Unearthing hidden Hunter gems

Local journalist and storyteller Mike Scanlon has written more than 1,000 history articles over a career spanning more than 55 years. He has now published a collection of 44 of those stories in his new book The Hidden Hunter, featuring fascinating yarns and little-known facts about people, places and events across the entire Hunter region.

Find out what’s beneath the grounds of James Fletcher Hospital, or discover the mystery behind some of Maitland’s landmarks and Broadmeadow’s history as a busy inner-city aerodrome.

Some of the articles are from a series originally published in the Newcastle Herald, but many stem from later times as Mike pursued his passion for “the chase” which has sent him seeking, time and again, the quirky and the unknown.

It’s a must-have book for anyone interested in the Hunter’s rich and diverse history.
Paperback, 160 pp, $40, available at local bookshops and newsagents.