Events and exhibitions give Newcastle Museum two million reasons to celebrate

Newcastle Museum has welcomed the two millionth visitor to its Honeysuckle site as it prepares for one of its busiest events of the year. 

Thousands of people are expected to flock through the doors this Sunday for the free Hunter Science Festival, which in previous years has set new attendance records for a single-day event at the Museum. 

Electric Vehicle exhibit at the Hunter Science Festival, Newcastle Museum.

It is just one of the popular exhibitions and events that have helped attract more than two million visitors to the iconic Newcastle institution since it transformed the former Railway Workshops into a state-of-the-art cultural facility 13 years ago. 

The Museum eclipsed the milestone in July and by August had recorded a grand total of 2,015,000 visitors. 

Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said Newcastle Museum plays a key role in the city’s cultural and tourism attractions. 

“Since reopening at the Honeysuckle site, Newcastle Museum has become a cornerstone of City of Newcastle’s cultural facilities in the Civic precinct, adding to the diversity of experiences that help attract visitors to our city,” Cr Nelmes said. 

“Welcoming two million visitors is an impressive milestone and a wonderful testament to the expertise of our hard-working Museum staff, who deliver an innovative program of exhibitions and events each year. 

"The Hunter Science Festival is a highlight of that annual programming, providing a fun, free day out for the whole family in Newcastle as part of more than one thousand activities being held across Australia for National Science Week.” 

The original Newcastle Region Museum opened in 1988 as a Bicentenary project in Wood Street, Newcastle West, and closed in 2007 before making the move to Workshop Way in Honeysuckle. 

City of Newcastle Director of Museum, Archive, Libraries and Learning, Julie Baird said the present-day institution has forged an identity in Honeysuckle, and a reputation for exceptional exhibitions.  

"From our current, unmissable A Place Called Hollywood exhibition all the way back through the thousands of events we’ve delivered during the past 13 years, I'm proud of the hard-working, knowledgeable and friendly team who continue to preserve and share the stories of our city through our collections, exhibitions, and audience engagement," Ms Baird said. 

"This year's Hunter Science Festival has something for everyone. It's a chance to meet astronomers, inventors, marine biologists and countless other brilliant people who live in our city and beyond.  

“It could be the start of a lifelong love of knowledge, or the inspiration you've been searching for. Our museum has that effect in Science Week and every week of the year."  

The Hunter Science Festival is delivered by City of Newcastle in conjunction with Hunter Innovation and Science Hub (HISH) and features additional displays and demonstrations from a range of organisations including Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI). 

Attendees can expect perennial favourites such as the revolting and revealing HMRI ‘Poo Palace’ - a giant inflatable digestive system - and the chance to build and race electric vehicles with HISH.  

There will also be interactive fun presented by the Hunter Geological Society's School of Earth, bushfire science shows by Fizzics Education and displays by the Irukanji Shark and Ray Centre, Hunter Wetlands Centre and Hunter Landcare, among others. 

The Hunter Science Festival will run from 10am to 2pm on Sunday 18 August. For more information visit newcastlemuseum.com.au