The Parks and Playgrounds Movement is mindful that Newcastle Council have not had the opportunity to discuss the significance of Newcastle’s 200th Anniversary this year, as has the NSW State Parliament, and we are pleased that Council will consider the Movement’s proposal for a Newcastle Foundation Monument in the near future.

The Parks and Playgrounds Movement have adopted the concept of commemorating the four Newcastle foundation events in the one prominent monument at the head of Hunter Street in Pacific Park and have brought the proposal to the attention of Councillors.

The head of Hunter Street is significant in that it was the location of the Newcastle Borough Council’s 1909 Jubilee Coal Monument, which is now in Parnell Place. Furthermore space was designed into the enlarged Pacific Park in 1981 for the placement of the monument.

We believe that a memorial could be planned to record an important foundation event on each face of a sandstone cube much after the style of the Jubilee Monument.

Suggested historic events in the founding of the City of Newcastle are:

An Aboriginal creation or location story.
1797 Shortland’s discovery of a very fine coal river.
1801 Convict coalminer John Platt sets out the first coalmine at Colliers Point.
1804 Newcastle settlement established under Lieutenant Charles Menzies.

Parks and Playgrounds Movement requests that you write to the Newcastle Council asking that Councillors adopt the concept so that designs can be prepared and a monument erected to commemorate Newcastle’s first 200 years.

The unveiling of the Newcastle Foundation Monument would be a symbolic acknowledgement of the beginnings of our City and a statement of confidence in its future.

Yours Sincerely,

Doug Lithgow, Freeman of the City of Newcastle
President: Parks and Playgrounds Movement Inc.