Living Labels

The soil of Newcastle sprouts life in all its forms, and the plants that grow here connect us to millennia of stories, experiences, and history.

Living Labels links our unique natural environment with the diverse collection of Newcastle Museum. Outside, in Museum Park, you can discover living examples of trees and plants that have shaped and defined the place we live. Inside the Museum, you can trace how these trees weave their way through our objects and exhibitions.

To uncover these stories, use your phone to scan the QR codes on the labels inside and outside the Museum. This will link you to the Living Labels website, where you can discover local aboriginal names for each plant from both the Awabakal and Worimi languages. You'll also find Common and Scientific names, as well as the stories each plant relates to. If you need help, please ask a museum worker.

Stringy Bark

This is a Stringy Bark tree, known in the Awabakal language as Nararing and Worimi as Punnah.
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Coastal Banksia

This is a Coastal Banksia, known in the Awabakal language as Kararkarmatara.
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Red Cedar

This is a Red Cedar tree, known in the Awabakal language as Koolai. Its scientific name is Toona ciliate.
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Tea Tree

This is a Tea Tree, known in the Awabakal language as Paiyabaara.
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Grass Tree

These are Grass Trees, known in the Awabakal language as Keylkeyl.
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Permian Bed

The origins of these plants can be traced back to the Permian era. Plants like these formed the Hunter Region's coal.
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