When Governor Macquarie ordered a pier to be built to join Nobbys to the mainland, convict labour was chosen to do the construction.
The building of the pier was a hazardous job with the convicts having to work under all sea and weather conditions, night and day. Many lives were lost to the sea during the 38 years it took to build.
The rock taken from Nobbys to reduce its height was used in the pier's construction.
Various bicentenary projects funded by the Newcastle Port Corporation in 1997 focus on the vivid history surrounding Nobbys and the breakwater, including a series of sculptures displayed along the breakwater and a viewing platform overlooking a set of historic convict steps.
First Discovery of Nobbys
Wind in Ships Sails
Physical Changes
