Past, present and future will be celebrated next month with a family festival to mark the 150th anniversary of Wallsend being declared a borough.
Newcastle City Council has worked with the local community to create a flagship event offering something for all ages, including musical and cultural performances, market stalls, rides, children’s activities and storytelling.
Wallsend Business Improvement Association board member Luke Whitby, penny farthing rider Sanjex, Mayor Nuatali Nelmes and Councillor Elizabeth Adamczyk prepare for the upcoming family celebrations in Wallsend.
The celebration will run from 1pm to 6pm on August 17 and Wallsend Park will host art workshops and food stalls, while most of the action will take place near the historic rotunda and on Nelson Street.
Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said Wallsend’s significant contribution to our region over the past 150 years deserved a major celebration.
“The City of Newcastle has worked hard to prepare for this unique milestone with extensive road resurfacing on Nelson Street, as well as a high-pressure cleaning campaign on the footpaths and around the 136-year-old rotunda,” Cr Nelmes said.
“Wallsend was once a mining settlement supporting around 7,500 workers and their families. The local coal was some of the best in Australia and played a major role in the development of Newcastle as a port city.
“Since then, the suburb has become the vibrant home of a unique and close-knit community, emerging as a multicultural hub that attracts young families from around the world.”
Thousands of people are expected to attend the August 17 celebration, which will take place in a familiar time slot at the old Winter Fair, with entertainment throughout the afternoon from an impressive lineup of performers on the main stage.
Visitors will be able to step back in time and enter a photo booth wearing historical costumes. The Creative Co will entertain children with messy games and a cake smash, and when the sun goes down, Wallsend’s rich history will be projected onto the buildings through a collection of digitised photographs.
Mr Nelmes said Newcastle City wanted to deliver a vibrant, safe and accessible event for everyone to enjoy.
“Wallsend is a place of inclusion and belonging, so it is fitting that the 150th anniversary celebration has the same theme,” Mr Nelmes said.
“First Nations artists will kick off the festivities, and then, reflecting Wallsend’s multicultural diversity, other inspired artists from around the world will perform, including samba from Brazil, flamenco from Spain and muqam from China.
“As well as a range of community activities and markets, there will be something for everyone.”