Society member Lea Harris, tells the story of her 3 times great-grandfather, Peter Nettle—a young Englishman whose life changed forever when a death sentence was commuted to transportation to New South Wales giving him a second chance and beginning a family story that continues today.

In this final episode of Westy Women, written and narrated by Benita Parker of the West Wallsend District Heritage Group we meet Elizabeth Birrell - a woman whose life was shaped by tragedy, resilience and service. Emigrating from Scotland to Australia with two young daughters, she cared for generations of local families as a trusted nurse and midwife in Holmesville and West Wallsend for more than forty years, delivering babies, tending the injured and comforting the sick, long before rural nursing was formally recognised.

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In this episode of Notable Novocastrians, Associate Professor Nancy Cushing from the University of Newcastle, uncovers the life of one of Newcastle's most accomplished and fascinating women - Dora Birtles. A writer, journalist, adventurer and feminist whose remarkable life took her from her childhood in the Newcastle suburb of Wickham to Europe, Asia and the Australian outback.

In this episode of Felonious Females, Mel Woodford tells the story of Mary Stewart, her husband John, and their young daughter Rachael who in 1834, stood together before a Yorkshire court, convicted of theft and sentenced to transportation to New South Wales. Separated by the convict system and sent on different ships, their story became one of hardship, resilience, and unanswered questions.

In this episode of Westy Women, Benita Parker from the West Wallsend District Heritage Group takes on the persona of Violet Harriet Taylor, better known as Vi. Born in West Wallsend in 1906, Vi's life changed forever when she fell in love with returned WW1 soldier Joe Taylor. Together, they forged an extraordinary life on Mount Sugarloaf, turning rugged bushland into a home, cattle property, and popular tourist destination.

Get a preview of our August podcasts.

Dr Jude Conway brings to life the stories of two extraordinary Newcastle women, Alice Feguson and Hazel Evans, whose talents, generosity, and community spirit left a lasting mark on the city they loved.

Benita Parker of the West Wallsend District Heritage Group continues Ida Viola Bohle’s story in this compelling first-person series celebrating the women who helped shape West Wallsend. In Part 2, Ida reflects on a lifetime of family, community, music, resilience, and change in a town she called home for more than seventy years.

Join Benita Parker from the West Wallsend District Heritage Group as she presents another story of West Wallsend’s pioneering women through vivid first-person narration. In Part 1 of this podcast, we meet Ida Viola Bohle, who arrived in West Wallsend in 1926 as a young teacher and whose connection with the town would endure for more than seven decades.