Newcastle finds itself on shifting ground. But it's not an earthquake, or subsidence due to an old mine. It's perception that's shifting.

Not only is Newcastle rapidly changing, but so are people's views of the city. People are 'discovering' Newcastle. Or, more pointedly, they are seeing Newcastle for what it is. In Newcastle Scott Bevan examines the character and the soul of the city he grew up in, its past and where it's likely to head. He traverses from early contact between the Awabakal people and missionary Lancelot Threlkeld, Newcastle's convict and steel city past, its famous children (from Silverchair to William Dobell) and the city's role as the world's largest coal export port, to its recent blossoming as a tourist destination and creative hub.