Moving to Newcastle & Hunter Region: A Guide for Families

Are you and your family thinking of moving to Newcastle, Lake Macquarie or Hunter region or have you already moved? Welcome to the Newcastle region. It’s a great place to raise babies and kids. Whether you’re moving from Sydney, from interstate or from overseas, here’s some tips to help you and your family settle in.

Why should you move to Newcastle?

The Newcastle region is an amazing place to live and raise a family. There’s a variety of places to live including near the beaches, near Lake Macquarie, up at the blue water wonderland of Port Stephens or in the picturesque Hunter Valley. It’s a relaxed lifestyle with friendly people.

In this area, there are five major councils: City of Newcastle, Lake Macquarie City Council, Maitland City Council, Cessnock City Council and Port Stephens Council. Even though there are more than 555,000 people in the region, some days it still feels like a bit county town as it feels like everyone is connected.  Read our article 2 Degrees of Separation for more information.

Where to live in Newcastle & Hunter region?

There’s a variety of places to live depending on your budget and where you are interested in being located or if you want to live in a house or an apartment. Living near Newcastle CBD and the beaches is more expensive but there are a variety of family-friendly suburbs located a bit further out. These include New Lambton, Kotara, Adamstown Heights, Warners Bay, Eleebana and Valentine.

Closer to the beaches are the expensive suburbs of Merewether, The Junction and Bar Beach. Inner city Newcastle suburbs like Waratah, Georgetown, Maryville, Tighes Hill, Carrington and Mayfield are have been undergoing gentrification in the past few years.  For more information on Newcastle suburbs, check out the City of Newcastle locality snapshot website. Here you’ll find tons of stats about a chosen area including age structure, household types and other demographics.

If you prefer lakeside living, check out the suburbs of Lake Macquarie in this suburb guide put together by Lake Macquarie City Council. There’s also great places to live in the Maitland and Cessnock Local Government Areas if you prefer open spaces, access to vineyards and country living.

If you’re after new construction, There are new housing estates in Cameron Park, Edgeworth, Fletcher, Minmi, Teralba, Ashtonfield, Chisholm and Gillieston Heights.

If you are looking to buy or rent a home in Newcastle, check out websites Domain and realestate.com.au. These will give you an idea of median house prices in a particular region. As everyone has their own preferences about housing, we suggest spending a few hours in a particular suburb walking around to get a feel for the neighbourhood.

Getting around

While public transport is improving in the Newcastle region, it’s not always the easiest way to get around.

There are trains run by Sydney Trains, a NSW government division. Trains run from Newcastle Interchange at Wickham to the Central Coast and Sydney stopping at Hamilton, Broadmeadow, Adamstown, Kotara, Cardiff, Cockle Creek, Teralba, Booragul and Fassifern. There’s also the Hunter Line which runs from Newcastle Interchange all the way to Telarah in Maitland including stops at Waratah, Warabrook, Sandgate, Tarro, Beresfield and Maitland. It also extends at certain times to Scone.

The rest of the region is serviced by buses. Newcastle Transport has service routes covering Newcastle government area and parts of Lake Macquarie. Newcastle Transport also runs the Newcastle passenger ferry service. It’s a fun 5-minute service which travels from Newcastle (Queen’s Wharf) to Stockton.

There’s also the light rail service which runs from Newcastle Interchange to Newcastle Beach. There’s also bus services in the Hunter Valley, Raymond Terrace and Williamtown Airport operated by Newcastle Transport.

To get a cab, contact Newcastle Taxi on 13CABS or 132227. Uber is also available in Newcastle.

Health care

Newcastle is fortunate to have extensive health care services including a dedicated Children’s Hospital in Newcastle. There are also many medical practices, private hospitals as well as an afterhours GP service.

If you’re looking for a doctor, call around to find medical practices with GPs (general practitioners) that are accepting new clients. You might find some clinics have closed books – meaning they are not accepting new patients. Some of the practices “bulk-bill” for kids so check first. Bulk billing means you don’t have to pay for a medical service from a health professional. Instead they bill the government and bill Medicare instead and accept the Medicare benefit as full payment for the service.

GP Access After Hours

GP Access is a valuable resource for parents and one that we’ve used when I’ve had a sick child. GP Access After Hours provides free comprehensive and quality after hours medical care and advice to residents of Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Maitland areas on weeknights, weekends and public holidays. They are open after hours when your GP is closed. The service operates from four clinics across the Hunter with four of these clinics located in public hospitals.

These include the new Maitland Hospital which opened in 2022, John Hunter Hospital (New Lambton Heights), Belmont Hospital, Calvary Mater Hospital (Waratah) and Westlakes Community Health Centre (Toronto Polyclinic).

GP Access After Hours clinics operate on a phone appointment system and when you call 1300 130 147, qualified and experienced staff will provide advice or if required, arrange an appointment at one of their clinics. Visits to GP Access After Hours are fully bulk billed to Medicare and DVA card holders.

Late Night Chemists

Here’s a list of local late night chemists. It’s so handy to have a list of after hours chemists in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the Hunter for those times when you need  a prescription urgently filled or you’ve run out of baby Panadol with a teething baby! Some of these chemists are open after 6pm on weeknights and on weekends.

Child and Family Health Centres

Child and Family Health Centres provide a wide range of health care and health promotion services for children and families in the Greater Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Port Stephen areas. For new mums, Kaleidoscope services include new parent groups, lactation groups and providing information, advice and support in the care and management of babies as well as providing support for adjusting to motherhood and postnatal depression.

For parents of older children, Child and Family Health Centres promote the physical, emotional and social health, well being and development of children up to high school, including their families. These include services such as toddler behaviour management, child safety and audiometry counselling.

To make an appointment with your local Child and Family Health Centre, contact the central intake number on (02) 4923 6920. For more information, visit the Child and Family Health Centre website

Local Hospitals

Here’s a list of local hospitals with emergency departments. In an emergency, phone 000.

• John Hunter Hospital, Lookout Road, New Lambton Heights, Phone: (02) 4921 3000. In addition to an Emergency Department, the hospital includes the John Hunter Children’s Hospital. This 113 bed facility includes a medical ward, oncology/surgical ward, adolescent and day surgery ward, sleep unit, neonatal intensive care unit, outpatient clinic and school room.
• Calvary Mater Hospital, Corner of Edith & Platt Streets , Waratah, Phone: 02 4921 1211. The Mater’s Emergency Department caters for both adults and children.
• Lake Macquarie Private Hospital, 3 Sydney Street, Gateshead, Phone (02) 4943 3122 – Emergency Department. Even though Lake Macquarie is a private hospital, it also has an emergency department. However, you will be billed for your visit. You will be asked to settle your $350 Emergency Department service fee account prior to leaving the hospital.
• Belmont Hospital, Croudace Bay Road,  Belmont, Phone:(02) 4923 2000. Although Belmont Hospital does not provide any specific paediatric services, its Emergency Department caters for both adults and children. Children who require admission to hospital will be transferred to John Hunter Children’s Hospital.
• Maitland Hospital, 51 Metford Road, Metford. Phone: (02) 4939 2000. In addition to an Emergency Department, Maitland Hospital has a general paediatric centre, which provides newborn and paediatric in-patient services to the region.
• Cessnock Hospital, View Street , Cessnock, Phone: (02) 4991 0555. In addition to an Emergency Department, Cessnock District Health Service has a two bed paediatric ward with provision for a child’s parent to stay with them during their hospitalisation.

The health care scheme Medicare provides free and subsidised health care for those with a Medicare Card, which is available to Australian citizens, permanent residents and visitors from certain countries.

Important telephone numbers

Emergency services: 000

GP Access After Hours 1300 130 147

Poisons advice line: 13 11 26

Child care

Do you need childcare? There’s a variety of child care options in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the Hunter including long day care, family day care and private nannies. There are many child care centres in the region. For a list of child care centres in the region, check out our child care centre list.

You can also visit the Australian Government site Child Care Finder website. This useful website provides a description of the service and has information about vacancies, fees and quality assessments. It also provides information on child care payments that you may be eligible for.

Long day care/childcare centres provide care and early education programs for children aged from birth–5 years, and are open for longer hours year round, whereas preschools are just for children aged 3-5 years and offer more similar hours and days to schools.

Remember, all centres are not equal – some are not-for-profit and community based, some are run by small, private operators while others are larger corporate entities. In choosing a centre, check the rating under the National Quality Standard – the ratings are independently assessed by the Child and Family Health Centre website and must be displayed.

For more tips on securing childcare in the Newcastle region, check out this Newy with Kids article on how to secure childcare in Newcastle & the Hunter.

Education

There are many good schools, both public and private in the Newcastle and Hunter region. We’ve put together an article about how to find a school for your kids which includes a list of private schools in the area as well as how to find your local public school or Catholic school.

Children can start Kindergarten in NSW at the beginning of the school year if they turn 5 on or before 31 July that year. By law, all children must be in compulsory schooling by their 6th birthday.

Public schools provide free education. All primary schools and the majority of high schools have designated intake areas. Schools may accept enrolments from outside their local area if places are available. 

There are also Catholic schools in the Newcastle & Hunter area. The Catholic Schools Office (CSO) Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle manages more than 21,000 students in 44 Primary schools, 11 Secondary schools and one K-12 school in the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle. Use their school finder to find your nearest Catholic school.

If you’re considering higher education for your kids, the University of Newcastle has campuses in Callaghan and Newcastle CBD while Hunter TAFE has 13 campuses in the Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Hunter region.

Playgroups

For those with babies and younger kids, get out of the house and make new friends at playgroup. Playgroups provide babies, toddlers and young children with a wide variety of early learning experiences including play time, music, stories, arts and crafts and excursions. For parents and caregivers, you’ll get to meet others and share parenting ideas and experience.

There are loads of playgroups in the Newcastle & Hunter region. For a list, check out the Newy with Kids Playgroup guide

Family Fun

We specialise in sharing information about family fun! Newy with Kids keeps you up to date with what’s happening in the Newcastle, NSW region. It’s your guide to family-friendly attractions, activities and events in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie & the Hunter.

Whether it’s information on playgrounds, cafes, school holiday activities, kids concerts or family events, Newy with Kids provides readers with information about things to do with kids.

Parks & Playgrounds

There are heaps of local parks and playgrounds in the Newcastle region including the amazing Speers Point Park pictured above. Check out the Parks and Playgrounds section on the Newy with Kids website for a list of places you can visit with your family. As well as playground listings, we’ve also put together round ups of different playgrounds suitable for toddlers as well as older kids in the region.

Beaches & Pools

Want information on family-friendly beaches and ocean baths? Check out our top beaches for kids in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie article.

Swim Centres

Go for a swim. There are lots of public pools to enjoy with your family in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie & the Hunter.

Walks & Bike Rides

If you feel like going for walk or a bike ride, check our extensive lists of kid-friendly walks and cycleways in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie & the Hunter.

Guides for Different Ages

Need activities to get out of the house with babies? Check out our Newcastle with Babies guide. Bored on your maternity leave? Here are 52 Weekly Challenges for New Mums. Keep active toddlers busy with Newcastle with Toddlers guide.

Museums and Art Galleries

The Newcastle and Hunter region is full of educational and entertaining museums and galleries. Enjoy a family day out with your kids to learn more about Hunter history, art, science and transportation. Here’s a list of local museums and art galleries.

Libraries

Head to your local library to borrow books, DVDs and CDs. Newcastle and Hunter libraries offer free programs for  families such as Baby Book Time and storytime. There’s also lots of school holiday activities to keep school aged kids entertained.

Libraries offer more than just books. You might be surprised by all the things available to borrow from a local library including STEM kits, toys and games, seeds, power tools and more. Here is our guide to all the things you can borrow from a local library. Newcastle Region Library hosts a Toy Library at New Lambton Library where families can borrow  up to 3 toys per child every week.

Kids Activities

If you’re looking for baby or kids classes, there are tons of baby, kids, tweens and teen classes to choose from in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the Hunter. This region has a variety of classes for children including art, music, sports, drama and more.

When it comes to kids sport, we are spoilt for choice in the Newcastle, Lake Macquarie & Hunter region. We’ve put together a guide for all the sport your kids can do in our Local Sports Guide.

Settling In

Newy with Kids gets loads of emails and messages asking for tips from new mums on how to make friends in Newcastle & Hunter region. It can be a challenge to find new friends when you’ve just moved to the region, but here are some tips to make mum friends.

Dining with Kids

We’re blessed with loads of eating places in Newcastle and the Hunter. Here’s a list of Kids Eat Free places when you don’t feel like cooking. Here’s also a guide to local restaurants with kids areas or playgrounds.

Follow Newy with Kids

Stay up to date with what’s happening in Newcastle and the Hunter with Newy with Kids.

It’s your guide to family attractions, activities and events to parents and caregivers of children aged 0 to 14 who reside in the Newcastle & Hunter region. Whether it’s information on playgrounds, cafes, school holiday activities, kids concerts or family events, Newy with Kids provides readers with information about things to do with children.

Follow Newy with Kids on Facebook or on Instagram to keep up to date with what’s happening around Newcastle or sign up here for our email newsletter to get the latest family events and activities delivered directly to your inbox every week.