Photos that defined 2022: How our award winning photographers saw the year

Olha Pokhmurska spent the first 13 of her 26 years in her native Ukraine, after which she migrated to Newcastle with her family. Picture by Max Mason-Hubers

Then Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce captured during a visit to Singleton engineering firm Nivek Industries with Nationals candidate James Thompson during this year's election. Picture by Max Mason-Hubers

Newcastle ocean swimmer Craig Clarke in preparation before heading overseas to swim the English Channel. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers

Newcastle's Latino community celebrated Dia De Muertos with a party hosted by Luisa Perez Mujica in her Mayfield East home. Picture by Max Mason-Hubers

Fennell Bay's Sandra Houghton says life on the age pension is "downright difficult". Ms Houghton, 78, is struggling with rising food and electricity prices. She rents her house and is living with several health conditions. She is pictured here with her elderly Maltese Terrier Smokey. Picture by Max Mason-Hubers

Newcastle's Beka Mikeltadze celebrates scoring a goal in today's A-League soccer match between Newcastle Jets and Perth Glory at McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle. Picture by Max Mason-Hubers

Performers wait outside for their next call during final rehearsals for Starstruck 2022 at Newcastle Entertainment Centre. Picture by Max Mason-Hubers

A swimmer in the 700 metre Australia Day Newcastle Harbour Swim rinses off on January 26, 2022. Picture by Max Mason-Hubers

Newcastle Knights NRLW players celebrate with supporters at NEX Club in Newcastle after taking victory in the 2022 premiership. Millie Boyle is pictured here, cheering for the assembled crowd as the bus arrives. Picture by Max Mason-Hubers

A man walks his dog along Stockton Beach past sand and driftwood and debris washed over the dunes by powerful waves. The water reached almost to the street at Eames Ave. The coast has been battered by yet another week of heavy swell from storms. Picture by Max Mason-Hubers

Gerard McDonald and Scott Hallett are friends and fellow survivors of now deceased peadophile priest Vincent Ryan. They are pictured here at Scott's house in Kotara in May, 2022. Picture by Max Mason-Hubers

Scenes from the A-League soccer match between Newcastle Jets and Perth Glory at McDonald Jones Stadium in April. Picture by Max Mason-Hubers

Scenes of Halloween in the Hunter 2022. Picture by Simone De Peak

Artist Dale Frank who has a dry garden containing many cactus & palms sprawling over 25 acres at Hambledon Hill, near Singleton. Picture by Simone De Peak

The joys of fast food. Picture by Simone De Peak

Teacher Sharna Beatty pictured at a NSW Teachers Federation and Independent Education Union teachers strike in Civic Park Newcastle. Picture by Simone De Peak

Scenes of historic flooding across the Hunter in 2022. Picture by Simone De Peak

Ian Johnson, pictured here on his family's 1967 Camaro, has worn his mullet for around three years and has been part of Mulletfest since it began. Pictures Simone De Peak

Lucy Goodman of Kare Kanine walking Max the dog in the rain along Warners Bay Foreshore during relentless wet weather in July. Picture by Simone De Peak

A massive fire rips through the former Wool Store at Islington in Newcastle in 2022. Picture by Simone De Peak

Wrestlers "The Chief" Rig and defending Heavy Weight Champion Carter Deams out the front of Newcastle City Hall. They competed for the Heavyweight Championship at the Steel City Showdown at Newcastle City Hall on July 15. Picture by Simone De Peak

The evening the world learned Queen Elizabeth II had died. Picture by Simone De Peak

Ted Anderson of Newcastle who served in Vietnam pictured at Nobbys Beach at dawn on Anzac Day. Picture by Simone De Peak

Scenes of 2022 from Newcastle Herald head photographer Simone De Peak.

Scenes of Halloween in the Hunter 2022. Picture by Simone De Peak

The joys of fast food. Picture by Simone De Peak

Artist Dale Frank who has a dry garden containing many cactus & palms sprawling over 25 acres at Hambledon Hill, near Singleton. Picture by Simone De Peak

Teacher Sharna Beatty pictured at a NSW Teachers Federation and Independent Education Union teachers strike in Civic Park Newcastle. Picture by Simone De Peak

Wrestlers "The Chief" Rig and defending Heavy Weight Champion Carter Deams out the front of Newcastle City Hall. They competed for the Heavyweight Championship at the Steel City Showdown at Newcastle City Hall on July 15. Picture by Simone De Peak

The evening the world learned Queen Elizabeth II had died. Picture by Simone De Peak

Ian Johnson, pictured here on his family's 1967 Camaro, has worn his mullet for around three years and has been part of Mulletfest since it began. Pictures Simone De Peak

Lucy Goodman of Kare Kanine walking Max the dog in the rain along Warners Bay Foreshore during relentless wet weather in July. Picture by Simone De Peak

Scenes of historic flooding across the Hunter in 2022. Picture by Simone De Peak

A massive fire rips through the former Wool Store at Islington in Newcastle in 2022. Picture by Simone De Peak

Ted Anderson of Newcastle who served in Vietnam pictured at Nobbys Beach at dawn on Anzac Day. Picture by Simone De Peak

Scenes of 2022 from Newcastle Herald head photographer Simone De Peak.

A swimmer in the 700 metre Australia Day Newcastle Harbour Swim rinses off on January 26, 2022. Picture by Max Mason-Hubers

Newcastle ocean swimmer Craig Clarke in preparation before heading overseas to swim the English Channel. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers

Newcastle's Latino community celebrated Dia De Muertos with a party hosted by Luisa Perez Mujica in her Mayfield East home. Picture by Max Mason-Hubers

Fennell Bay's Sandra Houghton says life on the age pension is "downright difficult". Ms Houghton, 78, is struggling with rising food and electricity prices. She rents her house and is living with several health conditions. She is pictured here with her elderly Maltese Terrier Smokey. Picture by Max Mason-Hubers

Newcastle's Beka Mikeltadze celebrates scoring a goal in today's A-League soccer match between Newcastle Jets and Perth Glory at McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle. Picture by Max Mason-Hubers

Performers wait outside for their next call during final rehearsals for Starstruck 2022 at Newcastle Entertainment Centre. Picture by Max Mason-Hubers

A man walks his dog along Stockton Beach past sand and driftwood and debris washed over the dunes by powerful waves. The water reached almost to the street at Eames Ave. The coast has been battered by yet another week of heavy swell from storms. Picture by Max Mason-Hubers

Newcastle Knights NRLW players celebrate with supporters at NEX Club in Newcastle after taking victory in the 2022 premiership. Millie Boyle is pictured here, cheering for the assembled crowd as the bus arrives. Picture by Max Mason-Hubers

Gerard McDonald and Scott Hallett are friends and fellow survivors of now deceased peadophile priest Vincent Ryan. They are pictured here at Scott's house in Kotara in May, 2022. Picture by Max Mason-Hubers

Scenes from the A-League soccer match between Newcastle Jets and Perth Glory at McDonald Jones Stadium in April. Picture by Max Mason-Hubers

Olha Pokhmurska spent the first 13 of her 26 years in her native Ukraine, after which she migrated to Newcastle with her family. Picture by Max Mason-Hubers

Then Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce captured during a visit to Singleton engineering firm Nivek Industries with Nationals candidate James Thompson during this year's election. Picture by Max Mason-Hubers