Exhibition unearths treasured memories of A Place Called Hollywood

A Depression-era suburb born out of hardship and built by resilience will be preserved for future generations as part of a new exhibition set to open at Newcastle Museum tomorrow.

A Place Called Hollywood celebrates the spirit and resourcefulness of the people who created their own unofficial community in the bushland outside of Jesmond during the 1920s.

Former Hollywood residents and their descendants Steven Ward, Susan Rees and Barbara McCarthy with Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes, City of Newcastle Director of Museum, Archive, Libraries and Learning, Julie Baird and Transport for NSW Regional Director North Anna Zycki at the preview of Newcastle Museum's new exhibition, A Place Called Hollywood.

Driven by the poverty and housing stress of the Great Depression, the informal settlement known as Hollywood provided a place of shelter and safety for up to 30 families for the next three decades.

Its existence, which in recent times had been confined to little more than memory, is being brought back to life through the exhibition developed by Newcastle Museum with support from Transport for NSW and Create NSW.

Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said Newcastle Museum plays an important role in interpreting and preserving the stories and experiences of our city and its people.

"Newcastle Museum is on the cutting edge of contemporary museum practice and has been nationally recognised for its innovative exhibitions, which create insightful and immersive ways to interpret and preserve our city’s history," Cr Nelmes said.

"This exhibition remembers a time and place where resilient and resourceful people overcame hardship to not only build their own homes, but foster the bonds of a tight-knit community.

"By exploring the experiences of the past, the exhibition also provides an important point of reflection on today’s housing crisis and insight into everyday lives built on creative solutions.

"I applaud the team at Newcastle Museum and the community members who helped them bring this little-known story to life and thank the NSW Government for their support to preserve another important aspect of our city's history." 

More than 2000 objects were unearthed by archaeological consultants Umwelt and Casey & Lowe at the site where Hollywood once stood, which now forms part of the footprint of the Newcastle Inner City Bypass Rankin Park to Jesmond project.

A selection of these items, including everything from glass bottles, plates and cutlery to children's toys, jars of Vegemite and a bottle of bright pink nail polish, will be on display during the exhibition.

NSW Minister for Roads John Graham said the Hollywood community is a significant part of Newcastle's history. 

"This exhibition tells a story of resilience - of the people who sought refuge and built a community in the land which will now form part of the Newcastle Inner City Bypass," Minister Graham said. 

“I'm delighted the NSW Government is helping to preserve the memory of a place that provided safety and community for many Novocastrians during the Great Depression.

"Congratulations to the Newcastle Museum, Transport for NSW and Create NSW on coming together to bring history to life. I'm sure there will be many people who will travel to see this exhibition and share their own fond memories of Hollywood."

Photographic records and video recollections from those who lived there and their descendants will also help bring Hollywood to life for a new generation of Novocastrians.

Among those who shared their precious memories for the exhibition is Audrey Koosman OAM, who moved to Hollywood with her family as a baby and lived there until she was seven.

"It was just the most beautiful place to live in, the people who lived there were really decent people … and they were proud of the place. We were a very tight community," Ms Koosman said.

Umwelt archaeologist Tim Adams, who worked on the survey of the site, said the exhibition provided an important window into the past.

"(Hollywood is) a Depression-era town … that no longer exists except in people's memories and what we find," Mr Adams said.

"People coming along to look at the artefacts and hear the stories will gain a connection to a very important part of the history and of the community here in Newcastle." 

City of Newcastle Director of Museum, Archive, Libraries and Learning, Julie Baird, thanked the community members whose contributions were vital to the exhibition.

"It is important for our Museum to share and preserve stories of the communities and residents who have made Newcastle what it is today. Through the history of Hollywood, like so many Newcastle stories, we can better understand our city," Ms Baird said.

The free exhibition will open to the public tomorrow and remain on display in the Museum's A Newcastle Story gallery until 2 February 2025.

A series of events will be delivered throughout the exhibition period, including a special session of Newcastle Libraries' Memory Room program for people living with dementia and their carers, a guided tour by exhibition curator Bridie Moran, panel discussions and children's programming.

Visit the Newcastle Museum website for more information.