featuring Flamenco and Classical guitar. Cost is $25 and $20 for National Trust members and includes refreshments. Bookings are essential on 49336452 (Grossmann House) or Lynn (49320518).

Selling Newcastle Streets

NCC is exhibiting for public comment (due this Friday) a road closure plan (nothing more than a map) for the closure and sale of Morgan, Thorn and Laing Streets to GPT, and closure (up to 18 months) of King and lower end of Wolfe, with the sale of their 'stratum' to GPT. It has been kept pretty quiet The concept of closure and sale prematurely endorses the GPT development without even seeing a DA.
Newcastle City Council's CBD road closure plan poses a number of problems. The plan requires the permanent closure and sale to GPT of Thorn, Laing and Morgan Street, and the closure, for over a year, of King Street and lower Wolfe Street. The stratum below King and Wolfe Streets would be sold to GPT to enable excavation for retail and carparking space. The plan, currently exhibited on the NCC website, is not supported by any documentation such as environmental, economic, traffic and heritage assessments. The CBDs 'fine grain' intimate character will be damaged with the loss of the 1823 'market square' street grid. The closure of King Street for over a year will cause traffic access nightmares. Regardless of any arrangements made between GPT and Council, the costs and consequences of selling public land to a private developer have not been articulated. Our council owes the public an explanation.

Submissions can be sent to the General Manager, Nctle City Council, King Street Nctle by Friday the 27th Feb 2009.

CENTENARY FAIR- Bric-c-Brac, Collectables & Arts and Crafts

The National Trusts 'Friends of Miss Porter's House' are having a 'CENTENARY FAIR' on Saturday 30 May 2009, 10am to 5pm at Newcastle Grammar School-Park Campus, Cnr Union Street and Parkway Avenue, Cooks Hill.
There will be a Jewellery Valuer in site: $5 per item.
Admission is $5 FOR Adults and $4 concession.
TRADERS: The Friends of Miss Porter's House invite you to book a table or some floor space from which to sell or trade our wares.Doors open at 7.30am for setting up. Parking available.
Conditions of entry and booking form is available from Fair organiser Patti Graham on 49539034.

Nobbys-(Whibayganba)

(Image: Oil painting by John Edge 2007)

Minister for the Environment, Peter Garrett has indicated that he will exercise no further oversight of the revised plans for Nobbys Headland.
The intervention of the Commonwealth has been essential to achieve the present improved design. At some point in the future it is likely that the Commonwealth will again be involved when the National Nomination for Coal River (Mulunbinda) Precinct is considered.
The Trust believes that this revised plan should be submitted to the State Government and Newcastle City Council as a private development and not under ‘Crown privilege’ as it was previously. It is clearly not a port related activity and therefore should not be considered as such. We believe there should be a low key adaptive reuse of the site. Although the revised proposal will have lesser impact on the iconic lighthouse there will still be a significant physical impact on the headland and the adjacent Macquarie Pier with increased vehicular traffic and from water and sewage infrastructure needed to support the new use.
Now that the Newcastle Port Corporation no longer has a use for the site, we would still prefer that Nobbys should be brought under the care of the NSW National Parks Service to be managed as a historic site to ensure that heritage conservation principles can be applied that promote education, research and recreation that benefit the public.

Miss Porter’s House celebrates its centenary in 2009

When newly weds Herbert Porter and his bride Florence Jolly moved into their new home at 434 King Street Newcastle, in 1909, their thoughts would probably have focused on the here and now, the need to cultivate their general store and carrier business in nearby Bland (now Hunter) Street. They would have pondered too the prospect of starting a family, because Ella was born in 1911 and Hazel in 1914. Sadly, Herbert, and his mother Eliza (neé Lintott), fell victims to the influenza epidemic in 1919, and Florence was left to raise the two girls.
Little would the Porters have imagined then that their house would, one hundred years letter, be a National Trust House. But as they aged, the daughters, who never married and lived in the house all of their lives, entertained an ambition to bequeath the house to the National Trust. This ambition was realised following the death of Hazel in 1997. Ella had died two years earlier. Miss Porter’s House now stands as Newcastle’s only National Trust property.
The Friends of Miss Porter’s House plan a number of events to mark the centenary of the House. In particular there’ll be a Centenary Fair on 30 May 2009. NTA members with Antiques, Arts and Crafts and Collectables to sell at the Fair are invited to contact Patti Graham (4953 9034).
Other Miss Porter’s Centenary events will be publicised from time to time in the National Trust NSW eNews.
THE HOUSE WILL BE OPENED ON SUNDAY 8 FEBURARY 1-4pm, 434 KING STREET, NCTLE

Nobbys-Whibayganba Headland development proposal must remain a ‘Controlled Action’

The Nobbys-Whibayganba Headland development proposal must remain a ‘Controlled Action’ by the Commonwealth, as the new development and use proposed on the headland will impact on the heritage values of the historic Nobbys Lighthouse.
The National Trust of New South Wales has been advocating for the conservation of this area since 1969 when we proposed the statutory recognition of Nobbys, the convict breakwater and mines, Fort Scratchley and Shortland’s camp location as a historic site. The area is now known as the Coal River Precinct and registered on the State Heritage Register. It is essential that the Commonwealth considers this current proposal a ‘Controlled Action’ because of the lack of heritage protection that the precinct currently has, especially in regard to the Nobbys Headland and the area directly around the Nobbys lighthouse. The heritage values of the lighthouse remain under threat from private development.
Now that the Newcastle Port Corporation has exited the site, it should be transferred to the National Parks and Wildlife Service, which would ensure permanent heritage conservation management. NEW DEVELOPMENT is planned for the headland and this is contrary to the Newcastle Port Corporations officially published invitation for expressions of interest (Port Corp. May 2003).
Reasons why the current proposal needs to be reconsidered:
• The proposed plan dominates Nobbys for private benefit with limited access by the public.
• The proposed plan would physically impact on the headland and the adjacent Macquarie Pier with increased vehicular traffic and waste and sewage management.
• There is no adaptive reuse to improve heritage values for the benefit of the public.
• Ongoing control of hazards and access by private and service vehicles is not adequately considered.
• Archaeological examinations have not been undertaken.
• Newcastle Port Corporation previously acted contrary to Commonwealth Law s26 EPBC act, and also carried out action without consent on the roadway to the headland.
• Because the Proponents have previously been in breach of s 26 of the EPBC Act, this proposal should remain a ‘Controlled Action’.
There must now be developed an overall vision and plan for Nobbys headland that is in the public good that ensures permanent heritage conservation management.
Please write to:
Hon Peter Garrett AM MP Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, PO Box 6022
House of Representatives Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600
The Hon. Nathan Rees MP Premier of NSW, Parliament House, Sydney 2000