Perkins Street stairs open to public

City of Newcastle has completed restoration works on the heritage sandstone retaining wall and stairs linking Church Street and Perkins Street, Newcastle.

The original stairs are estimated to have been built over a century ago and are located within the Newcastle City Centre Heritage Conservation Area.

Movement was identified in the structure and the stairs were closed to the public, while an appropriate design solution was investigated.

Rectification works on the heritage steps began in March this year and was completed and opened to the public, prior to Christmas.

The project included anchoring the structure to the existing bedrock, replacing the stairs, and updating stormwater drainage.

Maintaining the sites heritage and original features played a key role in the design. 

The original stone treads were removed and replaced with a reinforced concrete flight of steps, that replicates the original stairs.

Recovered stones from the works have been repurposed as two public seats. One at the top of the wall looking down Perkins Street toward the harbour and the other forming a winter seat at the bottom of the wall. 

Remaining stones have also been stockpiled at the base of the wall with plans currently underway to create a remnant stone garden in the two garden areas either side of the footpath at the walls base.

The rusted handrail and balustrade have also been replaced with a similar detailed handrail which reuses the recovered top rail from the original stairs.