A new exhibition Model Newcastle: Big stories, little things opens at Newcastle Museum on Saturday 27 September. It’s local history on a teeny-tiny scale.
What we love about this exhibition is that it celebrates Newcastle in a scaled-down world where miniatures and models reveal the big stories of our city.
Kids will love seeing Newcastle’s landmarks in smaller versions including City Hall, The Station, and the Destiny sculpture in the port of Newcastle.
From a detailed diorama of Newcastle’s rail and harbour precinct in 1899 to tiny tugboats, dollhouses, and film props, this exhibition celebrates the creativity, craftsmanship, nostalgia and storytelling power of small things.
There’s also plenty of hands-on fun for families, including a miniature railway track, dollhouses inspired by civic landmarks, and a post-apocalyptic model city used in film-making.
As you first walk in to the exhibition, you’ll notice The Mechanical Fishtank. This is the brainchild of Peter Lewis, a former editorial cartoonist at the Newcastle Herald. The fishtank is part playful art plus a model railway. Both the mechanical fish and railway move. The Mechanical Fishtank operates for 5 minutes every quarter hour.
Head into the main space and you’ll spot ‘Irene’ one of the engines on loan, from the much-loved Lake Macquarie Live Steam Locomotive Society in Edgeworth.
You might have ridden on a passenger train hauled by Irene on one of their public ride days at Edgeworth Trains.
Sean Kippel, Irene’s current custodian explained how it was built by John Hartley between 1962 and 1977 incorporating design features from different locomotives. Behind Irene,
In the middle of the space, you’ll see the model railways set up with trains whizzing by. Kids can use the controls on the train to speed them up.
Younger kids 3+ will love playing with the dollhouses.
Painstakingly recreated to resemble local buildings including City Hall and the Boltons, these include furniture that kids can move around and arrange.
At the back of the exhibition is the post-apocalyptic model city created by Jack McGrath and the University of Newcastle. Older kids have the chance to experience film making techniques with moveable cameras operated by screens.
There’s plenty to see in this exhibition. Spread across 500sqm, Model Newcastle features:
- Newcastle 1899 – one of Australia’s best model railways, depicting the city at the turn of the century
- Architectural miniatures – including a model of the Newcastle Workers’ Club used in the 1989 earthquake inquest
- Creative constructions – puppets, 3D-printed fish tanks, and film props from local artists
- Scaled engineering – working replicas of engines and locomotives by the Lake Macquarie Live Steamers
- Maritime miniatures – model ships and boats, including the Cutty Sark, built over 40 years by a local modeller
- Apprentice pieces – showcasing Newcastle’s manufacturing legacy through intricate demonstrator models
This is a fascinating exhibition with multigenerational appeal, which is sure to educate, inspire and delight visitors of all ages.
Whether you’re into trains, ships, architecture, or just love discovering the stories behind creative craftsmanship, Model Newcastle: Big stories, little things is a must-see.
It’s a celebration of Newcastle’s history, imagination, and community told through the tiny treasures that bring big ideas to life.
For a fun family day out, we recommend a visit to Model Newcastle followed by a walk around Newcastle to see City Hall, The Station and Customs House as well as the coal ships and tug boats that dot the harbour.
Model Newcastle has been created by Newcastle Museum with support from the NSW Government through Create NSW.
The exhibition opens on Saturday 27 September and runs through until February 2026.
Tickets cost $10 for adults, $8 for concession, $5 for children aged five to 16 years, with children four and under free. Family tickets for two adults and two children can be purchased for $25.
For more information and to book your tickets for Model Newcastle, visit the Newcastle Museum website.
In conjunction with this new exhibition, there’s associated school holiday programs.
These include:
- TinkerCAD workshop
- Shrunken Treasures polymer clay workshop
- LEGO Building & Construction workshop
- Young Architects workshops
- Size Travellers – Drama and Storytelling workshop
Visit the Newcastle Museum website to find out more about the school holiday program.
Newcastle Museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday 10am – 5pm. It’s open 7 days a week during NSW school holidays and Public Holidays.