Carol Duncan - Novopod

Art Ryan describes Rick Pointon as 'Newcastle rock royalty', and Rick is perhaps best known for his work with the legendary Benny & The Jets. At their peak, Benny & The Jets performed more than 300 nights each year and have worked with some incredible Australian and international industry figures. If you grew up with Johnny O'Keefe in your ears and seeing bands at venues like the Palais, the Impala or even Bus Stop - you'll love the stories Rick tells in his book. What was 'Henry Mousetraps', and what did Sandra the Go Go Girl have to do with Barry Gibb's secret visit to Newcastle in 1963? Rick also lays to rest the oft-told tale of Little Richard's religious epiphany that led him to throw his jewellery into the harbour.     

Glamour on Glass is a stunning exhibition curated by University of Newcastle history student and Vera Deacon Scholar, Isabel Whittle, focusing on the portrayal of women and fashion in the Newcastle Sun. Featuring photographic prints of fashion models in structured daywear and glamorous evening wear, the exhibition explores the impact of the Great Depression on fashion trends and garment production during the 1930s. Also on display are items on loan from The Australian Museum of Clothing and Textiles, including accessories chosen by women of the 1930s to complement the fashions of the day.

In June 2018, Ross Balderson shared a photo in the Lost Newcastle Facebook Group of a scale model scene of Newcastle 1899 that he was building. Not only did people not mind Ross sharing a photo of his incredible model work, the photos and conversations have continued ever since. Ross says he was inspired to build the scale model after seeing a Ralph Snowball photograph of the city - a labor of love that took ten years to complete! Ross has finally been able to bring his diorama of Newcastle in 1899 to Newcastle Museum, complete with operating scale model trains that work their way around the harbour and models of ships that are historically accurate and visitors to the port of Newcastle. Lost Newcastle founder, Carol Duncan, caught up with Ross Balderson at Newcastle Museum.

Ruth Cotton is well known to many in Newcastle for her huge body of local history work on the multicultural hub of Hamilton. Her Hidden Hamilton blog began as a way for her to find out more about the suburb she was moving to from northern NSW! Hundreds of stories and two books later, Ruth is still just as passionate about her adoptive home. But Ruth has released a new book, a memoir called A Fragile Hold which details her 1997 diagnosis with multiple sclerosis and the changes to her life from that point. In 2020, just as the pandemic locked us in our homes with huge uncertainty, Ruth’s husband became unwell.    

Dr Roland Bannister lived his early life in Waratah. After training as a carpenter, Roland because a music teacher and studied at the Newcastle Conservatorium of Music. Moving further inland in NSW for many years, Roland taught at Glen Innes High School and for 32 years as a music academic at Charles Sturt University’s Wagga Wagga Campus.    Roland's book, 'Hunter Valley Ancestors - An Incomplete Chronicle of the families Burns, Puxty, Hewitt, Longworth, Poile, Pascoe, Kenny, and Hancock' is out now and available by emailing rsbannister@gmail.com  

It's often rumoured that Little Richard - considered the founding father of rock music - suddenly found God while on tour in Australia in 1957 and threw his jewellery into Newcastle's Hunter River. But is it true? It is known that Little Richard, born Richard Wayne Penniman, came from a deeply evangelical background in Macon, Georgia, and that after his Australian tour he returned to the US and began studying theology. In this episode, Carol Duncan speaks with Dr Roland Bannister about his research in finding out the truth behind this amazing story.

It started with a brick and has led to a community of nearly 70,000 people connecting over a love of history and mystery.  This is Lost Newcastle. A corner of the internet where you can have nice things!  ABC Newcastle's Kia Handley spoke to founder Carol Duncan.

Carol Duncan music feature interview with Joe Camilleri (Jo Jo Zep, Black Sorrows) - July 2014

The Victoria Theatre is the oldest theatre still standing in NSW. Opened in 1876, it was rebuilt in 1890/91 and added to the NSW State Heritage Register in 1999.  Nancy Tapp performed at the Victoria Theatre in the 1950s and in this podcast, reminisces about the theatre and the shows she danced in. 

After 194 years, a previously unknown album of drawings from 1818, including landscapes and portraits of Aboriginal people from the Newcastle region, returned to Newcastle for a brief exhibition by the State Library of NSW. In this episode, Carol Duncan speaks with Aunty Nola Hawken, descendant of 'Queen' Margaret and Ned of Swansea; and the Director of the Newcastle Art Gallery, Ron Ramsey. Recorded 2012. 

How often have you stopped for a rest on one of the low stone retaining walls at Blackbutt Reserve? Chances are, you’re sitting on the remains of the early headstones from Newcastle’s first European burial ground at Christ Church Cathedral. Find out more at lostnewcastle.com.au

The Wallis Album   After 194 years, a previously unknown album of drawings from 1818, including landscapes and portraits of Aboriginal people from the Newcastle region, returned to Newcastle for a brief exhibition by the State Library of NSW.   In this episode, Carol Duncan speaks with Dr Alex Byrne, the NSW State Librarian and Chief Executive, about the significance of the album.   [Recorded 2012]    

It was my birthday. What would you do? Mark Tinson, Pete de Jong, Mac, John Paul Young, Russell Morris, Ty Penshorn, 

Friday Music Show with Bella, and Grant Walmsley on Malcolm Young AC/DC.

In which Mark Tinson joins me to discuss terror alerts & Jimi Hendrix, Pat calls in to brag about having burgers with Led Zeppelin during their Australian tour, local artists Adam Miller and Jason Lowe. 

Don Walker - 2014

Alex is a Newcastle kid! In this 2013 interview, he talks about the effect of their record company collapsing at the height of their career.

In 2009, I had the chance to interview the legendary Stevie Wright - lead singer of The Easybeats in the 1960s and trouble rockstar ever after. I was warned in advance that I should pre-record the interview as Stevie was 'a bit slow' after years of serious drug and alcohol abuse. Happily, I didn't find him at all difficult to chat with. Indeed, Stevie's openness about his heroin addiction and his desperation to shake it are incredibly moving. 

Tony Robinson talks about how to encourage a community to care about its history.Tony Robinson is perhaps best known to an older generation of television viewer as Baldrick from Blackadder, but to younger generations he's known as the guy leading archaeological digs on Time Team or the poor unfortunate host up to his knees in a tank of urine in Worst Jobs In History (that story was about tanning hides for leather).In December, 2011, Tony was filming in Australia for his series Tony Robinson's Time Walks in which he visits cities to reveal their history.Carol Duncan caught up with him in Cathedral Park, what was Newcastle's first burial ground at Christ Church Cathedral, to find out how we can continue to encourage people to care about their local history.'I think the most important thing we can do is to talk to your kids about it. I know I have such a vivid passion for history is because my dad used to talk to me about his adventures in World War II,' said Tony.'Not that he had a glorious war or anything, he

Silverchair have been one of Australia's most successful bands for the last 20 years. Drummer Ben Gillies joined Carol Duncan in the studio for a chat about his solo project - Bento, and why he continues to call Newcastle home. Daniel Johns, Chris Joannou and Ben Gillies were just kids doing work experience at a Newcastle radio station when I first met them nearly 20 years ago. Those three boys have gone on to become strong and confident men and wonderful musicians - collectively and individually. I suspect the whole town is pretty proud of them.In 2012, the band have celebrated 20 years of Australian and international success, 21 ARIA awards from 49 nominations, 6 APRA awards, and all five of their studio albums have reached number one of the Australian album charts.Over the last few years the three members of the band have also gone out to do their own musical projects and drummer, Ben Gillies, came into the studios to talk about life, music, growing up in public, and taking the leap into solo performance.W