FIRST PUBLIC VISITORS TO DELPRAT'S COTTAGE
On Saturday 18 August 2018 a group of about 40 members of local historical and heritage societies attended the cottage for the FIRST EVER public viewing of the cottage.
Heritage Hunter held its AGM in the Lounge Room and visitors were provided morning tea on the verandah and a tour the cottage.
NIHA was proud to be able showcase GD Delprat and the cottage.

The first visitors
The entrance hallway into the cottage

On Thursday 16 August 2018, the plaque commemorating the opening of the steelworks, which had been stolen during 2017, was returned to the wall in the Administration Building where it had resided since 1921.
Members of NIHA were instrumental in locating and forcing the return of the plaque. Caretakers of the building, Govt Property NSW, have made substantial changes to the security of the building and the plaque.
Members were on had to observe the return of the plaque.

Guillaume Daniel Delprat was General Manager of BHP from 1899 to 1921.
He led the company in its change from mining at Broken Hill to making Steel at Newcastle. The opening of the Newcastle Works in 1915 commenced the Heavy Industrialisation of Australia.
NIHA is honouring his pioneering spirit with an exhibition of his life in the bedroom of the cottage he lived in during the construction of the Steelworks.
Stage 1 of the exhibition is now ready for our guests from the local historical societies to visit on Saturday.

Two new books for our library include 'From Silver to Steel', written in 1920.
We will soon announce launching of our exhibition on the Founder of Australian Industry - GD Delprat.
more details soon.

Special Invitation
The Newcastle Industrial Heritage Association