Newcastle Government House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Newcastle Government House |
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Commandant's house from in front of the old gaol, circa 1828
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| Location | 72 Watt Street, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia |
| Official name: Newcastle Government House and Domain; Newcastle Military Barracks & Hospital; Girls' Industrial School; Reformatory for Girls; Lunatic Asylum for Imbeciles; James Fletcher Hospital; Fletcher Park | |
| Type | state heritage (complex / group) |
| Designated | 22 March 2011 |
| Reference no. | 1841 |
| Type | Historic Landscape |
| Category | Landscape - Cultural |
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Newcastle Government House is a very old and important place in Newcastle, Australia. It used to be a military base and a home for important officials. Today, it's a park and a hospital. This site has had many names over the years, like Newcastle Military Barracks & Hospital, Girls' Industrial School, and James Fletcher Hospital. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 22 March 2011 because of its rich history.
Contents
A Look Back: History of Newcastle Government House
The Newcastle Government House and its surrounding land are very important for understanding Australia's past. It played a key role in managing convict labour, early coal mining, and the growth of Australia's economy.
Early Days: A Penal Settlement
The first Europeans to use this site were in 1804. It was the Commandant's Residence, also known as Government House. The Commandant, Lieutenant Charles Menzies, was in charge of the penal settlement here. A penal settlement was a place where convicts were sent for punishment and hard labor. The government has managed this site since 1804.
Early drawings and artworks show the Commandant's house and gardens. These pictures, by artists like Ferdinand Bauer and Joseph Lycett, help us imagine what the area looked like long ago.
Convicts and Coal Mining
Newcastle was first settled in 1802, but that attempt failed. It was re-established in 1804, mainly to provide hard labor for convicts who had re-offended. Many of these were Irish rebels from the Vinegar Hill rebellion. The new settlement was also important because of the coal found there.
Newcastle remained a penal settlement until 1823. After that, free settlers started to arrive. Convicts in Newcastle faced very tough conditions. They worked long hours in the coal mines and were always watched.
After 1823, most convicts moved to Port Macquarie. However, some stayed in Newcastle until 1855. They worked on big public projects, like building Macquarie Pier. This pier connected the mainland to Nobbys Island. It was built to make the port safer for ships carrying coal. The military supervised the convicts working on these projects.
Australia's First Coal Mines
Newcastle is known as the birthplace of Australia's coal mining industry. It was here that the first modern coal mining in the Southern Hemisphere took place. The very first profit made by the Colony of New South Wales came from coal mining in 1801.
Convicts worked in mines at Colliers Point and on the hillside near Government House. The first vertical coal shaft in Australia was dug on the current James Fletcher Hospital site. One of these shafts was named the Wallis shaft, after the Commandant of Newcastle at the time.
Mining back then was very basic and required a lot of manual labor. Coal was brought to the surface in baskets. A small rail system then carried the coal downhill to the port. From there, it was loaded onto ships and sent all over the world. This coal transport route became the main street of the town, now called Watt Street. The Commandant's house was at the top of this street, giving him a clear view of the settlement.
Convicts continued to work at the site until the Australian Agricultural Company took over mining in Newcastle. The two convict coal mines on the James Fletcher Hospital site were later called the "Asylum Shafts." The Wallis shaft was likely dug between 1814 and 1817. It was located right next to the Commandant's House offices.
Even though these mines were disused, their existence was noted in later reports. In the 1940s, researchers like Jonathon Dixon and Dr B W Champion studied old maps to find the exact location of the first convict coal shaft. In 1943, a collapse in the hospital grounds revealed a convict mine shaft, thought to be the Wallis Shaft. Today, the shaft is covered, but it is believed to be under the main road leading into the hospital.
Governor Lachlan Macquarie's Visits
Lachlan Macquarie, a very important early Governor of New South Wales, visited Newcastle several times. In 1821, he wrote in his journal that he found Government House in Newcastle "very comfortable."
Governor Macquarie was very interested in the future of the coal mining industry. In 1818, he laid the foundation stone for the Macquarie Pier. This was a huge public project meant to connect the mainland to Nobbys Island. It helped create a safe port for exporting coal. Newcastle's coal mines were vital to Governor Macquarie's plan to make the Colony self-supporting.
Aboriginal People and Europeans
During Governor Macquarie's visit in 1818, he mentioned being entertained by Jack Burigon, the King of the Newcastle tribe. About forty Aboriginal men, women, and children performed a "Carauberie" (a corroboree) behind Newcastle Government House. Many old artworks show Aboriginal people living in and around the Government House site.
The Parsonage and Church
The Newcastle Government House area also includes the original site of the Church of England parsonage. This was built in 1819 and was home to Reverend George Augustus Middleton, Newcastle's first chaplain. Governor Macquarie described it as a "neat brick-built" house with a garden. Part of this original parsonage still exists today.
In the 1830s, some church land was given back to the government to build new military barracks. Later, in 2008, two buildings called Reception House and Kirkwood House were taken down. These buildings had parts of the original parsonage in them.
Military Barracks and Convict Labor
From the 1830s, Newcastle saw more military protection. This was to keep its coal resources safe, which were important for the colony's economy. In 1836, the Governor laid the foundation stone for new barracks on the hill near the parsonage.
Lieutenant Colonel George Barney, a Colonial Engineer, was in charge of building these new barracks. A convict chain gang worked to build the foundations for the officers' quarters and soldiers' barracks in 1838. They also created the military parade ground.
As convict transportation to the colony ended, the need for a large military presence decreased. In 1848, most prisoners left Newcastle. However, some convicts returned later that year to work on public projects. They were guarded by soldiers who stayed in the new barracks.
From School to Asylum: Changing Uses
The site continued to change and serve different purposes over the years.
Industrial School for Girls
In August 1866, the Industrial Schools Act was passed in New South Wales. This law allowed the government to take children under 16 from their families if they were deemed "uncontrollable" or neglected. These children were then placed in government care.
The Newcastle Industrial School for Girls opened on 31 August 1867. It admitted its first twelve girls, and soon had many more. In 1869, a Girls' Reformatory was also opened on the same site. Girls had to stay for at least twelve months. They learned skills like sewing and even farming. Staff would take the girls to local churches and for outings to places like Ash Island.
The school faced challenges like a low number of staff compared to the girls. There were also escapes and even riots. The building, originally used for storage, became crowded. In 1871, the institution moved to Cockatoo Island. Later, in 1887, it moved to Parramatta and became Parramatta Girls School.
Lunatic Asylum
After being used as the Girls' Industrial School, the barracks became the first "Lunatic Asylum for Imbeciles and Idiots" in New South Wales on 13 September 1817.
Newcastle's asylum was the fourth government-run asylum in the state. The community was not happy about having such an institution in the middle of the city. They held public meetings to protest. Newspapers even claimed it was dangerous to have "insane people" living so close to residents.
Frederick Manning, the Inspector General of the Insane, brought many improvements to the asylum. He believed that younger patients should be kept separate from older ones. More wards were built to accommodate the increasing number of patients.
In 1916, the facility was renamed the Newcastle Mental Hospital. Later, in 1962, it became Newcastle Psychiatric Centre. In 1983, it was called Hunter Hospital, and in 1989, it was renamed the James Fletcher Hospital. This was in honor of James Fletcher, who worked to improve conditions for miners in Newcastle.
Fletcher Park
Fletcher Park, once known as Lower Reserve and Ordinance Park, is now a public park. It was made more attractive in 1878 with new plants and trees. This park was originally the site of Government House and its flagstaff. It appears in many old artworks.
Today, Fletcher Park is located across Watt Street from the James Fletcher Hospital. It has a path and a statue of James Fletcher. The park is well-maintained by Newcastle City Council.
What You Can See Today: Description of the Site
The Newcastle Government House & Domain is a cultural landscape. It includes the area of the James Fletcher Hospital and Fletcher Park. It is surrounded by Ordinance Street, Newcomen Street, Church Street, and Watt Street.
Historic Convict Coal Mines
Two convict coal mines are on the hospital grounds. One, called Asylum Coal Shaft No. 1, is near the main Watt Street entrance. It has been filled and sealed. Asylum Coal Shaft No. 2 is behind the former military hospital. It is capped but not filled. Both shafts connect to underground tunnels that lead to the nearby seaside cliffs.
One tunnel, called an adit, is visible in the cliff at Newcastle South beach. It's a hand-dug horizontal tunnel, about 5 meters above the ground. It helps drain water from the mine. These sites are important for understanding old mining techniques.
The Old Parsonage
The front of the original parsonage building was removed in the mid-1800s. However, a large part of it was kept when additions were made to Reception House. In 2008, the parsonage (then Kirkwood House/Reception House) was taken down. An archaeological dig in 2009 found parts of the old parsonage, including walls and a cellar. These findings show how buildings were made during the convict era.
The Compound Wall
The hospital site is surrounded by a wall within an excavated quarry. This wall has enclosed the buildings since the military buildings were constructed in 1842. It was first built as a retaining wall for the excavated site. Later, it provided privacy for patients of the mental institution.
Parts of the wall are in better condition than others. Some sections were damaged in floods in 2007. The lower parts of the wall, made of stone, might date back to the 1830s when convicts quarried the site. This area has high potential for finding more archaeological information.
The Landscape
The hospital grounds show an exposed quarried landform on the south side, about 20 meters high. This rocky feature is a strong part of the site. A large area was leveled to build the military barracks and parade ground. The area is still quite open compared to the busy city around it. Because there hasn't been much disturbance, there's a good chance to find more historical items.
Former Military Parade Ground
The parade ground is still an open, grassy area. It hasn't been built on much, except for the Shortland Clinic nearby. This open space allows for great views across the site, as it's in the center of the buildings.
Fletcher Park
This park is right across Watt Street from the James Fletcher Hospital. It has a fence on the seaside and a steep cliff. In 2005, the Newcastle City Council landscaped it, adding a path. A statue of James Fletcher stands on the uphill slope, looking down at the city.
The park is well-kept. Most of its open space has remained untouched. However, new garden beds were added in 2005, which might have disturbed old remains of the original Newcastle Government House. This area has high archaeological potential.
Other Important Buildings
While some newer buildings like the Thwaites building and Tara Lodge are not part of the heritage listing, the Gate House (around 1842) is a very important historical building from the military period. The former military barracks, military hospital, and the James Fletcher statue are all included in the heritage listing.
Why This Place is Important: Heritage Listing
The Newcastle Government House and Domain site is a complex and layered historical landscape. It was physically changed by convict labor and shows how Newcastle, and New South Wales, grew over time. This site is considered very important to both Australia and New South Wales.
It was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 22 March 2011 for several reasons:
- It shows how history unfolded: This site demonstrates how the economy and society developed from government-controlled, convict-worked industries to private businesses. It shows how the landscape changed to fit different uses, like military and welfare. It's a great example of a convict penal settlement linked to the start of Australian industry. It also shows the forced migration of convicts and how their labor shaped the land, like quarrying and building foundations. The site also marks early meetings between Aboriginal and European people. It highlights Australia's early lead in coal mining technology in the 1800s. Its old military buildings are connected to the colony's military history and how law and order were kept.
- It's linked to important people: The site shows Governor Macquarie's efforts to make the Colony self-supporting. It's where Australia's coal mining industry began with its first vertical shafts during Macquarie's time. It's also strongly linked to the convicts from the 1804 Irish rebellion. Important Commandants of Newcastle, like Lieutenant Charles Menzies and Commandant Wallis, were associated with this site. Captain George Barney, a key Colonial Engineer, and Dr Frederick Manning Norton, who improved mental health care, also have strong connections here.
- It's beautiful and shows great skill: The site has a high aesthetic value because of its location on "The Hill" and how well it has been preserved. Many artists have found inspiration here since 1804, showing how human actions transformed this unique place. It's an early example of a public works project (Military Barracks) where the natural landscape was changed by convict labor. The James Fletcher Hospital site has a rare collection of 1840s Military Barracks buildings, including the Parade Ground, all within an excavated and walled area. The Parade Ground adds to the beauty of the military buildings. The military barracks and hospital buildings show technical skill in their construction. The site also shows technical achievement in introducing the first commercial vertical coal mining in the Southern Hemisphere. This gives us valuable insight into early mining techniques.
- It can teach us more: As a site of early interaction between Aboriginal and European people, it could provide new information about their relationship during the colonial period. The early convict coal mines can also offer new details about convict life and their forced labor in New South Wales. The site has the potential to help us understand construction techniques used in the convict era and early Australian industrial sites.
- It's rare and special: This place is rare in New South Wales because its landscape was physically shaped by convict labor, and you can still see that today. It's nationally rare because it has Australia's oldest surviving mining heritage (a vertical shaft). It's also nationally rare because it has intact military barracks, a military hospital, and a parade ground, all built by convicts.
- It represents important types of places: The site is a typical example of a Military Barracks site with a preserved Parade Ground and Military Barracks. It can be compared to Victoria Barracks in Sydney. It also represents colonial lunatic asylums in New South Wales and was the first regional asylum in the Colony. The site reflects the work of various Government and Colonial architects.
Images for kids
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Commandant's house from in front of the old gaol, circa 1828
