Good Health and Well-being
Shared Sports Facilities
The University of Newcastle shares its sports and recreation facilities with the local community, including schools and the general public. In 2025, NUSport continued to provide health, fitness and sporting services for students, staff and community members through facilities at Callaghan and Newcastle City. Access includes both free outdoor exercise spaces and membership-based or bookable indoor and outdoor sporting facilities.
Free outdoor fitness facilities for the community
The University also maintains a free access, 24-hour outdoor gym available to students, staff and the general public. Located at Callaghan and accessible via Ring Road, the outdoor gym provides calisthenics equipment designed for strength training. This is a regular, open-access facility rather than a one-off community event.
The University also describes free outdoor fitness routes, including the Health Track with gym equipment at Oval Number 2 at Callaghan and a track around the perimeter of Ourimbah campus, along with the Don Morris Walk at Callaghan. Its published guidance explicitly confirms free use by students and staff; public access to the Callaghan campus open spaces is separately welcomed.
Community access to sporting facilities at The Forum
The University of Newcastle supports community health and wellbeing by providing access to sporting, fitness and recreational facilities through NUSport's The Forum. Open to students, staff and the wider public, these facilities encourage active lifestyles and support community participation in sport and recreation across the Hunter region.
The Forum operates at two University locations:
- Callaghan Campus – The Forum Sports & Aquatic Centre: Features a 50-metre indoor heated swimming pool, indoor sports courts, four sporting ovals and gym facilities.
- Honeysuckle – The Forum Health and Wellness Centre: Provides additional gym and fitness facilities in Newcastle City.
The Forum offers a range of membership options, providing access to gym, cardio and strength-training equipment, group fitness classes, indoor courts and swimming facilities. Membership benefits include access to qualified fitness professionals and fitness assessments. These services are available through paid memberships and other applicable access arrangements.
The University also makes its sporting infrastructure available for organised community use, with local schools, sporting clubs and community groups able to enquire about hiring sporting ovals, indoor courts and aquatic facilities through the NUSport Venue Hire Coordinator.
The University's facilities also support training activities involving regional sporting organisations, including the Newcastle Knights, Newcastle Jets and Hunter Wildfires. By sharing its sporting facilities with the wider community, the University promotes participation in physical activity and contributes to the region's sporting and recreational opportunities.
Regular community sport and recreation
In 2025, the University’s sporting spaces continued to be used by school sports teams, local football camps, walking groups and community organisations. Activities included team tryouts, training sessions and recreational use of squash courts, swimming pools, indoor sports halls, football fields and cricket ovals. These recurring opportunities help connect people of different ages and sporting interests with facilities on campus.
The University’s 2025 Annual Report documents continued investment in NUSport’s Callaghan Oval 3 precinct, including multisport fields for future use by students and the community. Wet-weather delays meant the upgraded facilities opened in 2026.
By combining free outdoor fitness opportunities with bookable sports grounds, community programmes and membership-based facilities, the University helps local residents, schools and sporting groups participate in physical activity. These shared spaces support active lifestyles and strengthen connections across the Hunter region.
The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.