If you want to live near the University of Newcastle, there are plenty of great suburbs nearby. Ranked in the top 1% of unis worldwide, students at UoN receive some of the best education on the planet.

Read on to discover some of the best areas to live near this Australian powerhouse.

Callaghan

The University of Newcastle’s main campus is in Callaghan and the uni takes up most of the real estate in this suburb. If you’re a student looking to rent and you don’t want a huge commute, the student accommodation on site may be your best option.

If you don’t qualify for that or you want something a little bit different, there aren’t too many other options in Callaghan itself, especially if you want to buy. Owners tend to hold onto property because they’re guaranteed a tenant every year and there’s very little space to build new homes, although some townhouses are currently under construction on University Drive.

Birmingham Gardens

Historically one of the most student-friendly suburbs in Newcastle, Birmingham Gardens is less than a 15-minute walk from the centre of the uni campus – meaning you don’t need to buy a car (or worry about the nightmare of parking at the uni).

Because of the high demand of student renters in this suburb, Birmingham Gardens is a great choice for people looking to invest in a property and get constant income from the home.

Mayfield

Mayfield (including Mayfield East, North and West) are also student-friendly suburbs thanks to their lower rental prices than most of the city. Although too far to walk to classes, there are plenty of public buses between Mayfield and the Callaghan campus.

Mayfield is slightly closer to the CBD than the previous suburbs, meaning you can get to the City Campus more easily, but also the beaches and the prime areas like Beaumont and Darby Street. Mayfield itself has lots of appeal, including a shopping centre, one of Newy’s best cafes (Equium Social) and live music venues (The Stag and Hunter).

Warabrook

As mentioned above, Warabrook Station is right on the outskirts of Callaghan suburb. The rest of Warabrook leads away from the uni, but most spots are still easily walkable. The median house is valued at $980,000 – meaning it’s not quite part of Newcastle’s million dollar club – and investors have been finding a great return on investment.

For people moving to the area, Warabrook is one of Newcastle’s underrated gems. With just 2000 residents, there’s a small community feel to the suburb and with the Hunter Wetlands next door, it’s also one of Newy’s greener spaces.

Georgetown and Waratah

Closer to the heart of Newcastle, the neighbouring suburbs of Georgetown and Waratah are popular with students, families and everything in between. If you’re looking to rent, there are plenty of options, and if you’re lookin gto invest there are always willing renters.

As a more central location, there’s a greater variety of stores, including the shopping village at Waratah with Kmart, Coles and more.

Public transport to University of Newcastle

You don’t necessarily need to live close to the campus to be able to get there quickly. There are plenty of public transport options that can get you to the Callaghan campus reliably:

Trains

Warabrook Station is right by UoN. It’s just a ten-minute walk into the heart of the campus and to your lectures. The uni has a series of features like Smart Paths and an after-dark Safe Walk Service to help students out.

Buses

There are three bus routes that go to the Callaghan campus: 11, 24 and 27. These connect you with quite a few suburbs across the city, include:

• 11: Charlestown to Newcastle, via the likes of Kotara, Mayfield and Islington.
• 24: Wallsend to Newcastle West, via the likes of Jesmond, Waratah and Carrington.
• 27: Wallsend to Broadmeadow, via the likes of Birmingham Gardens, Georgetown and Lambton.

Shuttle Services

A free shuttle service connects the uni campuses at Callaghan, Newcastle and the Q Building at Honeysuckle.

There are 10 stops at all, many within Callaghan, but also at spots like Marketown.

Moving to study in Newcastle

If you’re moving to Newcastle to study (or work) at the uni, it pays to be close to where you need to be. The uni has put together a guide to help you settle in the city and we’re here to help you get finance if you’re looking to buy.