PEOPLE AND PLACE | COAL AND COMMUNITY

An Exhibition at The University Gallery

24 July – 18 August 2013

Many of the towns and cities within the greater Hunter region owe their foundations and their economies to the coal industry. From the first discovery of coal in Newcastle in 1797, it has shaped the growth of our landscape as it has shaped our communities.

This exhibition assembles items from several important collections of archives and private material on the coal community, its people and their place. With thousands of early photographs and records, images from this living archive present photographs, maps and artefacts that describe in captivating detail the way in which we have lived and worked in the Hunter since its very beginnings. Tracing its origins back to 1843 and J&A Brown’s Four Mile Creek mine near East Maitland, Coal & Allied has been making a significant contribution to the Hunter Valley community for many generations.

The PEOPLE AND PLACE | COAL AND COMMUNITY project has been made possible thanks to a grant from the Coal & Allied Community Development Fund and has resulted in a touring exhibition, an illustrated book and a comprehensive website to which information can be added and which also has educational resources for teachers and students. The University of Newcastle’s Library through its Cultural Collections has assembled a rich and diverse archive of material available at www.coalandcommunity.com

Please join Vice-Chancellor Professor Caroline McMillen and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Andrew Parfitt at the launch of the event: