ABSTRACT
This chapter explains the history of industrialization and deindustrialization before exploring industrial heritage and regional identity. It also explains the city of Newcastle and the region of the Hunter Valley which lies in that city's hinterland. The situation in the region mirrors a wider state and federal policy environment in Australia where industrial heritage is only partially recognized and poorly represented. The identification of Indigenous heritage as 'industrial heritage' is not a straightforward proposition and does present significant cultural and political issues for Indigenous groups and heritage specialists in Australia. Protection of industrial heritage is bound up with protection of the urban and suburban fabric more generally. The New South Wales State Heritage Register records a number of sites of railway heritage throughout the region. The strong representation of railway heritage both in the Hunter and more broadly across the country is, curiously, mirrored in a strong academic literature on railway heritage.
