Giant bubbles, battle bots and a garbage truck you can climb at Newcastle Museum
- intouch Magazine
- 3 hours ago
- 4 min read
Science is about to take over Newcastle Museum, with the Hunter Science Festival set to bring 40 stalls, live stage shows and a whole lot of hands-on discovery to the city for National Science Week. The free, family-friendly event runs on Sunday, August 23, taking over the Museum and its surrounding grounds for a full day of experiments, robots and curious minds.
Now in its fifth year, the festival has become one of the standout dates on the Hunter's science calendar, and organisers are expecting this to be its biggest yet. City of Newcastle's Director of Museum, Archive, Libraries and Learning, Julie Baird, said the event just keeps growing.
"Hunter Science Festival is all about making science accessible, engaging and fun for our community," Ms Baird said.
"From hands-on experiments to live stage shows and the chance to meet real scientists, this event is designed to spark curiosity and inspire the next generation of innovators.
"Now in its fifth year, the festival has grown significantly, attracting 7,000 visitors in 2025. We're excited to expand the program even further in 2026 with more exhibitors, more activities and a new outdoor stage."
That new stage is backed by a $20,000 National Science Week grant from the Australian Government, and will run entertainment throughout the day. Visitors are encouraged to bring a picnic rug and settle in on the lawn for science magic from The Pretty Amazing Jono, explosive demonstrations courtesy of Fizzics Education, and bubble theatre from The Bubble Laboratory.
Battle bots take centre stage
For anyone who's ever wanted to try their hand at the combat robotics craze that's taken off around the world, this is the year to do it. Festivalgoers will be able to drive remote-controlled, palm-sized 3D-printed battle robots inside a purpose-built perspex arena, courtesy of Hunter Combat Robotics — appearing at the festival for the first time.
Lake Macquarie City Council Fab Lab Lead Claire Chaikin-Bryan said bringing the activity to Newcastle was a great way to get kids thinking about what they can build themselves.
"We love being part of Hunter Science Festival because it sparks conversations with kids and families about creativity and what they can make themselves," Ms Chaikin-Bryan said.
"This year, we're excited to build on that by bringing Hunter Combat Robotics to the festival for the first time. Visitors will be able to see combat robots up close, take a turn at driving them and discover how design, electronics and engineering come together through hands-on making."
Robotics fans can also meet a robot dog courtesy of Fizzics Education, as well as a humanoid robot from the University of Newcastle's NUbots team.
A full day of discovery
Beyond the robots, there's plenty to keep curious minds busy. Visitors can build and race solar-powered mini electric vehicles, hold a real shark egg, use a radio telescope, and explore rocks, fossils and dinosaur displays. The ever-popular HMRI Poo Palace also returns, taking visitors on a walk-through journey of the digestive system — not one to skip before lunch, perhaps, but a festival favourite nonetheless. For something sweeter, science-themed cupcakes will be on offer from award-winning local baker KT Bakes Cakes.
City of Newcastle teams will be on-site throughout the day too, with activities including climbing aboard a garbage truck, collecting native seeds to take home, and learning about sustainability, climate change and local wildlife.
The festival has been developed in collaboration with the Hunter Innovation and Science Hub (HISH), and showcases organisations including the Newcastle Astronomical Society, the Australian Native Bee Association and the University of Newcastle's SMART Program.
Among HISH's ten exhibits is a free bushcraft boat building activity, which HISH President Peter Melling said gives local kids a hands-on introduction to engineering.
"Thanks to a community grant from Port Authority of NSW, we are able to offer local kids the opportunity to explore the science behind boat building," Mr Melling said.
"Using locally sourced, 100% biodegradable materials, participants can design, build and test their own model boats — not only gaining an understanding of engineering and the mechanics of buoyancy, but also learning about the important role our waterways play in the Newcastle community."
More to explore during Science Week
The festival forms part of a bigger program at Newcastle Museum for National Science Week, which runs from August 15 to 23. On Monday, August 17, Glenrock Ghost Fungus Tours founder and award-winning physics researcher Karen Livesey will lead an exploration into the hidden world of glow-in-the-dark fungi, while on August 21, Dr Karelle Siellez will explain how the cosmos communicates its most violent events as part of the national Marie Curie Lecture Tour.
For more information on the Hunter Science Festival and the full lineup of National Science Week events, head to newcastlemuseum.com.au/exhibitions-events/events.
