Happy Wednesday, Newcastle. Welcome back to the Newcastle Digest.

I hope you had a great Easter long weekend, however you may have celebrated it.

Friday is Anzac Day, and the Newcastle Digest reflects on, remembers, and is grateful for those who have served and for the freedoms we enjoy today.

Table of Contents

• Eats

• Live Music

• Events

• Miscellaneous

• Sport

Digest Insiders Card

A few weeks back, I asked you guys if you’d be interested in the creation of a discount card for local businesses.

The support was overwhelming, so I thought I would keep everyone updated on my progress with creating the card. We are in early stages, but making progress on sourcing businesses. Below is the initial design I have created.

Any local businesses that want to be included on the card? Lets talk

Best Breakfasts

Cafe Inu

Located in Carrington, Cafe Inu is a rustic, always-buzzing café known for its Japanese-inspired touches and seriously good coffee. It’s the kind of place where the vibe is casual, the crowd is steady, and the food delivers every time.

We went for the vegetarian big breakfast and the deluxe honey toast — both as good as they sound. Yes, it gets busy and the service can be a little slow at times, but honestly, it’s worth the wait. Add in what might just be some of the best coffee in Newcastle, and you’ve got yourself a breakfast spot that lives up to the hype.

Newcastle trivia

Thursday 24 April

Friday 25 April

Saturday 26 April

Sunday 27 April

Featured Event

Connect and Thrive with the Motivate Collective
📍 Souths Merewether
📅 Saturday, 26 April 2025
🕑 2:00pm – 5:00pm
🎟️ Get Tickets

Empower your next chapter.
Join The Motivate Collective for an uplifting afternoon of connection, wellness, and personal growth. Connect and Thrive brings together Hunter locals for an open, safe discussion around mental health, recovery, and development.

Hear from Prue Hughes (The Sequel Project & Family Support Newcastle) and Kate Johnson JP (Suicide Prevention Network), as they share real stories and practical strategies to support individual transformation and community wellbeing.

What You’ll Gain
– Actionable steps for personal development
– Recovery insights from lived experience
– A deeper understanding of community support
– The chance to connect with like-minded locals

Families

Water Lantern Festival – Speers Point Park | 26 April

The Water Lantern Festival is lighting up the water on 26 April. Write down your hopes, dreams, or a message to someone you love. Then, set your lantern afloat and watch the water come alive with glowing reflections of light and love. This viral festival has touched over a million hearts worldwide — now it’s coming to YOU. More info.

Collector Con 2025 – Newcastle Entertainment Centre | 27 April

If you and your family love action figures, trading cards, die‑cast and model cars, comics, gaming, plush, coins, pins, vintage dolls and toys, you’ll love Collector Con 2025. There’ll be artist alley creators including illustrators and designers, the D&D NSW crew running adventures and Star Walking Inc running a cosplay competition. You will also have access to 150+ trading tables full of toy, hobby and pop culture collectables. Kids aged 0–12 have free entry (must be accompanied by an adult). More info.

Edgeworth Trains – Velinda Street, Edgeworth | 27 April 12:30 pm – 3:30 pm

Ride on a miniature train. Lake Macquarie Live Steam Locomotive Society hosts monthly public ride days. There’s a variety of miniature trains such as steam and diesel and different rail routes (both elevated and ground-level) so you can easily spend a couple of hours watching and riding trains. Their public ride days run on the last Sunday of each month excluding December.

April Sunday Muster Artisan Markets - 1 Weakleys Drive, Thornton | 27 April

We’re on! Sunday 27th April, we’re bringing more colour, creativity, and handcrafted goodness to The Sunday Muster Artisan Markets! There’s going to be heaps of stalls and local artisan makers and creators. From the playful polymer clay earrings by SparkleFunk Creations, to a rainbow of handcrafted candles that'll light up any space, and the beautifully curated blends from RUBUR, this one will be awesome! More info.

Adults

ANZAC Day Eve RnB Party – The Exchange Hotel, 125 Denison Street, Hamilton | 24 April from 8 pm

Make the most of your Friday off at our 90s & 2000s RnB Party! From 8pm, DJs will be spinning classic RnB anthems. Enjoy $6 Vodkas (8–10 pm), free entry, and no lockout. More info.

ANZAC Day at The Exchange – The Exchange Newcastle, 125 Denison Street, Hamilton | 25 April

Join us at The Exchange on Friday 25th April to spend your ANZAC Day with two‑up, live music, DJs and good vibes till late. More info.

Autumn Pop – Talulah, 52 Glebe Road, The Junction | 26 April 6:30 pm

Celebrate everything autumn has to offer, with a bespoke menu that highlights the best of the season crafted by The Wilderness Chef team. Cost: $95pp. Time: 6:30pm. More info.

Connect and Thrive – Prue Hughes and Kate Johns – Souths Merewether,

46 Llewellyn Street, Merewether | 26 April
Gain conversations with local thought leaders who support wellness and personal development. Cost: $68.00 + $4.08 fee. More info.

Communia Omnia, That Which Belongs to All: Opening – Multi‑Arts Pavilion, mima (MAP mima), 96 Creek Reserve Road, Speers Point | 26 April

Celebrate the unveiling of Communia Omnia: That Which Belongs to All. Through a mesmerising fusion of art, science, and magic, this multi-sensory installation explores the unseen phenomena shaping our world. Free event. More info.

Autumn Serenades: with Mozart, Haydn & Friends – Multi‑Arts Pavilion, mima, Lake Macquarie, 96 Creek Reserve Road, Speers Point | 27 April 4–6 pm

You’re invited to an enchanting evening as Lake Mac presents Autumn Serenade: Mozart, Haydn & Friends. Immerse yourself in the brilliance of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s compositions. 4–6pm | Tickets: $20–$30. More info.

Drums and Fire and Flow - Foreshore Park | 27 April

Join in as we bring the drumbeats for the Newcastle Fire and Flow Community session for March at Foreshore Park, Newcastle. Bring a drum, a chair, some percussion or other instruments as we accompany the Fire and LED performances with the rhythm of our drumming. We'll set up from 4.30pm leading into a warm up and then the solid beats begin on dusk. More info.

Clothing Rack Sale - 9 Union Street, Wickham | 27 April

We are holding our first community event in our Wickham studio, and what better way to do this other than a RACK SALE! Declutter your wardrobe and sell to a like-minded community. More info.

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

Newcastle History: The Bluebell Tragedy – A Dark Night on the Harbour

It was just after 10:45 pm on August 9, 1934, when an ordinary ferry ride across Newcastle Harbour turned into one of the city’s worst maritime disasters.

The Bluebell was making its usual run to Stockton, carrying around 40 to 50 passengers, when it collided broadside with the coastal freighter Waraneen right in the middle of the Hunter River. The force of the crash pinned the ferry against the larger ship for about a minute, just long enough for panic to set in, before the Bluebell slipped beneath the water.

Six people on the upper deck managed to scramble onto the Waraneen, but the rest were forced to jump into the cold, dark water. People watching from the Newcastle wharf could do nothing but listen helplessly as the terrified cries of women and children echoed across the harbour.

The pilot steamer Birubi, passing nearby, wasted no time, quickly launching a rescue boat and making two trips to pull survivors from the water. The Water Police also joined the frantic rescue effort. Fifteen people were taken to the Hospital, two of them in serious condition due to being in the water for so long.

By morning, the full weight of the tragedy became clear. As the steamer Wailhemo made its way out to sea, its propellers disturbed the wreck of the Bluebell, releasing the bodies of two women. A third passenger, last seen on board by a neighbour, was confirmed as the final victim.

The marine court inquiry that followed found the ferry pilot at fault for the collision. The sinking of the Bluebell left a lasting scar on the community - a story told and retold over the decades.

Anzac Day 2025

Newcastle two-up venues

Sharks Add to Knights' Misery with Comfortable Victory

Cronulla continued their strong start to the season, defeating a struggling Newcastle side 34-14. The Sharks took advantage of the Knights' poor attack and defensive lapses to secure the win, their fourth of the year. Newcastle have now lost four straight and have the NRL's worst attack.

Sydney FC Ends Newcastle's Play-Off Dream with Comeback Win

Sydney FC fought back from 2-0 down to defeat the Newcastle Jets 3-2, extinguishing the Jets' slim finals hopes. Goals from Douglas Costa, Adrian Segecic, and Jaiden Kucharski secured the win for Sydney after Lachlan Rose and Kota Mizunuma had given Newcastle an early lead.

Heartbreak for Newcastle Jets as Mariners Seal Final Round Derby Win

The Newcastle Jets' challenging ALW season ended in a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Central Coast Mariners in Maitland. Despite leading late through Deven Jackson, the Jets conceded two late goals, capping off a year marked by off-field issues and a disappointing finish second from bottom.