About Newcastle City and the Hunter Region

If you are looking for an exciting and intellectually stimulating place to study - one that introduces you to the real Australia - look no further than Newcastle and the Central Coast regions in New South Wales. Newcastle combines a country setting with all the advantages of city living, while the Central Coast offers abundant beaches and easy access to Sydney.

The City of Newcastle was ranked ninth in the Lonely Planet Guide Top Ten Cities to visit in 2011

Newcastle's History

Newcastle is Australia's second oldest city (after Sydney), is New South Wales' second largest, and the sixth largest in Australia. Lieutenant John Shortland found a rich seam of coal while pursuing escaped convicts in the area in 1791. The area was settled originally as a mining venture and named Coal River. Abandoned in 1802, the settlement resumed two years later under Lieutenant Charles Menzies with the new name of Newcastle.

The early days saw convicts working as woodcutters, lime-burners and miners. In 1831 the prisoners were moved to nearby Port Macquarie and the town was developed as a mining centre to produce coal and steel. It is still a major producer of coal. In 2004 Newcastle celebrated it's 200th birthday.

The Newcastle of today is a thriving harbour city with everything to offer.

Living in Newcastle

A lively port city on a breathtaking stretch of Australia's coastline, Newcastle boasts wonderful beaches, a low cost of living, a very favourable climate, a casual lifestyle, and it's not far from Sydney, the capital of New South Wales.

Its population of 350,000 supports a thriving business and commercial sector and an excellent network of leading health care and educational facilities. Newcastle offers all the usual city comforts, such as restaurants, cafes, parks and gardens, theatres, art galleries, shopping centres and nightclubs.

Newcastle is also a popular tourist destination. A few kilometres south of the city is Australia's largest seaboard lake, Lake Macquarie, scene of many national and international sailing events.

Less than one hour's drive to the north is the impressive harbour of Port Stephens, a popular centre for big game fishing, sailing, surfing, and sailboarding. To the west are the internationally famous wineries of the Hunter Valley, many of them more than a century old. And to the south is the beauty and beaches of the Central Coast.

Beaches

Newcastle features 10 beaches with 5 within walking distance of the city centre. Stockton Beach, located just north of Newcastle, is 10 km long and can be seen stretching into the distance from many vantage points in the city. Even though most students wouldn't have time to discover all of our beaches, such a variety makes Newcastle an enviable choice for anyone that loves the coast.

The sand and surf is alive with activity at any time of the year, from morning walks, to surfing with dolphins, surf carnivals, beach cricket, and more. With such quality beaches and facilities, Newcastle attracts more and more events each year. One such event is Surfest. Held in April since 1985, Newcastle Beach has played host to one of the most important surfing competitions on the world circuit. The event is held over a week and our students take full advantage of having such a quality international event right on their doorstep.

Climate

Seasonal Temperatures in Newcastle

Season	Months	Temperature Range
Summer	December to February	20-28°c
Autumn	March to May	14-26°c
Winter	June to August	10-18°c
Spring	September to November	15-25°c