National Science Week is Australia’s annual celebration of science and technology, and there are plenty of fun, family-friendly events happening right here in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the Hunter.
Running from 9 to 17 August 2025, the week includes hands-on activities, workshops and exhibitions designed to spark curiosity in kids and teens. Explore what’s on near you and make science part of your week.
Hunter Science Festival
Learn about science at the 2025 Hunter Science Festival. It’s a fun free event for everyone from young children to adults. This year, kids can build and race a solar car, build and test a solar boat, pick up a free plant, be a poo on the HMRI Poo Palace, climb aboard a garbage truck, visit interactive stalls and more!
Date: Sunday 17 August 2025
Time: 10am – 2pm
Location: Newcastle Museum
Age Group: All ages
Cost: Free
Website
2025 Marie Curie Lectures: Quantum century – Unlocking the universe’s secrets and shaping our future with Dr Danielle Holmes
100 years ago, quantum physics was born to explain curious behaviour of tiny things. Since then, it has become our most powerful tool that humans possess, not just for increasing our understanding of the world, but for shaping its future. This public lecture is part of the Australian Institute of Physics’s 2025 Marie Curie Lecture Series presented by Dr Danielle Holmes, a passionate science outreach communicator.
Date: Tuesday 5 August 2025
Time: 6 – 7:30pm
Location: Newcastle Museum
Age Group: Suitable for ages 10+
Cost: Tickets are $5 for Adults, FREE for under 18s, but registration is essential.
Website
Lake Mac FULL STEAM
Lake Mac Full STEAM returns to celebrate creativity and innovation, making, and engineering for all ages. There will be scheduled events as well as all-day events. All-day events include: Lake Mac Libraries Fab Lab (digital fabrication lab) for demos and mini maker sessions, Curious Minds Exhibition: High school students imagine the future of Lake Mac in 2045, A Dolphin’s Wild Journey Home exhibition: Explore sustainability with local artist, Jenni Goodman, Lego and craft activities, and Solar Telescope – chat to experts from the Physics Department at the University of Newcastle about what is going on at the Sun’s surface and why we should care about it.
Date: Saturday 9 August 2025
Time: 9am – 1pm
Location: Windale Hub, bilyabayi
Age Group: Suitable for all ages
Cost: Free
Website
Mad Science Inventions with Pretty Amazing Jono – Lake Mac STEAM
Part of Lake Mac full STEAM scheduled events. Join the magically ridiculous Pretty Amazing Jono and see his mad science inventions in action! Part mad scientist, part magician, and all entertaining! Pretty Amazing Jono combines the power of imagination with Maker magic and mayhem, inspiring kids to dive into the fully amazing world of STEAM.
Date: Saturday 9 August 2025
Time: 9:30 – 10:30am
Location: Windale Hub, bilyabayi
Age Group: Suitable for all ages
Cost: Free, but bookings required
Website
Australia’s Agricultural Identity: An Aboriginal Yarn – Lake Mac STEAM
Part of Lake Mac full STEAM scheduled events. Worimi man, entrepreneur, business advisor, former Australian Geographic Society’s ‘Young Conservationist of the Year’, and PHD candidate Joshua Gilbert will talk about his new book, Australia’s Agricultural Identity – An Aboriginal Yarn. The book explores a new approach to Indigenous culture and farming, combining ancient knowledge and practices with modern technology and insights.
Date: Saturday 9 August 2025
Time: 11am – 12pm
Location: Windale Hub, bilyabayi
Age Group: Suitable for ages 10+
Cost: Free, but bookings required
Website
How Peacocks Get Their Rainbow Coloured Feathers Talk – Lake Mac STEAM
Part of Lake Mac full STEAM scheduled events. Discover the secrets behind nature’s most vibrant colours.
Date: Saturday 9 August 2025
Time: 12pm – 1pm
Location: Windale Hub, bilyabayi
Age Group: Suitable for ages 10+
Cost: Free, but bookings required
Website
Look to the Stars – Stargazing and Exhibition Viewing
Enjoy a night of stargazing with Newcastle Astronomical Society and a special MAP mima Exhibition viewing. To mark National Science Week 2025, the Multi-Arts Pavilion, mima, has commissioned an artist to create a work on the theme of Stargazing. In Speers Point Park, join the Newcastle Astronomical Society, as they point their telescopes to the sky above Lake Macquarie for a night of stargazing. Learn how to navigate your way to the Milky Way and beyond, as the society members share their love, enthusiasm and knowledge of all things stars and the universe with you.
Date: Saturday 9 August 2025
Time: 15pm – 9:30pm
Location: Speers Point Park
Age Group: All ages event, children must be accompanied by an adult
Cost: Free, but bookings required
Website
Looking Ahead Lecture – National Science Week with Dr Karl
University of Newcastle are thrilled to welcome Dr. Karl Kruszelnicki for an unforgettable keynote lecture where he will delve into the weird, wonderful, and mind-blowing world of science. This exciting event will also feature short presentations from researchers at the University of Newcastle, followed by an engaging Q&A session. Don’t miss this opportunity to celebrate all things science with us. We look forward to seeing you there!
Date: Sunday 10 August 2025
Time: 3 – 6pm
Location: Newcastle Conservatorium of Music
Age Group: Suitable for ages 10+
Cost: Free, but bookings required
Website
The Quantum Experience – Live Expo + Public Lecture
Have you ever been curious about “Quantum”? This is the event for you! The Quantum Experience is your chance to discover what quantum science really means — and why it’s popping up everywhere from computing to materials science. This family-friendly National Science Week event invites you to dive into the fascinating world of quantum science through an immersive and interactive journey led by Dr Lachlan Rogers.
Date: Tuesday 12 August 2025
Time: 5:30 – 7:30pm
Location: CT202, Callaghan Campus
Age Group: Recommended for ages 8+
Cost: Free, but booking required
Website
Science Week: Port Stephens – A Land Formed By Fire and Ice
Landforms and rock exposures of Port Stephens area (such as Mount Tomaree) are a familiar sight to many. Neil Fraser, a local geologist, will present a talk to explain the volcanic activity and other Earth forces that have created the geology of the area over millions of years. There will also be rock samples to inspect!
Date: Thursday 14 August 2025
Time: 5:30 – 6:30pm
Location: Newcastle Museum
Age Group: All ages welcome but recommended ages 10+
Cost: Free, but bookings essential
Website
Adam Spencer Live for National Science Week
Celebrate National Science Week with Australia’s funniest geek! Adam Spencer is coming to Newcastle to show you the incredible potential of ChatGPT and other large language models to change the world of education, medicine – basically everything! From the most basic definitions of what it is, to applications that have just dropped this week, and finishing with 8 examples of how you can start using these technologies today. Children aged 10+ years are encouraged to come – after all, they are the generation who will be using this technology for the rest of their lives!
Date: Friday 15 August 2025
Time: 6:30 – 7:30pm
Location: Newcastle City Hall
Age Group: Ages 10+
Cost: Standard tickets $30 and Under 17 tickets $22 – fees and charges may apply
Website
Coding Kubo Robots at Newcastle Museum
Build your future at Newcastle Museum with their Science Week STEM Workshops: Coding Robots! During this workshop students will work in pairs to code their own robot. KUBO’s puzzle-based coding interface makes it fun and easy to program. Participants will complete a series of coding and robotic tasks that will teach them how to code routes, functions, loops and subroutines.
Date: Saturday 16 August 2025
Time: 10 – 11:30am
Location: Newcastle Museum
Age Group: Ideal for ages 7-10
Cost: $30. Bookings essential.
Website
STEM Sparks: Igniting Girls’ Futures in the Built Environment
Curious about construction and built environment careers? Explore hands-on stations, meet real STEM professionals, and bust some myths along the way!
Date: Saturday 16 August 2025
Time: 10am – 12pm
Location: School of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Newcastle
Age Group: Recommended for ages 8+
Cost: Free, but bookings required
Website
Coding Fable Soccer Robots at Newcastle Museum
The Newcastle Jets have just welcomed its newest team members—cutting-edge robots ready to take the field! But there’s a problem… They don’t know how to play soccer yet! In this exciting hands-on workshop, you and your team will take on the role of robotics engineers, programmers, and strategists to bring these robotic players to life.
Date: Saturday 16 August 2025
Time: 11:45am – 1:15pm & 1:45pm – 3:15pm
Location: Newcastle Museum
Age Group: 8 – 13 years
Cost: $30. Bookings essential
Website
Designing the Built Environment at Newcastle Museum
Using a design thinking process and the innovative Arckit architecture kit students will explore sustainability within the context of architecture. Working in small groups, participants will be recruited by a top Architecture firm to design, build and present their solution to a sustainability design challenge. The hands-on sessions help students understand the importance of sustainability within our communities and gives them an opportunity to explore 21st century skills in a fun way.
Date: Saturday 16 August 2025
Time: 3:30 – 5pm
Location: Newcastle Museum
Age Group: Designed for all ages 13+
Cost: $30. Bookings essential
Website
You might also like:
Learn About Science at the Hunter Science Festival at Newcastle Museum
A Week of Fun & Discovery at Science Week at Newcastle Museum