Hello Newcastle! Welcome back to the Newcastle Digest.

I hope you had a great long weekend and are enjoying the short work week this week. June marks the 10th month since the creation of the Newcastle Digest. Thank you to everyone who chooses to read this weekly.

I am always open to new content suggestions that complement the core pillars of this newsletter. If anyone has any suggestions, please feel free to reply to this email or add to the poll at the end.

Table of Contents

• Eats

• Live Music

• Events

• Miscellaneous

New to Newcastle

Pum’s Coffee Haus - Cooks Hill

A new segment I am adding this week is New to Newcastle. This will be me documenting my first visit to new establishments in this town.

On the weekend, we headed into Darby Street to try Pums, which has taken over the old Core Espresso spot. Pums is a modern cafe with rustic/plant-based decor. Entering Pums, we were met with an inviting local feeling atmosphere.

They support local, serving up Newcastle’s Josie’s Coffee Bean. Food-wise, Pums offers cafe staples such as toasties and bagels - all stacked with unique flavours.

Pums is an excellent venue if you’re looking for a solid morning coffee out, with plenty of seating and good vibes.

Newcastle trivia

Thursday 12 June

Friday 13 June

Saturday 14 June

Sunday 15 June

Families

The Butterfly Effect Presented by Hunter Drama – Performing Arts Culture, Cessnock | 13 June
Get ready for a thrilling ride through time, chance, and consequence with The Butterfly Effect, Hunter Drama’s latest original production! More info. 

Illuminate Raymond Terrace – Boomerang Park, Raymond Terrace | 14 June | 4 pm – 8 pm
Illuminate is a vibrant fire and light community festival with live music, interactive art installations, food zone and a fireworks display at 7:30 pm.
Cost: Free

Tuff Nutterz – Maitland Showground | 14 & 15 June | 9 am – 4:45 pm
Tuff Nutterz unleashes the biggest inflatable adventure at Maitland Showground! Conquer twists, turns and challenges across an exciting bounceland. More info.

Maitland Heritage Fest – Free Family Day – Church Street (opposite Pender Place), Maitland | 15 June | 10 am – 3 pm
Enjoy a day of heritage & community celebration at St Mary’s, Brough & Grossman Houses, CWA & Guide Halls and MPS paddock with historic games, local history, family fun, artisans, craft, live music, food and coffee. More info.

Star Struck 2025: Remixed Volume 33 – Newcastle Entertainment Centre | 13 & 14 June
Prepare to be mesmerised by this year’s spectacular showcase, Star Struck: Remixed Volume 33! Featuring over 3,500 talented public school students. More info.

Adults

Men’s Health Night – Calvary Mater Newcastle, Mater Lecture Theatre, Edith St, Waratah | 11 June | 6 pm
To celebrate Men’s Health Week, Calvary Mater Newcastle will be hosting a special Men’s Health Night. This free event will see a range of health professionals and guest speakers talk all things ‘men’s health’.
Cost: Free. More info

Thursday Singles Event at Charlie’s Rooftop – Charlie’s Rooftop, 529 Hunter St, Newcastle | 12 June
Singles Event with NO speed dating, the whole bar filled with single people – whether you want to make some new friends or meet someone special, it will be a fun night – no age limits.
Cost: $20–$30. More info.

Thursday is Musical Bingo Day – Grainfed Brewery, 1/52 Young Rd, Lambton | 12 June
Musical bingo is a fun and relaxed event every Thursday at Grainfed. We make our own bingo musical playlist, book a table and come along to enjoy the fun. This week themes "East coast low" and "It's a revolution".
Cost: Free. More info.

SUPPER CLUB | Sotto La Neve – Lot 19 Wickham, 22 Greenway St, Wickham | 12 June | 7 pm
For one night only, let A Tavola transport you to the magic of a snow dusted Italian Alps. Feast on comforting, seasonal and warming dishes from the North, where the vino flows and the night leaves full and cosy in every way that matters.
Cost: BYO event

Cheeky Dog Comedy Night – Cheeky Dog, 147 Soldiers Point Rd, Soldiers Point | 12 June | 7 pm
A fresh crew of comedians from Newcastle and Sydney are coming, expect quick wit, bold punchlines, and the kind of laughs that make your cheeks hurt.
Cost: $10

Drawing for relaxation with Sue Vesely – Museum of Art and Culture, yapang, 1A First St, Booragul | 13, 20 & 27 June | 10:30 am – 12:30 pm
Join artist Sue Vesely for an introductory drawing workshop focusing on calming techniques and meditative drawing. Materials included.
Cost: $22.50–$25 per session

Icon: Visions of Eternity – Christ Church Cathedral, 52 Church St, Newcastle | 14–15 June
A weekend of concerts, music, meditation, and poetry at Christ Church Cathedral, with the Icons of Michael Galovic. Michael Galovic will speak and be available to sign his latest book, Sailing Back to Byzantium, at 11:45 am. Art & talks free; concerts $10–$25.

Knights V Roosters – McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle | 14 June
Dom's back in town! It's going to be all action on Saturday Jun 14 as the Knights take on the Sydney Roosters, in what will be a mighty big clash. More info.

Lake Mac Meet the Makers – Museum of Art and Culture, yapang, 2A First St, Booragul | 14 June | 10 am – 4 pm
Meet the Makers is a whole day event where artists and makers from across Lake Macquarie will showcase and demonstrate their practice to the community.
Cost: Free

Luke McGregor – Okay, Wow – Civic Theatre, 375 Hunter St, Newcastle | 14 June
Luke McGregor wrote and starred in Rosehaven with Celia Pacquola and has also appeared on Guy Montgomery's Spelling Bee, Thank God You’re Here and in 2024 raced some of the way around the world with his mum on The Amazing Race Australia. More info.

Newcastle Repair Café – Hamilton Community Hive, 152 Beaumont St, Hamilton | 14 June
Bring your much-loved broken items back to life at the Newcastle Repair Café. Held on the first Saturday of every second month. More info.

Nursery Open Day – Trees in Newcastle Nursery, 119 Kalaroo Rd, Redhead | 14 June | 9 am – 1 pm
Discover a beautiful selection of endemic native plants perfect for your garden or next landscaping project at our Saturday Open Day. More info.

Swampfest Blues & Rhythm Festival 2025 – Wickham Park Hotel, Islington | 14 June | 2 pm
Get ready for an unforgettable weekend where the soul of the blues meets electrifying rock ’n’ roll! Lineup: The Detonators, Urban Chiefs, The Leadbellies, Phoenix 4 featuring Lucy Desoto, The Honky Tonk Society & Jack and The Axes.
Cost: $44.90 GA

Markets

Homegrown Markets at The Station – The Station | 14 June | 10 am – 2 pm
We’ll be bringing a lineup of fab handmade & design stalls, yummy street food, live tunes & entertainment. More info

Homegrown Markets – Park Rd, Speers Point | 15 June | 10 am – 2 pm
Lake Mac’s largest handmade & design market—shop local-made goods from a huge lineup of makers, enjoy street food, coffee, kids’ entertainment and more. More info.

Newcastle Alternative Markets – East Maitland Bowling Club | Date: 15 June
Newcastle Alternative is back, bringing you the best in alternative fashion, art and culture! Find goth, punk, vintage and witchy vendors offering everything from handmade jewellery to dark décor, apparel and one-of-a-kind oddities. More info.

Do you want me to share an event in the Newcastle Digest?

Newcastle History: The Story of Darby Street

Today, Darby Street is one of Newcastle’s most iconic areas, a go-to for boutique shops, cafés, restaurants and weekend strolls. But its history goes far deeper than flat whites and gallery walls.

The street traces its roots back to the mid-1800s, when it was little more than a dirt track on the edge of town. Named after George Darby, an early settler and landowner in the area, it began as a residential street dotted with simple timber cottages and terrace houses, many of which still stand today. By the late 19th century, Darby Street had started to grow into a mixed-use corridor connecting Newcastle with The Junction and Merewether.

Its transformation began in the 20th century, especially post-WWII, when inner-city suburbs like Cooks Hill became more tightly woven into Newcastle’s cultural and commercial fabric. The street evolved from a quiet residential lane into a lively local hub, home to barbershops, milk bars, mechanics, and corner stores.

In the 1990s and early 2000s, Darby Street underwent another shift, as cafés, vintage stores, galleries, and restaurants moved in, turning it into the creative, social, and cultural heart of the inner city. It became a favourite among students, artists, and young professionals, and the street’s mix of old architecture and contemporary energy gave it a unique, unmistakable charm.

Today, it’s hard to imagine Newcastle without Darby Street. Whether you’re grabbing coffee at a local café, browsing independent boutiques, or heading to dinner on a warm night, you’re walking a path that’s been shaped by nearly two centuries of change.