The Hunter Valley of New South Wales
Go to map of the Hunter Valley Wineries
The Hunter Valley is a region north east of Sydney including the towns of Scone, Muswellbrook, Singleton, Cessnock, Maitland and Newcastle. From Sydney it is reached by either the Freeway to Newcastle and then along the New England Highway, or by taking the "Putty Rd", Highway 69 from Sydney through Windsor and over Howe's Mountain to Singleton. The Valley is best described as having two distinct parts, the Lower Hunter and the Upper Hunter. The Lower Hunter begins just beyond Newcastle at Raymond Terrace and extends north-west to Singleton. It includes the coastal towns of Anna Bay and Nelson Bay. The area was settled by the Scots in the decade of the 1820s when a system of free land grants was in operation, one condition being the improvement of the grants. Most turned to agriculture, and in particular, vineyards. Today the Hunter Valley is recognised as among the finest producers of wines in Australia with dozens of wineries in the region.
There are many places to visit in the Hunter Valley. Follow these links for individual information on towns: Newcastle |Muswellbrook | The Mid North