The Record · place · Newcastle foreshore
Queens Wharf
A Bicentennial-era landmark on Newcastle Harbour, mid-transformation: its fire-damaged western building comes down in 2026, and what replaces it is not yet decided.
Record page started 3 July 2026 · grows as the story does
What it is
Queens Wharf is a precinct on the Newcastle harbour foreshore comprising two separate buildings (the western building, vacant since 2020, and the Queens Wharf Hotel), two car parks, a public promenade, and a ferry wharf owned by Transport for NSW. It was constructed as a Bicentennial project and officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1988.
Entries
- Jul 2026Demolition of the western building begins, following the relocation of Keolis Downer ferry staff to Stockton. Method: two excavators, west to east, top to bottom, down to the ground slab; about six months of work. Wharf Road and the ferry keep operating; the western car park is fenced off. Our story.
- 2026City of Newcastle reports almost 1,800 comments and suggestions from community engagement on the precinct’s revitalisation, with 97 per cent endorsing the overall vision.
- May 2020Fire damages the western building; it remains vacant from then on.
- 1988Queens Wharf opens, a Bicentennial project opened by Queen Elizabeth II.
What we don’t know yet
What gets built on the cleared site. City of Newcastle says that decision will be made by the Council in the 2026/27 financial year. This page will record the options and the decision as they become public.
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