Two City iconic venues set for a refresh

The final touches are being applied to two of the City’s most iconic coastline venues at Shepherds Hill Cottage and the Dixon Park Beach kiosk on Bathers Way, before the search starts for operators to bring the spectacular spaces to life.

City of Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the upgrade and subsequent openings of these two venues under new operators will give locals and visitors a new opportunity to appreciate the coastal environment.

“The view from both these facilities is incredible, and it’s exciting for these sites to be opened up and enjoyed by the community,” Cr Nelmes said.

“I encourage potential operators to express their interest when applications open, it’s a fantastic opportunity to bring these venues back to life and attract visitors.”

"Both venues are situated on the Bathers Way. The 6km pathway stretches from Merewether Ocean Baths to Nobbys Beach, and enjoys thousands of walkers each week."

Conservation works to the State listed historical Shepherds Hill Cottage in King Edward Park are nearing their final stage, following the recent removal of a former radio communications tower located on the site, enabling the final steps of the building’s transformation to commence.

Reconstruction of the historic external toilets and construction of a new separate outdoor storeroom, construction of a new accessible parking area and new driveway access from The Terrace, and finalisation of landscaping is anticipated to be completed in the coming months.

Following the completion of the works City of Newcastle will run an Expression of Interest to identify a preferred operator that best delivers the objectives and permitted uses authorised in the Plan of Management. These objectives and uses also reflect the endorsed Conservation Management Plan for this important heritage site.

A similar Expression of Interest will be called in late July for an operator for the long dormant kiosk at Dixon Park Beach following construction of the upgrades which commenced in April, after earlier provision of power, water and sewage infrastructure in 2020.

Upgrades include the addition of public seating, shelters and landscaping, as well as the relocation of a portion of the building’s faded mural. Work on the Mark Richards mural, which City of Newcastle committed to restoring in a new location on the kiosk, commenced this week.