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Newcastle: The lives and times of a city
Newcastle finds itself on shifting ground. But it’s not an earthquake, or subsidence due to an old mine. It’s perception that’s shifting.
Not only is Newcastle dramatically changing, but so are people’s views of the city. People are ‘discovering’ Newcastle. Or, more pointedly, they are seeing Newcastle for what it is. And those from Newcastle are seeing their city in a different light.
In Newcastle Scott Bevan examines the character and the soul of the city he grew up in, its past and where it finds itself. He traverses between early contact with the Awabakal people and missionary Lancelot Threlkeld, Newcastle’s convict and industrial past, and its famous children (from Silverchair and the Knights to William Dobell), and explores how the city now juggles a range of roles, including as the world’s largest coal export port and a hub of creative talent.
On this journey, we hear the stories of dozens of locals, from community leaders to champion surfers, from rock and rollers to architects and environmentalists, all the while finding out how this place once renowned as ‘Steel City’ is revealing the ‘new’ in Newcastle.
‘An affectionate and information-packed picture of a great city.’ – Bob Hudson
Not only is Newcastle dramatically changing, but so are people’s views of the city. People are ‘discovering’ Newcastle. Or, more pointedly, they are seeing Newcastle for what it is. And those from Newcastle are seeing their city in a different light.
In Newcastle Scott Bevan examines the character and the soul of the city he grew up in, its past and where it finds itself. He traverses between early contact with the Awabakal people and missionary Lancelot Threlkeld, Newcastle’s convict and industrial past, and its famous children (from Silverchair and the Knights to William Dobell), and explores how the city now juggles a range of roles, including as the world’s largest coal export port and a hub of creative talent.
On this journey, we hear the stories of dozens of locals, from community leaders to champion surfers, from rock and rollers to architects and environmentalists, all the while finding out how this place once renowned as ‘Steel City’ is revealing the ‘new’ in Newcastle.
‘An affectionate and information-packed picture of a great city.’ – Bob Hudson
352 pages, Paperback
Published October 1, 2025
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13 people want to read
About the author
Scott Bevan
21 books11 followersBevan was born in 1964 and grew up near Merewether in Newcastle.
In 1984 Bevan joined The Newcastle Herald as a cadet journalist. He later worked in commercial radio as a news presenter. After a fifteen month stint in Japan he joined the Nine Network in 1989 as a reporter. He spent time in Perth working for Nine News.
Bevan moved to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 2005, working initially as reporter for the 7.30 Report and a presenter on ABC Local Radio. In 2008 he was posted to Moscow as a correspondent for ABC Television.
In 2010 Bevan returned to Australia to become a presenter on ABC News 24.
Scott lives in Sydney with his wife, Jo, and twin boys, Thomas and William - and his kayak, Pulbah Raider.
In 1984 Bevan joined The Newcastle Herald as a cadet journalist. He later worked in commercial radio as a news presenter. After a fifteen month stint in Japan he joined the Nine Network in 1989 as a reporter. He spent time in Perth working for Nine News.
Bevan moved to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 2005, working initially as reporter for the 7.30 Report and a presenter on ABC Local Radio. In 2008 he was posted to Moscow as a correspondent for ABC Television.
In 2010 Bevan returned to Australia to become a presenter on ABC News 24.
Scott lives in Sydney with his wife, Jo, and twin boys, Thomas and William - and his kayak, Pulbah Raider.
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November 23, 2025
Scott Bevan is an author with many interests, many passions, and many skills, and all these qualities perfectly merge in ‘Newcastle: The Lives and Times of a City’. As a Novocastrian with an abundance of respect and curiosity for his city, the author writes with a beautiful style in describing this place, its history, and its people. Nothing is missed and nothing is glossed over in this comprehensive observational biography of the changing times of a city frustratingly deprived of stability and prosperity. The harsh realities of the major industries deserting an industrial city are sadly exposed and examined, but the author writes intensely about the spirit and innovation of a city which has suffered many blows but always seems to recover. These are complex and diverse dynamics, but the author takes a steady and logical approach and gradually builds a literary mosaic of a complicated historical story. Scott Bevan has done Newcastle proud in unflinchingly telling this story, and the people of Newcastle are fortunate in having such a talented author participating in, and sharing, their history and successes.
Displaying 1 of 1 review