PORT Stephens Council has shared the results of a recent cabana compliance initiative. The campaign targeted unattended items such as cabanas being used to reserve spots at Fly Point, Little Beach and Shoal Bay Beach. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone – (02) 4981 8882. […]

Volunteers Jo Cliftton and Sue Ismay behind the Yacaaba Centre’s morning teas
NELSON Bay locals Sue Ismay and Jo Clifton are the volunteers behind the drop-in morning teas at the Yacaaba Centre. You’ll find them serving tea and iced cakes between 10am -11.30am on Thursdays. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone – (02) 4981 8882. Email – media@newsofthearea.com.au […]
Port Stephens Council defers several decisions at 8 April meeting
PORT Stephens Council held its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday 8 April. Items on the agenda involved a number of policy reviews which have recently been completed by Council staff, though those regarding loans to community groups and the management of cemeteries were deferred for future meetings. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s […]
Stinker’s History: From Denmark to Port Stephens
DENMARK was occupied in WW1 by the invading Germans and young men were being conscripted into the army. Having sons, Hans and Marie Verdich were not prepared to see them sent to war and arranged to flee the country of their birth. One of their boys, Edward Wilhelm, found his way to Australia and set […]
NPWS hit the water for whale disentanglement training at Port Stephens
NATIONAL Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) teams hit the water at Port Stephens on Friday to practice the critical and complex task of disentangling whales, ahead of the start of the annual humpback migration season. NPWS Team Leader Conservation Doug Beckers said, “Whale-watching is an increasingly popular activity right along NSW’s Coast, and it’s humbling […]
Clarence Town artist showcasing local scenes on ceramics
PILAR Patterson is a Clarence Town artist whose skill in making and decorating ceramic works is deservedly gaining attention. Recently, at the Dungog Arts Society “Faces and Places” exhibition, her work “the Brig O’Johnston Bridge” won first prize in Ceramics. It is a wheel-thrown platter, with a softly-coloured and thoughtfully-observed view of the bridge and […]
Council to tackle traffic congestion at Birubi Headland with shuttle bus trial
PORT Stephens Council is trialing a beach shuttle bus service in Anna Bay during the upcoming holiday period to improve connectivity and accessibility and ease congestion around Birubi Headland. The Birubi Beach Shuttle Bus trial runs from Saturday 12 April until Sunday 27 April, on a continuous loop from 9am to 12pm and 12:30pm to […]
Stinker’s Fishin’: Here come the mullet
WITH the colder months just around the corner it is time to reorganise and focus our efforts on fish that are more likely to arrive in our waters. This is the start of the bream and luderick season so you can expect to see the breakwall in Nelson Bay bristling with rods with an expectant […]
Nominations now open for 2025 Hidden Treasures Honour Roll
THE community has an opportunity to celebrate the incredible women who volunteer their time to make a difference, by nominating them for the 2025 Hidden Treasures Honour Roll. The Honour Roll, an initiative by the NSW Government, highlights the vital contributions of female volunteers across rural, regional and remote New South Wales. Since its inception […]

Murder rate soars as killers claim multiple victims
MURDERS have spiked in Australia’s most populous state, driven by multiple-victim homicides including a shopping centre massacre in which six people were killed. A total of 85 people were murdered in NSW in 2024, up from 56 in the previous year and the highest toll since 2014, the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research reports. […]