The Hunter Valley, 90 minutes drive north of Sydney, was largely developed through the efforts of agriculturists. Settlement in the area was tied to the development of Australia's wine industry, and the district has been winning medals in overseas competitions for over a century.

The Hunter is renowned for its award winning wines - especially chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon and pinot noir styles - and today Hunter Valley Wine Country is one of Australia's most widely visited wine producing regions.

The Hunter is often referred to as Sydney's playground, and while maintaining its position as the producer of some of Australia's finest wines, the Hunter has broadened its outlook, offering a limitless range of activities and delights for visitors with a range of interests.

The Hunter region was developed on two fronts; first through travel inland from the port of Newcastle, following Lieutenant Shortland's discovery of the Hunter River, and later through the discoveries of John Howe who in 1829 travelled overland from Windsor in the west of Sydney to the Singleton district north of the Hunter Valley.

It was Major Morisset's first overland journey from Newcastle to Sydney in 1823 that established overland travel from Sydney into the Hunter, and by 1826 the Hunter Valley area was opened up to settlement with the construction of The Great North Road.

The first significant numbers of settlers arrived in the Hunter in the 1820s, opening the area up to mixed farm holdings. It was during this time that the Hunter began to develop as Australia's premier wine producing district.

James Busby is generally credited as being the founder of winemaking in the Hunter, though his main influence was that of a teacher and theoretician. Before leaving Scotland, Busby had become convinced of the potential for viticulture in the colony and spent some months studying viticulture and winemaking in France.

On May 8, 1824 Busby took possession of 2000 acres on the Hunter River which he had named Kirkton after his birthplace, and this estate was one of many later to become known for its superb wines.

On his arrival in Sydney, Busby had been teaching viticulture in an Orphan School at Bull's Head near present-day Liverpool. Busby had organised an agricultural institute and had taken control of 12,300 acres; here he planted a vineyard which later produced quality wines.

Leaving the school project, Busby continued to publish works on viticulture, and used his works to promote viticulture and the moderate use of table wine over the consumption of spirits such as rum.

In 1831 Busby returned to Britain, and to tour the wine producing areas of France and Spain. His intention was to collect samples of different vines to test their qualities and suitability for propagation in Sydney.

In 1832 Busby's cuttings were packed in cases of moss and shipped to Australia. Vines were planted in Sydney's Botanic Gardens and on Busby's Kirkton estate; other plantings were made in Camden and in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens.

Busby's efforts were not fully appreciated, and many of the vines were neglected and subsequently lost; but his publications and collections of vines were of central importance to the development of the wine industry in Australia.

Busby left Australia for New Zealand in 1833, but by that time there were over twenty acres under vine in the Hunter Valley. In 1843 the Hunter had 262 acres of vine and was producing 16,472 gallons of wine, and 140 gallons of brandy.

In 1847 the British government allowed non-British immigration to the colony, and as a result trained European labourers could be employed. Following consultation with the Hunter vine growers, two groups of German vine dressers were employed in the region, their skills greatly improving wine production in the Hunter.

By 1850 there were 32 vine growers in the Hunter Valley with around 500 acres of land under vine. By 1852 the Hunter had 461 acres of vines planted, and was producing 59,000 gallons of wine and 1,100 gallons of brandy. Some of the region's successful vineyards were those of John Wyndham's "Dalwood", James King's "Irrawang" and Dr Henry John Lindeman's "Cawarra".

It was at this time that a new wave of plantings began, and with the introduction of the Land act in 1861 - allowing settlers to pay one pound an acre for selections between 40 and 320 acres - vineyards sprang up all over the Pokolbin area.

One of the early settlers in the district was John McDonald, who built a house and winery at "Ben Ean" in 1870. Another of the district's vineyard properties was the 200 acre "Daisy Hill" owned by George Campbell. Many of these early vignerons have faded into obscurity, but it was around this time that some of the familiar Hunter names began to appear including Tyrrell, Drayton, Tulloch and Elliot.

Today there are over 50 wineries offering their produce to prospective buyers for tasting and sale, and while many visitors see wine tasting as the most exciting feature of the Hunter Valley Wine Country, the region has more to offer in terms of relaxation and activity.

Though the Hunter provides visitors with an exciting day trip, the area can only truly be enjoyed over a few days. Within the Valley there are accommodations to suite all tastes and budgets, from traditional country pubs, cabins and cottages to country style mansions and luxury guest houses - all providing visitors with a base from which to explore the diverse attractions the Hunter Valley Wine Country has to offer.


There are an abundance of attractions in the Hunter Valley Wine Country, and eating here is a gastronomic delight ! Explore the following links to find out where to go, and what to see.

Natural Attractions
Historic Attractions
Galleries and Museums
Leisure Activities
General Attractions

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