Newcastle Family History Society Podcasts

Stephen Ticehurst explores the lives of two men named Wallis who lived in Newcastle in the early nineteenth century, revealing the contrasting human faces of the British Empire’s colonial project in the region.

In this final episode of Bushrangers in the Hunter Valley. we follow the story of the notorious Jewboy Gang and their enigmatic leader, Edward Davis, turning then to the enduring legend of Frederick Ward, aka Captain Thunderbolt and his partner, the remarkable Worimi bushranger, Mary Ann Bugg.

Get a preview of our May podcasts.

In this sixth and final podcast Jane Ison looks at the little-known Wesleyan Methodist Burial Ground once situated in Newcastle West.

In this episode of Notable Novocastrians, Mel Woodford explores the life of the actress, Essie Jenyns, who captured the public imagination and became an important part of Newcastle’s social history.

Join Society member Narelle Austen as she uncovers the context surrounding the events at Castle Forbes near Singleton and drawing on historical records and creative reconstruction, describes, in Part One, the beginnings of the trial of those involved in the revolt. 

Narelle Austen continues the story of those on trial for the Castle Forbes Revolt. Mr Roger Therry puts the case for the defence and two of the condemned men make a final plea for their suffering to be acknowledged.

Get a preview of our April podcasts.

Jane Ison looks at the first Newcastle Roman Catholic Burial Ground once situated beside Cottage Creek in Newcastle West.

Arriving as free settlers with little wealth, the Woods rose through mining, hotels and brewing to become some of the Newcastle’s richest and most influential citizens. Their money built grand houses on the Hill, funded hospitals, schools and charities, and helped shape the city's civic life.

In episode one we left Molly Morgan, Joe Hunt, Irish Frank and the Anvil Creek household awaiting the arrival of the bushranger gang, Jacob’s Irish Brigade. Drawing on historical records and creative reconstruction, this episode imagines how Jacob’s Irish Brigade may have been received by Molly Morgan - on a frontier where survival depended on knowing when to speak, and when not to.

Jane Ison looks at the Presbyterian cemetery once situated beside Cottage Creek in Newcastle West.

Across the road from The Junction Public School in Newcastle once stood a small but mighty institution — a family-run pottery that shaped a community for more than a century. Marie Hughes tells the story of Hughes Potteries – A Family Concern.

In this creative non-fiction podcast, Narelle Austen explores the people, places, and forces behind bushranging in one of Australia’s earliest colonial regions - the Hunter Valley.

Jane Ison traces the history of St Andrew’s – its foundation, its people, and the painstaking research that has helped rediscover more than a thousand names once thought forgotten.

Jan Richards traces the life of her ancestor Hannah Williams whose fate was sealed by a single decision in London in 1828.

In our series, Memories of Newcastle, society member Lea Harris takes us back to the days of the Stockton Tweed Factory, a forgotten piece of our local history.

In this episode Jane Ison takes you back to the very first graveyard in Newcastle – the burial ground at Christ Church, high on the hill where the Anglican Cathedral now stands.

Mel Woodford takes a look at some of the early landholders & the female convicts who were assigned to them.

Written by the late Maree Shilling, this podcast tells of a little-known chapter in Newcastle’s history during World War II, from the recollections of a young girl who experienced that time.

Society member Jane Ison takes us on a journey into the past, to a place thousands pass by daily without knowing what lies beneath —Rest Park in Wallsend, once the site of the town’s first cemetery.

Join us on a journey through more than two centuries of sacred history — the story of Christ Church Cathedral, the spiritual heart and architectural crown of Newcastle.

In the 19th century, Newcastle evolved from a remote convict outpost into a thriving coal powerhouse — a true “coalopolis.” In Part 2, Julie Keating picks up the story as monopolies, industrial ambition, and engineering ingenuity reshape the city’s future.

In Part Two, we move to Australian soil where Dr Jude Conway uncovers the extraordinary events at Bob’s Farm camp—where race, politics, and humanity collided in unexpected and lasting ways.

In this remarkable account, historian Dr Jude Conway relates a little-known chapter of wartime history—one that spans the jungles of Timor, the city streets of Newcastle, and a camouflaged refugee camp at Bob’s Farm.

In the 19th century, Newcastle evolved from a remote convict outpost into a thriving coal powerhouse — a true “coalopolis.” Society member Julie Keating digs into the mines, sails through treacherous harbours, and walks the streets laid out by early planners, revealing the people, places, and power struggles that shaped Newcastle.

In 1950, Zell Meehan was appointed secretary to the Lord Mayor of Newcastle. In 1956, aged 37, Zell married and as was the custom of the time, was expected to resign. However, Zell refused to do so.

In this episode, Mel Woodford takes us back to 1829 London, where two teenage girls, Rebecca Markham and Maria Beavis, were convicted for stealing 20 yards of cotton.

Benita Parker from the West Wallsend District Heritage Group guides us through West Wallsend’s transformation—from a forested hillside to a vibrant coal mining town, complete with its own railway and a thriving community.

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.

In this final episode of "How It Was: Advances in Medicine During my Lifetime", Dr. Pamela Harrison OAM reflects on groundbreaking discoveries, pivotal moments in patient care, and her personal contributions to the evolution of modern medicine.

Benita Parker from the 'West Wallsend District Heritage Group' recounts the journey of a traveller in the 19th century as he rides on horseback from Wallsend to Teralba, via Minmi through the heart of coal country.

Narelle Austen explores the lives of Commandant Purcell, Commandant Skottowe, and the convict artist Richard Browne. We respectfully advise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples that this podcast contains the name of a deceased aboriginal person.

Dr. Pamela Harrison OAM, will take us back to a time when medical innovation was hands-on, resourceful, and sometimes a little peculiar.

Benita Parker from the West Wallsend District Heritage Group tells of the life of Joseph Notley, one of the first settlers "in the shadow of Mount Sugarloaf", who called that rugged landscape home.

Based on historical records, member, Narelle Austen takes us on journey to the unforgiving shores of Newcastle, New South Wales - a penal settlement where survival was a daily battle and artistry was a rare spark in the darkness.  

Join Dr Pamela Harrison OAM as she explores the fascinating history of medicine through her personal stories and lived experiences.

Benita Parker from the 'West Wallsend District Heritage Group' traces the early history of European settlement in the West Wallsend District and describes how pioneer families faced the challenges of a harsh and sometimes uncertain environment.

This podcast is an audio extract from the presentation given by Dr Nancy Cushing at the Society’s November 2024 meeting. The complete version can be viewed on our YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@newcastlefamilyhistorysoci2923

Jane Ison shares a short biography about her ancestors Elijah Abell and his wife Margaret Brown who both contributed to the civic and social fabric of Wallsend, NSW. Jane also talks about the hidden aspects of lives that can be uncovered by using DNA and how ancestral lines can be confirmed ... or not!

In this the final episode of the series, Jane Ison outlines what is contained in the Royal Commission into Public Charities which commenced in Sydney in May 1873, focusing on Biloela, the girls industrial school on Cockatoo Island.

Mutinous Misses of the ‘Roslin Castle’. In this episode in the Felonious Females series, Mel Woodford explores the voyage of the Roslin Castle (2), which, carrying 128 women, arrived in Port Jackson on the 29th of June,1830, after a treacherous four-month journey.

If you wander through the streets of Newcastle and indeed further afield to the suburbs and into the Hunter Valley, you will pass by historic and notable buildings – many are the work of Frederick Menkens. Society member Julie Keating takes us on a virtual journey and gives some insights into the man, his life and his creative prowess.

Jane Ison speaks about the letter book of Joseph Hines Clarke providing insights into the man, the Newcastle Industrial School and the town of Newcastle, NSW.