Whilst I had seen this obelisk many times during my visits to King Edward Park with my family in the 1960 and 70s it took recent tours of Newcastle to find out its' historical significance.
Apart from Lighthouses, most Trig Points don't have a dual purpose as being a maritime navigational assistance device.
From: (
visit link)
"Newcastle's Obelisk is another one of Newcastle's navigational aids.
"Prior to the building of the Obelisk in 1850 there was a windmill on the site to grind flour.
"In 1819 Commandant Morisset ordered the building of the windmill 'for the purpose of grinding flour' and in strong winds was said to grind '10 bushels of wheat per hour' but as one of the highest points of the settlement it was also used as a navigational aid by sailors.
"The Government Flour Mill was superseded by newer mills further up the river in Maitland and Morpeth and in 1847 the government decommissioned the mill and offered it for sale.
"The shipping industry protested the sale as the windmill was considered an essential navigational aid, but the new owner moved quickly to demolish the windmill before the government could cancel the transaction.
"However, continuing protests from shipping interests led to the NSW Government constructing the Obelisk in 1850.
"This from an 1850 Government Gazette with instructions on entering the port:
Directions for Entering the Port of Newcastle.
"When the Obelisk is in with the tower by the light you are nearly off the rocks east-southerly of the Nobby's; and when the Nobby's is in with the same you are off the rocks north-west of the same.
"The Obelisk open to the west of the Queen's Wharf will head you clear off the rock on the port land going in.
"The Obelisk open to the eastward of the Wesleyan Chapel will clear the Oyster Bank and the North Bank, and will lead in from twenty-four to fourteen feet of water as you approach the Oyster Bank on the starboard side going in, and from eighteen to twelve feet as you approach the North Bank, also on the starboard side.
MERION MORIATY, Port Master."
There are five plaques around the site of the obelisk for the different sources of water that supply the "Obelisk Reservoir" that had been built under the obelisk in 1885. This water reservoir was in use until 8 June 1985, when an explosion (caused by some girls lighting some fireworks on top of it, igniting built up gas from a corroded gas mains) causing major damage to the concrete roof of the reservoir. Luckily none drowned when the roof collapsed, tho some suffered major burns. The obelisk was repaired then, and also when Newcastle suffered their earthquake in 1989.
The Obelisk has also been used to investigate "land creep" caused by much of Newcastle being coal mined, and having only minimal supports left behind underground, and a collapse/slippage in 1906 of a fair bit of The Hill.
Sarah Cameron, Newcastle City Council Heritage Strategist explains that in the 1860's the Roman-Grecian "forms of structure like the Obelisk were quite popular. It is rendered masonry and although repaired and rebuilt a number of times - including after the 1989 earthquake - it is still maintained by the city of Newcastle."
Most recently visited: 25/4/14 and 8/11/15 for: (
visit link) - Obelisk