Robert Virtue
Robert joined the ABC as a producer and journalist at its Wollongong-based radio station in 2011. In the years since, he has worked as a news and multimedia journalist in a number of the ABC's NSW offices, including Bega, Orange and Dubbo. Robert is currently the multimedia reporter for 1233 ABC Newcastle and ABC Upper Hunter, and produces feature stories for online, radio and television.
Follow Robert on Twitter: @Rob_Virtue
Young mothers training program expanding and changing lives in Kurri Kurri
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A training program for young mother's is having huge success in Kurri Kurri.
Topics: parenting, adult-education, access-to-education, kurri-kurri-2327
Amateur craft beer judging on the rise in renowned Hunter Valley wine region
Posted
The Hunter region's increasing interest in craft beer is resulting in more people wanting to become accredited judges.
Topics: alcohol, lifestyle-and-leisure, education, newcastle-2300
Maitland woman spending a year dressed as Marie Antoinette
Posted
A Maitland woman is going to extraordinary lengths to better her community and get residents talking about the city's potential.
Topics: people, human-interest, offbeat, maitland-2320
Newcastle school teaching students how to fly drones as part of the curriculum
Posted
A school in Newcastle is teaching students how to fly drones as part of the curriculum.
Topics: photography, film-movies, surfing, education, subjects, community-and-society, youth, merewether-2291, jesmond-2299
Hunter Valley farmer buying feed and water as dry conditions bite
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A Hunter Valley farmer is now running out of feed and water due to dry weather, months after the dairy price wars.
Topics: drought, rainfall, rural, agricultural-crops, dairy-production, livestock, east-gresford-2311, newcastle-2300, nsw
Community heritage groups at risk of becoming history
Posted
With the rise of online resources for people to delve into history from the comfort of their own homes, there is concern historical groups could eventually become a thing of the past.
Topics: historians, history, community-and-society, internet-technology, community-organisations, lemon-tree-passage-2319, newcastle-2300
Fears hay stocks could run low into winter in Hunter Valley
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There is concern in the NSW Hunter Valley that hay supplies could run low into winter if good rain does not fall across the region soon.
Topics: rural, pasture, rainfall, weather, drought, dungog-2420, forbes-2871, newcastle-2300
Newcastle woman passionate about encouraging female leaders
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Despite a series of challenges in her life, Newcastle woman Lee-Anne Holmes has learnt to embrace challenges and thrive as a leader.
Topics: leadership, community-and-society, women, newcastle-2300
Young people pitch ideas for change at Heywire Summit
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Young regional Australians pitch their ideas for change at the Heywire Regional Youth Summit in Canberra.
Topics: rural-youth, rural, canberra-2600
Young Australians at Heywire Summit debate access to education in regional areas
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Young people discuss whether regional schools can give country students the same opportunities as their city cousins.
Topics: access-to-education, education, rural-youth, rural, canberra-2600
Heywire: Young regional Australians ready to tackle major issues at summit
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From Borroloola in the NT to Penguin in Tasmania, 41 young Australians are converging on Canberra for the annual ABC Heywire Regional Youth Summit.
Topics: rural-youth, rural, community-and-society, youth, canberra-2600, austinmer-2515, alice-springs-0870, launceston-7250
Morpeth man breathes fresh life into priceless artistic treasures
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A Morpeth man celebrates more than 25 years working to preserve precious pieces of art and paper.
Topics: visual-art, arts-and-entertainment, work, community-and-society, morpeth-2321
Newcastle boy with albinism ready to teach new friends about his condition
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A boy with albinism is planning to teach his new friends about the condition when he starts high school.
Topics: secondary-schools, schools, education, children, newcastle-2300
Newcastle's Neeti Pandya devotes herself to fundraising after death of her son
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A Newcastle woman takes a leading role in fundraising for the community after the death of her son.
Topics: brain-and-nervous-system, diseases-and-disorders, children, child-health-and-behaviour, disabilities, charities-and-community-organisations, people, human-interest, newcastle-2300
Children encouraged to get creative with Cardboard Box Challenge
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A project in Newcastle encourages children to put down their fancy toys and technology devices, and embrace playing with cardboard boxes and craft supplies.
Topics: craft, children, parenting, family-and-children, newcastle-2300
Hunter Valley bushfire survivor describes how a 'fireball' threatened his home
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Survivors of a large bushfire in the NSW Hunter Valley are cleaning up after the blaze.
Topics: bushfire, fires, disasters-and-accidents, loxford-2326, kurri-kurri-2327, heddon-greta-2321
Community visitor program expanding to better support older people
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A program helping reduce loneliness among older people in Newcastle is expanding.
Topics: aged-care, community-and-society, community-organisations, volunteers, wallsend-2287
Art project helping families affected by suicide
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There are hopes to grow an art project assisting families affected by suicide.
Topics: suicide, community-and-society, newcastle-2300, largs-2320
Hunter region well poised to become filmmaking hub, says local director
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The Hunter region is becoming increasingly attractive for filmmakers to work in, according to one local director.
Topics: film, film-movies, newcastle-west-2302
Newcastle doctor Neville Rothfield retires aged in his mid-90s
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A Newcastle doctor retires aged almost 95, after over seven decades in medicine.
Topics: doctors-and-medical-professionals, health, work, community-and-society, broadmeadow-2292
Seniors exercise class creating collaboration between cultures in Newcastle
Posted
An exercise program for seniors of multicultural backgrounds is having big success in keeping people in their homes for longer.
Topics: aged-care, community-and-society, exercise-and-fitness, women, older-people, health, waratah-2298, newcastle-2300, egypt
Newcastle student set to learn from leading Shakespearean performers
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A Newcastle school student has won a scholarship to learn from some of Australia's leading Shakespearean actors.
Topics: actor, arts-and-entertainment, community-and-society, youth, education, schools, theatre, hamilton-east-2303, uganda, sydney-2000
Family affected twice by breast cancer raising awareness of the disease
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A Newcastle family twice impacted by breast cancer is fundraising to better support others affected by the disease.
Topics: breast-cancer, diseases-and-disorders, health, women, community-and-society, family-and-children, newcastle-2300, nsw
Community garden encourages a celebration of culture
Posted
A community garden in Newcastle helps people from different cultures seek support.
Topics: multiculturalism, gardening, waratah-2298
Empowering prominent people to stand up against domestic violence
Posted
Former Newcastle Knights player Clint Newton is standing up against domestic violence as a White Ribbon Day ambassador.
Topics: domestic-violence, community-and-society, newcastle-2300
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