Environmental scientist Dr. Cameron Webb has everything you need to know about the coming mosquito season, as well as much-needed insights into wetlands ecology and the looming crisis of our overdeveloping coasts.
Author: Heath Killen
Heath Killen is the founder and editor of On A Floating World. Born and raised in Newcastle, he is passionate about the coastline and waterways surrounding his home. Elsewhere he helps people develop brands, campaigns, and projects based on their passions.
Stockton Sandspit
Introducing The Zones, our series of local site visits.
Settled alongside the Hunter Estuary, just a short drive from the city, Stockton Sandspit is a haven for threatened shorebirds and an ecological jewel in an industrial landscape.
Hartley Spurr, Bait-monger
A handwritten sign says “Bait at all hours” and that’s what Hartley Spurr provided in Newcastle for over sixty years, across two centuries. This pictorial of Spurr’s waterfront store offers a glimpse of street-level life on the harbour during wartime.
On Newcastle’s Rockpools with Bastian Fox Phelan
Bastian Fox Phelan talks about their journey into the low tide zones of the beach, the extraordinary things that are to be found there, mindful exploration, and how ecological awareness begins at home.
Seaweed Appreciation Society International
Lichen Kelp is an artist, curator and DIY marine biologist based in Melbourne, Victoria. Here she talks about the process of demystifying ocean science, the enchanting and endangered world of seaweed, as well as staying connected to the sea during lockdown.
Tales from The Royal
For nearly 200 years, The Royal occupied a small hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Hunter River to the north. Golden sand was right at its doorstep, water was visible from every ward, and fresh salt air filled its corridors. Here are the stories of the people who were there.
On Newcastle Harbour with Bob Cook
Bob Cook talks about Newcastle’s industrial heritage, the wartime fortification of the coastline, the rise and fall of our own Maritime Museum, life at BHP Steelworks, and the importance of remembering.
The Shape of Water
On A Floating World is made up of four sections, each with their own unique focus and personality, as well as one project news channel. Discover how the site works and what each of our sections is about.
Here Be Monsters
Get to know the area. The geography of On a Floating World is defined by the following landmarks: Fingal Bay Lighthouse to the north, Nobby’s Lighthouse to the east, Walka Water Works to the west, and Catherine Hill Bay Jetty to the south.
We Came From The Sea
On a Floating World is a publishing and events platform focused on the coastline and waterways surrounding Newcastle, stretching from Port Stephens to Lake Macquarie and wrapping around the Hunter Valley.