The Ridge, Newcastle The Ridge, Newcastle The Ridge is a heritage-listed residence and former hospital at 21 Hillcrest Road, Merewether, New South Wales, Australia. It was also known as Hillcrest Hospital. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999. The Ridge was built in 1861 by Edward Christopher Merewether, who had arrived in Newcastle as the General Superintendent of the Australian Agricultural Company, and his wife, whose family owned two land grants in the area now known as Merewether. It was later used as a hospital by the Salvation Army but fell into disuse by the
Newcastle, New South Wales Conservatorium of Music which is part of the University of Newcastle. It continues to support local bands and has a large underground music scene. The members of Silverchair, the highly successful Australian band, hail from Newcastle, as does the Australian band The Screaming Jets. It has a fertile punk rock and hardcore scene, which has spawned successful local acts and national acts. Newcastle was also home to the short-lived band Velvet Underground which featured future AC/DC guitarist Malcolm Young. Notable modernist artists associated with Newcastle are seascape sketcher Shay Docking (1928–1998), the cubist influenced abstract painter William Rose (1929–1999), landscape