The accidental beauty queen - January Local swimmer Janice Fogg was a champion in the pool. She won her first competition at aged 11 and for decades continued to rise through the ranks of competitive amateur swimming.
Lovers and the lovelorn - February It is centuries since England’s most famous playwright, William Shakespeare, wrote ‘the course of true love never did run smooth’. Despite that, his idea - that true love frequently encounters difficulties - seems to be as universally applicable as ever. And Cessnock’s lovers and would-be lovers have not been immune.
Cessnock's opera supremo - March When Kenneth Neate took to the stage to sing at the Cessnock Memorial Town Hall in 1960 it was a night to remember.
Be a History detective - April One of the most loved parts of the Local Studies collection at Cessnock Library is our photograph collection. It’s an extraordinarily rich collection of images which record celebrations and festivals, tragedies and accidents, sporting and cultural events, big political moments and intimate family get togethers.
Come and explore the basement's treasures - May Do you love history? If you do you’ll know how utterly absorbing and absolutely fascinating it is. History gives us a powerful way to understand society. By giving us the tools to comprehend the past, history helps us to understand our world now.
A touch of Japan in Abermain - June A Japanese Fair saw stalls selling Japanese-themed goods and attended by women dressed in traditional Japanese clothing. There was a Geisha Tea Room, maypole dances, a violin recital and performances of song and the pianoforte.
Cessnock radio's fiery history - July The opening of Cessnock’s own radio station, 2CK, on 9 January 1939 was a grand affair held at the Regent Theatre. After the station was officially declared ‘on air’ it was followed by a dazzling concert with entertainment provided by singers, tap dancers, a comedian and even a performance from the not-to-be-missed Kurri Kurri Mouth Organ Band.
The Hunter's hidden beauty - August One of the most beautiful stretches of bushland in the Cessnock Local Government Area is also one of the littlest known. Its tall trees echo with the crack of whipbirds, its narrow gully has moss-covered boulders and old stone steps and a dirt path lead down steeply to a stretch of the Hunter River boasting a yellow-sand beach perfect for swimming.
Wonderful, glorious wattle! - September If you’ve been driving around our local area you can’t fail to have noticed that the wattle is out in all its golden glory. One of our most loved native plants its colours have given us our national colours of green and gold.
Bert Hinkler drops in - October In February 1928 pioneer Australian aviator Bert Hinkler became the first person to fly solo from England to Australia and the first to fly solo across the Southern Atlantic Ocean.
Cessnock' most notorious road? - October Rural and regional roads often have bad reputations as death traps, but there is one stretch of road which is locally notorious. Officially it’s Wollombi Road just outside of Bellbird, but to us it’s ‘the Pelton pinch’.
A blessed peace but at what cost? - December This year has seen an enormous public outpouring of emotion as we’ve commemorated the centenary of the end of World War I on 11 November 1918.