Geoscience Australia is reporting magnitude of 5, with the epicentre near Muswellbrook: https://earthquakes.ga.gov.au/event/ga2024qpnryi

ORIGINAL ARTICLE, PUBLISHED 12:30pm

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> ### 'The whole house shook': Earthquake rattles the ground west of Newcastle > > AN EARTHQUAKE rocked the Hunter Region on Friday. > > There were reports of the quake being felt across the region at about midday on August 23. > > Residents said they felt the ground or buildings shake at locations as widespread as Newcastle West, Tenambit, Cardiff, Hamilton, Singleton, Muswellbrook, Salamander Bay, at the Gresford showgrounds and the Central Coast. > > Geoscience Australia has confirmed a magnitude five earthquake struck Denman at 12.01pm on Friday, at a depth of 10 kilometres. > > One Hamilton resident reported feeling their whole house shake. > > "It felt like there was something under the house," they said. > > "I was very confused." > > A resident in Salamander Bay reported their desk moving across the floor as the quake hit. > > Social media posts have flooded Facebook as people shared their experience of feeling the tremor, including feeling their windows shake at Islington. > > On average, 100 earthquakes of magnitude three or more are recorded in Australia each year.

UPDATED ARTICLE, PUBLISHED 1:07pm

> ### 'The whole house shook': Earthquake rattles the ground west of Newcastle > > ! > > 📷 The red mark represents the earthquake epicentre, while the blue marks indicate where tremors were felt. Picture by Geoscience Australia > > AN EARTHQUAKE has rocked the Hunter Region on Friday afternoon, leaving hundreds of residents shaken and thousands without power. > > Reports flooded in of the quake being felt across the region - and as far and Tamworth, Mudgee and the Central Coast - at about midday on August 23. > > Geoscience Australia confirmed a magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck Denman at 12.01pm on Friday, at a depth of 10 kilometres, causing widespread tremors. > > Amanda Sharp lives two minutes from the centre of town, she said she heard the earthquake coming before she felt it. > > "It actually sounded like a huge wind tunnel coming up, it sounded like massive wind but there was no wind, and then the whole entire house just started shaking," she said. > > "We have things on the top of our kitchen and they all fell off, we had glasses on top of our kitchen shelf and they've fallen down." > > Ms Sharp said the "significant" rattle was felt throughout the town and all the way to Muswellbrook through to Mudgee. > > "I've still got horses that are galloping around my property that are still stirred up and quite agitated from it," she said. > > "My dog is still underneath the bed, we can't get her out." > > Ms Sharp moved to the area in 2020 and said she thinks there has been a small tremor in the area before but "nothing like this". > > "We ran outside straight away to check what was happening," she said. > > More than 2500 people are without power in the Muswellbrook area, according to Ausgrid. > > "Severe weather conditions" has been listed as the cause of the outage, and crews were still working to restore power at about 1pm. > > Muswellbrook's Eatons Hotel licensee, Khalifa Askar, said it was "a little bit scary there for a moment". > > "It was shaking for about 10 to 15 seconds... a bunch of stuff fell off my fridge," Mr Askar said. > > Layla Moss was working at Denman's Royal Hotel when she felt the tremor. > > "It shook everything inside," she said. > > "All our wine glasses are hanging up over the bar and they shook a lot, but there was no damage, nothing falling over." > > Over at the Denman Hotel, Jack Buckley said the only causality was a runaway wine bottle. > > "We did feel it, it was just a bit of shake and we had a few bottles rolling around on the shelf," he said. > > One Hamilton resident reported feeling their whole house shake when the quake hit. > > "It felt like there was something under the house," they said. > > "I was very confused." > > Residents said they felt the ground or buildings shake at locations as widespread as Newcastle West, Tenambit, Cardiff, Hamilton, Singleton, Muswellbrook, Salamander Bay, Edgeworth and at the Gresford showgrounds. > > A resident in Salamander Bay reported their desk moving across the floor, while others in locations like Islington said they felt their doors and windows rattle. > > People have swarmed to social media to share their experiences of feeling the earthquake. > > On average, 100 earthquakes of magnitude three or more are recorded in Australia each year. > > --- > > This story is developing > > Our journalists are working to verify further information

> # Students chain themselves to couch in encampment removal attempt > > By Alanna Tomazin > > Updated July 16 2024 - 12:26pm, first published 12:25pm > > ! > > 📷 Students chain themselves in couch in pro Palestine protest, pictures by Jonathan Carroll > > STUDENTS protesting for Palestine have chained themselves to a couch on campus as security attempts to remove the group's encampment at the University of Newcastle. > > Four UON Students for Palestine locked themselves onto the seat shortly after 6am on Tuesday morning, July 16 following a security presence packing up tents that were set up in protest of the institution's ties with Israel and weapons manufacturers. > > "We've been on the lounge for two hours, security came in and started taking everything down," student and staff member Parker Best said. > > "We've chained ourselves up to the couch and we've chained the couch to the tree because we thought they might lift us out." > > Student and spokesperson Leon Flint said there was no verbal communication from security, they just "started rummaging through". > > "We were woken up to security and at one stage did attempt to move us on about 7.30 in the morning but were unable to," he said. > > An eviction notice was alerted late last week by university management for protesters to move on, just days after they staged a 'die-in' to protest the university's partnerships. > > Protesters remaining at the encampment were advised to remove all tents, signage and equipment by 5pm on Monday, July 15. > > Failure to comply with the request resulted in the university issuing a disciplinary action warning letter to students on Tuesday. > > "As this time has now passed, if you refuse to pack up or leave the encampment you will be subject to disciplinary proceedings in accordance with the Student Conduct Rule," the letter stated. > > "To be clear, any disciplinary action taken will not relate to your right to protest on campus, but rather your refusal to obey a reasonable direction provided by the University," it read. > > Students remained on site with just two tents and a large communal tent shortly before midday on Tuesday and have lawyers on retainer checking in with them for protection and advice, Mr Flint said. > > "We have probably 20 students and staff members planning to continue to stay in the space until we are forcibly removed," he said. > > "We have a number of students who are willing to face academic repercussions, and all willing to face arrest for this cause should it come to that." > > University of Newcastle, Acting Vice Chancellor Professor Kent Anderson said in a statement that the university has assisted with the removal of unoccupied tents and will continue to work with students remaining about how they may continue to protest without an encampment. > > Mr Flint said the Students for Palestine group will continue to exercise their rights and rebuild. > > "The university has continuously promoted the fact that they are - quote on quote - respecting our right to peacefully protest. > > "They are commending the fact that everything we have done is peaceful yet they are stopping our protests. Free Palestine," he said.

> # Activist jailed for securing herself to equipment at Newcastle port > > ! > > 📷 Laura Davy, 21, has been sentenced to three months in jail for securing herself to a coal reclaimer as part of a protest backed by Blockade Australia. Picture supplied > > An environmental activist who secured herself to a coal reclaimer in Newcastle at the weekend has been jailed. > > Laura Davy, 21, was on Monday sentenced to three months in prison and fined $1100 for the illegal protest at Port Waratah Coal Services early on Sunday morning. > > Her co-accused, 22-year-old Dominic Burgess, was also due to face Newcastle Local Court on Monday. > > In a statement, Blockade Australia - the organisation for which Davy was acting - described the sentence as a "shocking escalation" and said an appeal was expected to be lodged on Monday afternoon. > > ! > > 📷 The response to some of the previous protesters who have taken part in action that started in June. Pictures by Peter Lorimer > > The activists' group has been backing ongoing illegal disruptions to the coal freight line and port for the past fortnight, with people charged from Singleton to Newcastle. > > "After more than 30 arrests as part of a sustained Blockade Australia mobilisation, Laura is the first to be sentenced under the harsh anti-protest laws introduced in 2022. Introduced to stifle protests in NSW, these laws faced huge backlash from activists and civil society for being anti-democratic in nature," a statement from Blockade Australia said. > > "Davy, a young person with very limited priors (only a low level good behavior bond in Tasmania) is having an appeal lodged on their behalf this afternoon. > > "Laura, like many young people, took part in the Blockade Australia mobilisation to confront the system that is putting her future in jeopardy." > > Magistrate Michael Barko handed down the sentence after Davy pleaded guilty to trespassing with a serious safety risk, and seriously disrupting a major facility. She is due to be released in October. > > A few hours before Davy and Burgess were arrested, police were called to the rail corridor connecting Sandgate and Kooragang Island where they found 29-year-old Clancey Jay Maher obstructing trains. > > Maher was charged and was also due to face court on Monday. > > Sunday's disruptions came after a 21-year-old Queensland woman was charged for obstructing trains at Farley, near Maitland.

> # Train controller sacked over safety incident on Newcastle-Sydney line > > A rail signaller who incorrectly allowed a Newcastle-bound train onto a closed track while "possibly" distracted playing online games was sacked over the incident. > > The Newcastle Herald reported on Monday that an Office of Transport Safety Investigations (OTSI) report tabled in NSW Parliament had shed light on a disturbing culture of signallers at Sydney Trains' Homebush control centre using work computers to shop and play games when they were on shift. > > The OTSI investigation followed an incident in January when the signaller allowed a train to enter a section of track at Cowan which should have been closed for maintenance, creating a "high risk of collision". > > The signaller failed to properly "protect" the track from train traffic despite giving verbal assurances to a manager that they had done so. > > A Sydney Trains spokesperson said on Wednesday that the signaller had been sacked and the organisation had "increased enforcement" for employees not complying with its internet policies. > > The Homebush manager told OTSI during the latest investigation that "after they had been made aware of the incident they observed a type of game open on the [signaller's] work computer at their workstation". > > "The screen quickly went into screensaver mode as the [manager] approached and the [manager] was not able to identify what the game was," the report said. > > A Transport for NSW IT investigation found "evidence of activity on various news, games, social media, shopping and other non-related work sites and applications" on the workstation computer but, "due to the nature of the set-up of the computer, it was not possible to assign the usage to a particular person". > > The signaller later told the manager and investigators that they had not been playing the game at the time of the incident, but the manager described to investigators a "widespread culture among signallers of using the work computer to access non-work-related applications and sites during their shift". > > The OTSI report said the signaller had failed to read documents outlining the scheduled track closures in the hours before they were implemented "possibly due to inattention or distraction caused by the use of the signaller's workstation computer for non-work-related purposes". > > The report said the signaller had been in the job for 18 years but had been involved in 16 recorded incidents between 2019 and 2023 that required coaching or other interventions. > > The most serious of these incidents had involved the routing of two freight locomotives onto a closed track in western Sydney in 2020, when the signaller failed to set protecting signals to stop. > > Asked if she had implemented new procedures to make sure signallers were focused on the job, Minister for Transport Jo Haylen said she was "pleased" Sydney Trains had investigated the incident. > > "I know Sydney Trains takes any safety incident extremely seriously, and I'm pleased they immediately launched a safety investigation into the incident," she said. > > "Safety is our top priority, and we are constantly looking at ways we can make our railway, and the people who run it, safer." > > The Sydney Trains spokesperson said the organisation had proactively reported the incident to OTSI. > > "Transport for NSW IT blocks countless non-work-related websites and are constantly looking for ways to proactively strengthen firewalls and manage internet access during work hours," the spokesperson said. > > "Sydney Trains has a policy that does not permit the use of mobile phones and devices for non-work purposes when on shift at signaller worksites and have increased enforcement for non-compliance." > > The OTSI report said 30 per cent of signallers at the Homebush control centre had received formal warnings for using personal devices, and the manager said many more had received informal warnings. > > "The [manager] advised it was common for signallers to sit sideways facing their computers rather than facing their signalling operating panel," the investigation report said. > > "The [manager] called it 'the sideways club' and explained that [managers] saw it as an indication that non-compliance was possibly occurring." > > The OTSI report noted a fatal accident at Kogarah in 2010 when a train struck a worker at a time when the signaller "may have been using a personal laptop computer ... while operating the signal panel".

> # 'You must leave': brave museum worker stands up to armed alleged terrorist > > By Jessica Brown > > Updated June 27 2024 - 10:42am, first published 8:00am > > ! > > 📷 The incident was livestreamed online and what has come to light has painted a terrifying picture of what could have been. > > A BRAVE museum worker could have made the difference between an armed assailant choosing to carry out a pre-planned alleged terrorist attack in Newcastle on Wednesday and deciding to walk away. Police, including the Joint Counter Terrorism Team, are investigating after emergency services were called to Newcastle Museum in Honeysuckle about 12.30pm to reports a man was dressed in tactical equipment and was brandishing a knife. > > The incident was livestreamed online and what has come to light has painted a terrifying picture of what could have been. > > A man can be seen in a bathroom toilet cubicle at the Civic Theatre preparing for his attack. It is understood he had circulated a manifesto detailing the reasons behind his plans. > > ! > > 📷 The man livestreamed his attempted attack online. Picture is a screenshot from that video. > > He can then be seen walking across the road, in front of the light rail, before entering the office of Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp. > > He quickly vacates the building and heads towards the museum. When he enters wearing the tactical equipment alerts were raised and one brave museum worker verbally confronts him saying "you can't walk around like that". > > As the assailant decides on his next move, museum-goers including children can be seen entering the main lobby then jumping in shock and fear. > > Again the museum worker addresses the man, "back to outside...you must leave" and a second worker can be heard saying "no knives in public spaces". > > ! > > 📷 An image from the feed that was distributing the live video of the alleged assailant. > > In the end the man chooses to leave the museum and puts down his knife as the workers lock the doors and police are called. > > Newcastle Police District officers went to the premises on Workshop Way where they arrested a 19-year-old male. > > A subsequent search saw police find a number of items which have now been seized. > > The man was taken to Newcastle police station and has now been charged with one count of other acts done in preparation for, or planning, for terrorist act, contrary to Section 101.6 of the Criminal Code Act (CTH). > > Following further inquiries, police have confirmed the existence of the document that had been circulated to a number of public figures and media outlets. > > The man, from Raymond Terrace, has been refused bail to appear before Newcastle Local Court on Thursday June 27. > > There is no ongoing threat to the community relation to this investigation. > > Inquiries are continuing. > > The Joint Counter Terrorism Team Sydney is comprised of members from the NSW Police Force, Australian Federal Police, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) and NSW Crime Commission. > > Anyone with information about extremist activity or possible threats to the community should come forward, no matter how small or insignificant you think the information may be. The National Security Hotline is 1800 123 400.

> # COVID-19, flu cases escalate in NSW > > COVID-19 cases have rapidly increased in NSW. > > NSW Health's respiratory surveillance report has recorded a 22 per cent increase in COVID-19 cases and a 30 per cent increase in influenza. > > There are currently 5220 COVID-19 cases in NSW for the week ending June 1, up from 4262 for the week ending May 25. In contrast, there were 2813 reported cases for the week ending May 11. > The worst affected areas in NSW are western Sydney with 805 cases and south western Sydney with 691 cases. > > Areas emerging as hot spots include south eastern Sydney (500 cases), Hunter New England (481 cases), Nepean Blue Mountains (298 cases), Sydney (300 cases) Central Coast (257 cases) and the Illawarra Shoalhaven (275 cases). > > COVID-19 cases by local government area (week ending June 1, 2024) > > ! > > The new COVID-19 strain includes the 'FLiRT' sublineages, including KP.2 and KP.3, which stem from JN.1, which dominated infections early this year. > > Infectious diseases physician Professor Peter Collignon said you would expect to see a spike of COVID-19 cases in winter. > > "I would expect the wave to last around six weeks," he said. "My expectation is that it won't go for the whole of winter." > > Prof. Collignon said as influenza and RSV spike during the colder months so would COVID-19. > > He urged people to take basic measures such as staying home if unwell, wearing a mask if you need to go out, getting some fresh air and staying up to date with recommended vaccinations.

> # Hunter residents 'appalled' by Gaza war stage 'die-in' > > By Anna Falkenmire > > Updated March 15 2024 - 6:10pm, first published 4:41pm > > ! > > HUNTER residents "appalled" at what they have witnessed unfolding in Gaza have conducted a "die-in" to call on the Australian government to step in. > > Newcastle and Lake Macquarie community members gathered as part of a National Day of Action on Friday at the office of Shortland MP and Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy. > > The group carried dummies of bloodied bodies shrouded in white sheets as they conducted a silent procession to the to the "horrific sounds of massacres in Gaza". > > They then lay down outside the office in a symbolic show of solidarity, spokesperson for the local group Alison Harwood said. > > "The Albanese Government is at odds with the Australian people, who are appalled with what they are witnessing in Palestine," she said. > > She said the government was not acting in a way that aligned with the cries for a ceasefire that had "resonated across the country in past months". > > The Day of Action on March 15 saw groups gather at mass "die-ins" at the offices of federal parliamentarians in Australia. > > Ms Harwood said it sent a strong message that the government needed to take more effective action against Israel. > > "We see a lot of empty gestures from this government, but no real action," she said. > > Protesters demanded the federal government call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, cut all military ties with Israel, and fulfil its obligations under the Convention to Prevent and Punish Genocide. > > A five week- long community picket at the Prime Minister's Sydney office, dubbed Little Palestine by locals, was one of the communities that joined Hunter residents today. > > A war broke out when Hamas fighters attacked Israel on October 7 last year. > > Israel then launched an air, sea and ground assault that has killed more than 31,000 Palestinians, health authorities in Hamas-run Gaza have said.

> # COVID vax rates below 10 per cent, amid booster call ahead of winter wave > > ! > > Nurse consultant Hamish McGovern giving Maggie Ralph a COVID-19 vaccine. Picture by Paul Scambler > > COVID vaccination numbers have plummeted to below 10 per cent in the Hunter, as health authorities urge people to get boosters ahead of winter. > > The summer wave of the virus has eased, but another one is expected in the cold months. > > Health authorities say the best protection against severe disease is to keep up to date with vaccinations. > > They have urged those eligible to consider a booster. > > Hunter New England Health said this week that there were "currently a total of 30 inpatients" in hospitals across the district being treated for COVID. > > This compared to 80 in the first week of January. > > "It looks like we're on the other side of the wave," public health doctor Meg Whitley said. > > "Currently COVID is circulating at moderate levels in the community. This is a really good time to start planning for winter and the next wave." > > The latest NSW Respiratory Surveillance Report, released on Thursday, said Hunter New England recorded 169 COVID cases for the week ending March 9. > > This compared to 442 cases in the January 6 report. > > These case numbers refer to people unwell enough to seek medical attention and take a PCR test. > > Dr Whitley said COVID was not the only bug circulating. > > "RSV is circulating at high levels. Influenza is at low levels," she said. > > The report said Hunter New England recorded 125 RSV cases for the week ending March 9, compared to 52 in the January 6 report. > > Hunter New England recorded 71 influenza cases for the week ending March 9, compared to 98 in the January 6 report. > > Dr Whitley said flu season was on the way, along with the latest vaccinations against the illness. > > "Vaccination is the most important way to prevent influenza and its complications," she said. > > "It is recommended for all people over the age of six months." > > She said a flu shot could be "co-administered with a COVID vaccine". > > She also reminded people to "stay home if you're sick". > > "If you really do need to go out somewhere, wear a mask and stay away from people who might be at risk. > > "Think about those around you who are vulnerable. Check in with them and see that they're doing OK." > > The latest COVID vaccination data shows only 9.9 per cent of Hunter residents 18 and over had been vaccinated in the last six months. > > The latest ATAGI advice said adults 65 and over, or those 18 to 64 who were severely immunocompromised were eligible to receive a COVID booster every six months. > > All other adults were eligible for a booster every 12 months. > > Children aged 5 to 17 who are severely immunocompromised can receive a single dose this year. > > Teenagers and children in good health do not need a booster this year "due to the low incidence of severe illness and high level of hybrid immunity among this group". > > The Guardian reported last month that two new but exceptionally rare COVID vaccine side effects - a neurological disorder and inflammation of the spinal cord - had been detected by researchers. > > The study of more than 99 million people led researchers to re-confirm that the benefits of COVID vaccines "vastly outweigh the risks".

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He's spent 31 years on Newcastle streets, now 'Pete' is reunited with family

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[Brothers reunited. Harold and Alwyn Craig. Pictures by Marina Neil.]

Harold Craig takes a deep breath as he struggles to stop his emotions getting the better of him.

He's sitting next to his brother Alwyn, whose silent, tormented presence has been a fixture on the streets of Newcastle for three decades.

True to form, Alwyn's blue eyes stare straight ahead, giving nothing away, as Harold tries to come to grips with finding the brother he thought he'd never see again.

A couple of days have passed since Harold travelled from Wollongong to Newcastle to be reunited with 75-year-old Alwyn.

He says there's one distinct difference he can see in his brother's demeanour since he last saw him, 30 years ago.

"He walks around with his head up with pride. He didn't do that last time. I noticed that very quickly," he said. "He used to walk with his head down, he didn't look at anyone. Now his head is up. To me, that's a good sign."

Until recently, Alwyn was known around the streets of inner Newcastle simply as Pete, his tattered and meandering presence an uncomfortable reminder of the rough underbelly of Australia's largest regional city.

His bedraggled appearance has become the stuff of legend and speculation.

Some say he was a judge who fell on hard times. Others believe his family was killed in a car crash. Many have tried to reach out with food, clothing and money. Most have been brushed aside. Only a select few have been able to make a connection with the city's most mysterious resident.

That changed in December, when City Sleep Safe director John Cross was able to help Alwyn, who is mostly non-verbal, to obtain a birth certificate. Since then, a series of extraordinary circumstances have led to a family reunited and a mystery solved, after three long decades.

From Wollongong to Vietnam

Brothers Alwyn and Harold Craig, with only two years between them, were thick as thieves growing up in the idyllic seaside town of Coldale, just north of Wollongong, in the 1950s.

"He was just an ordinary kid; everyone liked him. He was even an altar boy at one time," Harold said.

Alwyn, who has four brothers and two sisters, had jobs working at the local abattoir and as a train station attendant after leaving school.

In late 1968 the then 20-year-old's life changed forever when his name was drawn in the Vietnam War ballot.

After infantry training in Queensland, Private Craig served in the 6th Battalion in Vietnam between May 1969 and May 1970.

Like thousands of others, he struggled to settle back into civilian life.

[Private Alwyn Craig served in Vietnam. Picture supplied]

"He was definitely different. He didn't speak about it [the war] much. He didn't want anything to do with Anzac Day or things like that," Harold, 73, said.

"The effects [of his time in Vietnam] took some time to become apparent, but they expanded as time went on."

His family says his torment was compounded by the news his Vietnamese girlfriend, who he had hoped to bring to Australia and marry, had been murdered by the Vietcong.

Heartbreak and homelessness

Alwyn spent much of the 1970s and '80s drifting between towns and cities in NSW.

He lost touch with his family on numerous occasions but always managed to make his way back to Wollongong.

By the early 1990s, Alwyn was living in a small flat in Corrimal, near Wollongong, while undergoing counselling.

His family was hopeful this stability and support would finally help him get his life on track.

Then in April 1994 Harold got a call from the real estate agent. Alwyn had left the key in the door of the flat and shot through.

Had he seen him?, the agent inquired. He hadn't.

Somehow Harold knew his brother wouldn't be back.

"We had a bit of a hunt around for him but it was no use; he was gone," he said.

[Alwyn roaming the Hunter Street Mall in 2014. Picture by Jonathan Carroll]

"He always said he never wanted to be part of society."

For three decades his heartbroken family was left without answers.

"Everytime you talk to someone in the family they ask 'have you heard anything about Uncle Ally'," Harold said.

"It's affected the entire family, everyone asks everybody on a regular basis."

Answers found in the US

Then, a couple of weeks ago, some late night googling on the other side of the world provided the answers they were looking for.

At the same time, it solved an enduring mystery that has gripped Newcastle in recent decades.

Felicity Patrick, who had been adopted out by Alwyn's brother and girlfriend 50 years ago, was sitting in her home in Florida, USA researching her family tree.

She chanced upon a Newcastle Herald story from December 21 last year about a plea to help find the city's famous homeless man, known to many simply as "Pete", a permanent home.

[John Cross]

The story also contained details of how City Sleep Safe director John Cross had recently helped him obtain a pension and birth certificate, critically revealing Alwyn Melville Craig was born in Lithgow in 1948.

Ms Patrick messaged her cousin, Sandy Guido, Harold Craig's daughter, in Wollongong.

After three decades, Uncle Ally had been found.

He wasn't living in Sydney, as many suspected, instead, he had swapped one steel city for another.

[From left: Ken Craig, Kelly Craig, Alwyn Craig, Michelle Baker and Harold Craig in Newcastle this week. Picture by Jonathan Carroll.]

Reunion 30 years in the making

Within hours of their discovery, Alwyn's family were making plans to travel to Newcastle and reclaim their brother and uncle.

Harold was the first to arrive late last week.

Mr Cross initially introduced Harold to Alwyn as a friend and left them alone.

Without words, the brothers' bond was rekindled.

"He rarely speaks, just a nod here or there," Harold said. "It's been very emotional. Just in the past few days there have been things that have come from him that I really appreciate."

Earlier this week, other members of the family arrived in Newcastle. Among them was Alwyn's older brother Ken, who bears a striking resemblance to Alwyn.

"[Seeing Alwyn] brought tears to my eyes, put it that way," he said.

"I'd love to catch up with him again. I know I will one day."

Like others, Ken confirmed Alwyn changed after coming home from Vietnam.

During their visit, the Craig family also met and thanked some of the key individuals who interact with Alwyn on a daily basis.

[Alwyn Craig with Newcastle French Bread House owner Lika Ly. Picture by Simone De Peak.]

Lika Ly owns the Newcastle French Bread House in Hunter Street. For the past 15 years, Alwyn, who she knows as "Chris", has been her special customer.

"He just sits out the front of the shop even if he doesn't buy a coffee. He's very quiet, he never talks," Ms Ly said.

But the passage of time has seen an unspoken rapport evolve.

"He always pays for his coffee. Sometimes the customers want to pay for him but he still puts his money on the counter. If I don't take the money he will never come back. So I take $2 for the big coffee," she said.

"Sometimes we give him an egg and bacon roll but we have to ask him first. If you say 'Chris, you feel like an egg and bacon roll today?' and he says 'yes' you can bring it out. But if you just make it and bring it out he won't eat it."

There are others in the background who also play a role in sustaining Alwyn.

They include local resident Ruth, who gives Ms Ly $50 every month as a gesture of thanks for looking after Alwyn.

The path forward

A lot has changed in the past few weeks since Alwyn was "discovered".

Multiple discussions are under way about how he can be best supported moving forward. But after surviving on the streets for 30 years, how can he be expected to live a normal lifestyle?

"I'd like to see him come back home but I don't think that's going to happen," Ken Craig said.

The bus is my home and his (Alwyn's) home is that shop doorway. It's going to be very difficult to convince him to give up his entire life for the past 30 years. \- Harold Craig

Harold Craig agrees.

"I love him dearly but it's knocking the shit out of me knowing I can't just take him by the hand and say let's go. You can't do it, it's not reality," he said.

"We'd all like to march him into a spa bath and shower him with champagne. Movies are like that but life's not."

[Alwyn and Harold Cross outside Newcastle Post Office this week. Picture by Marina Neil.]

Unable to afford a place to rent, Harold has recently resorted to living in a bus. He is supported by his family, who paid for the fuel to travel to Newcastle.

He says he relates to his brother's daily routine and its role in his survival.

"He has his routine every day and I have mine. I live local [in Wollongong] and there's one spot where I go back to every day and he has got his spot where he goes back to every day to sleep," he said.

"I have been living in my bus now for six months now and I've got to the point where I don't like going into houses. The bus is my home and his (Alwyn's) home is that shop doorway. It's going to be very difficult to convince him to give up his entire life for the past 30 years."

Pain resurfacing

It's also likely that changes to Alwyn's lifestyle would require him to re-engage in some way with his past and the pain that lies there.

Former Newcastle Vietnam Veterans Association president Stephen Finney said many Vietnam veterans were haunted by mental health challenges linked to their military service.

"A lot of them didn't want to be there. They were shit-scared for the 12 months they were there and when they came home nobody recognised them as servicemen," Mr Finney said.

"The RSLs (clubs) didn't want to know us. It was awful trying to fit back into society.

"You couldn't talk to anybody about it because you didn't know what sort of reaction you were going to get from the person you were talking to.

"The experience drove a lot of people into holes and solitude."

Having been alerted to his presence in Newcastle, RSL Lifecare sent a representative to meet Alwyn, Mr Cross and Harold this week to discuss future support options, including housing.

[Newcastle RSL sub-branch president Ken Fayle. Picture by Max Mason Hubers]

Newcastle RSL sub branch president Ken Fayle said it was overwhelming to learn Alywn had been living unrecognised in the Newcastle community for 30 years.

"Every Vietnam Vet feels for Pete," he said.

"There were so many guys who knew of him but they didn't know anything about him.

"When we know what we can do, we will help."

The one person who probably knows Alwyn better than anyone, John Cross, said he was optimistic the events of the past fortnight would be good for his friend.

"He's a really nice fella, you can see he doesn't get too excited but he's watching everything that is going on," he said.

"We all want the best for him, but ultimately what that looks like will be up to him."