A stirring salute to the Hunter’s frontline health workers and the city’s largest simultaneous pool party are just two highlights of City of Newcastle’s Australia Day celebrations.
Deputy Lord Mayor Declan Clausen said due to COVID precautions, localised events across the city provided the idea way for the community to come together safely.
“Throughout the pandemic, ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our community has been our highest priority,” he said.
“Our Australia Day program of events, much like our New Year’s festivities, has been designed to provide opportunities for Novocastrians to get involved in activities within their surrounding neighbourhoods and at some of our city’s most iconic locations.”
One of those locations, Fort Scratchley will be the site of a fitting salute to healthcare workers with 24 frontline staff given the opportunity to fire the Fort’s historic guns at 1pm.
Fort Scratchley will offer a day full of activities, with a flag raising accompanied by the stirring sounds of the City of Newcastle RSL Pipe and Drums at 11am followed by the first of three gun firing ceremonies on the day (also at 1pm and 3pm).
There will also be morse code demonstrations, a sausage sizzle and visitors will be able to explore the Fort’s historic museum exhibition rooms or enjoy a picnic on the grassed headland.
If you’re looking to make a splash in 2021, well you’re in luck because Beresfield, Stockton, Mayfield and Wallsend pools are pulling out all the stops from 10am to 4pm with inflatable fun and roving entertainment in what is being dubbed as the largest simultaneous pool party in the city.
But that’s not all, here’s a rundown on what you can expect on January 26.
Food Market –Richley Reserve
10am to 4pm
Food-based market stalls, food trucks, roving entertainment, reptile shows and activities for children.
Pool Parties – Beresfield, Mayfield, Stockton and Wallsend pools
10am to 4pm
Activations include inflatables and roving entertainment.
Historical activities -Fort Scratchley
10am – 4pm
City of Newcastle RSL Pipe and Drums performance and flag raising (11am), firing of the Fort guns at 11am, 1pm and 3pm, Lions Club sausage sizzle, museum exhibition rooms, morse code demonstration.
Beach 5s Rugby – Nobbys Beach
24-26 January
Former professional players Lote Tuqiri, Danny Buderus, Willie Mason and Robbie O’Davis will be headlining the Beach 5s Rugby Festival presented City of Newcastle, which will see men’s, women’s and youth teams contest five-a-side sand-based matches based on modified rules of rugby union, rugby league and touch football.
Colour exhibition– Newcastle Museum
10am – 5pm
Engage with more than 20 scientific experiences and see colour as you’ve never seen it before in this exhibition developed by Questacon – the National Science and Technology Centre and presented by Newcastle Museum.
We Can Be Heroes: a backstage pass exhibition
Newcastle Art Gallery – 10am – 5pm
Music lovers will be given a backstage pass to some of the biggest bands and gigs in the world through this exhibition, which showcases rarely seen and previously unreleased photographs of Australian and international musicians.
