How could I pass this town by? With
districts called Gateshead, Jesmond, Wickham & Wallsend and nearby
places called Hexham, Dudley, Lambton, Rothbury & Stockton
- the names all seemed familar, even if they all looked different!.
There's even a Gosford nearby - close, but no cigar. (Sadly
there was no Ashington.)
Extensive coal deposits led to Newcastle becoming a major shipping
and commercial centre by the mid-1800s. Iron and Steel mills
completed the town's industrialisation. The steel mills have
closed, but it's still the biggest coal port in the world.
The parallels with its namesake on Tyneside are quite amazing. One
big difference though, is that Newcastle NSW has some excellent
beaches. In fact they even export a lot of sand... most of
it to Hawaii!
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