newy.com.au – Guided history tours will take visitors inside Newcastle City Hall’s former council chambers, with a chance to sit in the Lord Mayor’s seat wearing replica robes and chains.
Tickets are on sale for the hour-long tours, which run from Monday 28 September to Thursday 1 October. The program will explore the history of local government in Newcastle, from its beginnings in the 1850s to changes in the city’s civic leadership.
The tours follow a call for greater public access to the former chambers. Councillor Callum Pull moved a notice of motion in August last year seeking more opportunities for the community to visit the space and learn about its history.
Each tour will start at City Hall’s foundation stone in Wheeler Place, stop at a King Street lamp post dedicated to a former mayor who helped make the Civic precinct possible, and continue into the former council chambers. Once inside, visitors can try on the replica Lord Mayoral regalia and have a turn addressing the chamber.
The stories covered include how Durban in South Africa inspired City Hall’s construction and how council changed after Newcastle elected its first female Lord Mayor in the 1970s. Visitors will also hear why Newcastle wanted a council in the 1850s and where it met before City Hall was built.
Lord Mayor Gavin Morris said the city’s mayoral history stretched back to James Hannell’s election in 1859, while the building itself held some less familiar features.
“One of my favourite parts of the Lord Mayor’s office is a peephole that would have allowed those in the chair in years gone by a chance to look inside the chamber before entering so they knew what they were walking into!” Cr Morris said.
Bookings can be made at the Civic Theatre ticket office or online at https://civictheatrenewcastle.com.au/what-s-on/all-shows/newcastle-city-hall-historic-chamber-tours
