Hunter Valley Attractions

The Hunter Valley, the largest expanse of lowlands in the coastal regions of New South Wales, was discovered around 1819 and, with its fertile arable land and good grazing, was soon settled. The prosperity of the area depends on coal. The town's old houses and mansions have changed little since the 19th C. On the lower course of the Hunter River are a number of semi-derelict river ports.

History

Around 1804 the convict settlement of Coal River, near Newcastle, was established to work the rich deposits of coal under the green grazing land.

Before the construction of a steelworks in 1915 the export of coal was Newcastle's main source of income, and the area became known as the 'Ruhr of New South Wales'. Extensive opencast mining operations, still continuing and planned for the future, have increasingly eaten up the agricultural land.