There’s a strong affinity between youngster Sebastian Skrynnik and the Newcastle Museum.
And, that kinship was revealed this week as the state-of-the-art cultural facility celebrates a decade since opening its doors at Honeysuckle.
The former Railway Workshops could even be considered Sebastian’s second “home”.
In fact, his parents – who immigrated to Newcastle from Russia – have been taking the 10-year-old to the museum since he was a baby.
“We’ve shared a lot of great memories inside these walls,” Sebastian said.
“It’s where I came a few times a week as we couldn’t afford to go to pre-school or playgroups.
“But, the museum gave me a place that had everything I needed.
“I remember playing here with so many different kids, exploring and learning.
“My parents came to Australia to give me a better life.
“And, what they found for us was a new family and a community that’s part of my life now.”
After re-opening on 4 August 2011, Newcastle Museum’s welcomed almost 1.5 million visitors, accepted 2,615 object donations, won 20 state and national awards, displayed 71 exhibitions and hosted thousands of special events.
It also greeted its one millionth guest to the Honeysuckle site in October 2017.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the museum was one of the jewels in the city’s cultural crown.
“Newcastle Museum plays a key role in the rich diversity of experiences that help attract visitors to our city,” she explained.
“The award-winning premises is on the cutting edge of contemporary museum practice and has been nationally-recognised for its innovative exhibitions, which create insightful and immersive ways to interpret and preserve our city’s fascinating history.
“Upgrading and expanding this critical facility through its move to Honeysuckle saw the museum become a cornerstone of the wider civic cultural precinct.
“I’m proud to see how much it has achieved during the past 10 years and I can’t wait to experience what else it has in store during the next decade and beyond.”
Newcastle Museum director Julie Baird said it had been amazing to see the transformation both within the museum’s Heritage-listed buildings and in the surrounding landscape.
“The museum’s makeover will continue following the mass planting of various native tree species in four sections of Museum Park yesterday as part of the Living Labels project,” she added.
“The trees and shrubs planted relate directly to objects within the museum’s collection and offer a new way to interpret and understand our geography and history, providing a living connection between the natural landscape and the stories of our past.
“We plan to celebrate the museum’s significant milestone with activities across the next 12 months, kicking off with a 10th anniversary exhibition showcasing specially-commissioned works by much-loved local artist Trevor Dickinson, whose colourful, larger-than-life murals including the Newcastle Museum Photowall have formed such an intrinsic part of the Museum and its surrounds.
“Newcastle Museum is committed to telling the stories of both ordinary and extraordinary Novocastrians through our collections, exhibitions and audience engagement – this is who we are, where we’ve come from and where we’re going.
“This facility plays a major role in Newcastle, not just as a tourist attraction but as an inclusive and accessible space that educates, entertains and benefits the community in so many ways.”
The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday between 10am and 5pm.
Current exhibitions include the self-curated The Castanet Club: an exhibition you can dance to! and a travelling exhibit from the Monash Gallery of Art showcasing the work of Australia’s pre-eminent photographer of the built environment John Gollings.
Coincidentally, he was commissioned to photograph the museum when it was first opened at Honeysuckle.
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