The Australian Customs and Border Protection Service handed over the clock, and also donated scrapbooks to the Newcastle Library which contain newspaper clippings relating to the service's work.
Nick Gerber from 1233 ABC Newcastle spoke to the history officer with Australian Customs, Kerry Hannan. (listen to attached audio)
"Customs House was considerably damaged during the earthquake and the clock, which is an ordinary office clock, standard office clock, fell off the wall and stopped at 27 past 10," Kerry says.
The clock has since been sitting in the Customs collection in Canberra.
"It's better here, on display," he says.
Museum deputy director, Julie Baird, says the objects have social and historical significance for Newcastle.
"The museum recognises that the 1989 earthquake was a very significant event in our city's history but we do not have many objects to tell this story," she says.
Customs has a long history in Newcastle, with the Naval Office carrying out customs duties in the area as early as 1804.
The Customs administration was first established in 1828 and was housed at various locations until the current building was built and occupied in 1877.
Its distinguishing features were a clock in the tower and a time ball. When the clock fell off the building during the 1989 earthquake it marked the end of an era, as Customs was never to reside in the building again.
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