Agape in the Hunter
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Description WHAT IS AGAPE?In ancient Greek culture, agape is seen as one of the highest forms of love. It is selfless, unconditional and requires nothing in return. Unlike other loves, it rises above personal desire and centres on the wellbeing of others. It extends to all people, including strangers and communities across the world.
Agape is expressed through acts of compassion, altruism, and service to others. It is the love that asks, "What do we owe each other?" and answers through action. Agape is expressed in many ways. It shows up in big actions and small ones. In charity, volunteering, and activism. In the choice to help, to listen, to stand together for something larger than ourselves. It is the love that shows up when it matters most.
AGAPE AND THE HUNTER REGION
From the 1955 Maitland Flood to the 1989 Newcastle Earthquake, from university students demanding change to volunteers staffing hospitals, from emergency workers to neighbours helping neighbours, these photographs and objects tell the stories of people choosing each other.
Agape is the love that rises above difference. In these moments of crisis and courage, differences fall away. What remains is humanity. People picking up tools to help, standing together for a cause larger than themselves, giving time and energy without recognition or reward.
This display is an invitation to see love not as romantic, but as action. To recognise it in the ordinary gestures of extraordinary communities. To feel part of a place where people have always come together when it mattered. Whether you call this home, or you are discovering it for the first time, these stories are yours too.
Agape reminds us that compassion is one of love's most enduring forms. It is the love that shows up when it is needed most, and the love that persists even when no one is watching. It is the antidote to division. It is proof that we are capable of so much more.
LEARN MORE
These stories are part of the University of Newcastle's Special Collections and Archives. Explore the full Agape in the Hunter collection online and learn about the people, events, and moments that shaped our community.
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About Originals
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Agape in the Hunter. Living Histories, accessed 05/06/2026, https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/119720