News

Australia Day: the Hunter celebrates

STEPHEN RYAN

26 Jan, 2012 03:09 PM

BOATS roared, jets soared and guns fired at Newcastle’s Australia Day celebrations today.

The National Maritime Festival has become an integral part of the city’s celebrations and most of the official activities had an aquatic theme.

People were taken on harbour tours showcasing the working port while the harbour’s tug boats showed off their most graceful moves during the tug boat ballet.

The day reached its climax with the firing of guns from Fort Scratchley and a flyover from the F-A/18 Hornets from Williamtown RAAF Base.

Lake Macquarie began with markets and rides at Speers Point Park while GANGgajang and Mental As Anything are set to hit the stage tonight.

Celebrations were also held around the region from Nelson Bay in the east to the Upper Hunter in the west.

For complete coverage of Australia Day events in the Hunter, see tomorrow's Newcastle Herald.

For a gallery of pictures submitted by Herald readers, click on the image above. Send your Australia Day pic to enesmith@theherald.com.au or Tweet it to @newcastleherald.

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comments

Date: Newest first | Oldest first

Why can't Newcastle have festivities like this more often? It would easily draw more tourism to Newcastle. Newcastle is such a dull city, bring on the festivities and carnivals. Even if it was just once a month or something.

Posted by Why oh why, 26/01/2012 7:40:47 PM, on The Herald

@Why oh why, To draw more tourism, Newcastle should first become more accessible. Small airport with limited flights, long and insecure train ride, under maintained roads, insufficient accommodation facilities discourage visitors to come. Pubs of Newcastle are listed among NSW's most violent pubs. Newcastle is not mentioned in NSW tourism publications; it's all about Sydney and Blue Mountains. If NSW gov didn't withdraw the bid for EXPO, it could have been a good opportunity to promote Newcastle, to upgrade the airport, roads, hospitality industry. Hunter's Tourism Minister should work harder.

Posted by FG, 26/01/2012 8:27:38 PM, on The Herald

Well it would have been even better if the NCC actually had of put fireworks on the 26th of Jan. The NCC have created the concept of an "Australia Day Eve" to have fireworks on the 25th to avoid brawls & anticsocial behaviour, so I've been told. Well I've returned from the foreshore at Stockton where all the pubs have been closed yet saw about 8 or so brawls & chatted to about 10 or so different families from out of town that were disappointed to have turned up to a black sky. Mind you when fireworks have been on the 26th I've seen less anti social behaviour. NCC you've done it again!

Posted by Wulf, 26/01/2012 9:02:59 PM, on The Herald

All these flag waving, cape wearing supposedly patriotic people - did anyone actually check the label on that Australian flag, shirt, beach towel, thongs or whatever? $20 says they were probably mostly made in China! Yep, support another country's manufacturing business rather than your own! Way to go on Australia Day!

Posted by Logical_Thinker, 27/01/2012 12:21:38 PM, on The Herald

NCC hasn't explained why they put fireworks on 25th Jan instead of 26th. By doing that, they encouraged people to start celebrations earlier (drinking earlier) and caused more anti social behaviors on the streets. Not all of them were reported to the police as usual; anti social behaviors are still considered normal teen behaviors and represent our understanding of how national days are commemorated. Instead of 1 day of brawls, we had 2 days of brawls by drunkens. If National Day is on 26 Jan, related activities should take place on 26 Jan to support meaning of the day, including fireworks.

Posted by FG, 28/01/2012 12:16:37 PM, on The Herald

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