70-849: Hunter Water is a state owned corporation providing drinking water, wastewater, recycled water and some stormwater services to 500,000 people in the Lower Hunter Region in New South Wales , Australia. It was formed in 1892, when the Hunter District Water Supply and Sewerage Board was founded, and was later known as the Hunter District Water Board between 1938 and 1992. Hunter Water supplies its customers with water sourced from Chichester Dam located north of Dungog and Grahamstown Dam located east of Raymond Terrace . It also utilises water from underground aquifers at
140-528: A longboat and two cutters up the coast to sound the entrance and examine Cook's Port Jackson. Phillip first stayed overnight at Camp Cove , just inside the South Head, then moved up the harbour, landing at Sydney Cove and then Manly Cove, before returning to Botany Bay on the afternoon of 24 January. Phillip returned to Sydney Cove in HM Armed Tender Supply on 26 January 1788, where he established
210-588: A great deal of work focused on habitat restoration and restoring the biodiversity of the harbour, including a major program called the Sydney Harbour Research Program around 2012, led by Emma Johnston . Project Restore is an ongoing large-scale project by SIMS and its partner universities that aims to restore different habitat types at the same time, to restore seascapes in Sydney Harbour. It encompasses four projects already under way, including
280-631: A large number of vineyards , restaurants, shops, golf courses and country guesthouses. Other parts of the valley including the Wollombi Valley and Broke Fordwich subregion are also well known for wine, along with the Upper Hunter Valley . The main town in the Upper Hunter Valley subregion is Muswellbrook . For the purposes of Australian federal elections for the House of Representatives ,
350-795: A much larger fleet than would probably ever seek for shelter or security in it." Royal Navy officer David Blackburn also described it as a "fine Harbour as Any in the World, with water for any Number of the Largest ships." The Great White Fleet , the United States Navy battle fleet, arrived in Port Jackson in August 1908 by order of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt . From 1938, seaplanes landed in Sydney Harbour on Rose Bay , making this Sydney's first international airport. In 1942, to protect Sydney Harbour from
420-643: A referendum on Hunter Valley statehood by 2030. Chapter VI of the Constitution of Australia allows new states to be formed, but only with the consent of the Parliament of the state in question. Port Jackson Port Jackson , commonly known as Sydney Harbour , consists of the waters of Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour , North Harbour and the Lane Cove and Parramatta Rivers, is the ria or natural harbour of Sydney , New South Wales , Australia . The harbour
490-628: A service to or from private wharfs and houses on the waterfront. Sightseeing harbour cruises are operated daily from Circular Quay. Whale watching excursions are also operated from Port Jackson. The Mortlake Ferry , also known as the Putney Punt, crosses the Parramatta River, connecting Mortlake and Putney. Australian National Maritime Museum , at Darling Harbour , has themed exhibitions ranging from Indigenous lore and European seafaring to aquatic sport and maritime defence. Sydney Heritage Fleet
560-462: A small island located north-east of the Royal Botanic Garden in Sydney Harbour. There are fortifications at Sydney Heads and elsewhere, some of which are now heritage listed. The earliest date from the 1830s, and were designed to defend Sydney from seaborn attack or convict uprisings. There are four historical fortifications located between Taronga Zoo and Middle Head, Mosman , they are:
630-472: A submarine attack, the Sydney Harbour anti-submarine boom net was constructed. It spanned the harbour from Green (Laings) Point, Watsons Bay to the battery at Georges Head , on the other side of the harbour. On the night of 31 May 1942, three Japanese midget submarines entered the harbour, one of which became entangled in the western end of the boom net's central section. Unable to free their submarine,
700-690: Is Sydney's last remaining deepwater port able to supply the City's ongoing demand for dry bulk goods such as sugar, gypsum and cement. Most of Sydney's port infrastructure has moved south to Botany Bay since the construction of the first container terminals there in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Former: Current: Sydney Ferries operate services from Circular Quay to Cockatoo Island , Double Bay , Manly , Mosman , Neutral Bay , Parramatta , Pyrmont Bay , Taronga Zoo and Watsons Bay . Water taxi and water limousine operators offer transport not restricted by timetables or specific routes, and can also provide
770-524: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Hunter Region The Hunter Region , also commonly known as the Hunter Valley , Newcastle Region , or simply Hunter , is a region in northern New South Wales , Australia, extending from approximately 162 km (101 mi) to 310 km (193 mi) north of Sydney . It contains the Hunter River and its tributaries with highland areas to
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#1733093995245840-562: Is a drowned river valley, or ria . It is 19 km long with an area of 55 km . The estuary's volume at high tide is 562 million cubic metres. The perimeter of the estuary is 317 kilometres. According to the Geographical Names Board of New South Wales , Port Jackson is "a harbour which comprises all the waters within an imaginary line joining North Head and South Head. Within this harbour lies North Harbour, Middle Harbour and Sydney Harbour." Port Jackson extends westward from
910-551: Is a largely volunteer organisation dedicated to the restoration and operation of heritage vessels. The barque James Craig of the SHF sails regularly from Port Jackson. RAN Heritage Centre at Garden Island has many exhibits, artefacts and documents relating to the history of the Royal Australian Navy. Port Jackson is associated with the voyages of Richard Siddins . The Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS) has done
980-885: Is an inlet of the Tasman Sea (part of the South Pacific Ocean ). It is the location of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge . The location of the first European settlement and colony on the Australian mainland, Port Jackson has continued to play a key role in the history and development of Sydney. Port Jackson, in the early days of the colony, was also used as a shorthand for Sydney and its environs. Thus, many botanists, see, e.g., Robert Brown 's Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen , described their specimens as having been collected at Port Jackson. Many recreational events are based on or around
1050-873: Is bridged from north to south by the Sydney Harbour Bridge , the Gladesville Bridge , the Ryde Bridge , and the Silverwater Bridge . Other bridges spanning Port Jackson waterways are Pyrmont Bridge spanning Darling Harbour; the Anzac Bridge (formerly known as the Glebe Island Bridge), spanning Blackwattle Bay; the Iron Cove Bridge spanning Iron Cove ; the Spit Bridge spanning Middle Harbour;
1120-623: Is located within a lighthouse just south of Georges Head at Georges Heights in Mosman and is adjacent to the suburbs of Vaucluse , Point Piper and Watsons Bay , which are on Port Jackson's east side towards the Pacific Ocean. Sydney Cove , a bay in Port Jackson's west side that includes Circular Quay , is more proximate to the Observatory Hill weather station, and therefore the climate data below does not apply to that vicinity. Port Jackson
1190-448: Is one of Australia's most famous wine-growing regions, known for both its red and white wine varieties. The most important economic activity in the valley is coal mining (through businesses such as Rio Tinto and BHP ), mostly for export. The Port of Newcastle is the world's largest export facility for coal, most of which is brought to the port by rail . Coal ships are often seen off the coast of Newcastle. Electricity generation at
1260-518: Is supplied from the Tomago Sandbeds , via a series of bores. The Hunter Region includes four cities. In order of population these are Lake Macquarie , Newcastle , Maitland and Cessnock . Other major centres of the Hunter Region are Dungog , Gloucester , Kurri Kurri , Muswellbrook , Raymond Terrace , Scone and Singleton . The climate of Hunter Valley is humid subtropical , similar to
1330-529: Is supplied with water diverted from the Williams River just north of the Seaham Weir, through a large pump station at Balickera. The dam itself has only a small natural catchment and relies mainly on the pumped water from the Williams River. A proposal to build Tillegra Dam on the Williams River existed since the 1950s, but was scrapped in 2010. In addition to the dams, fresh water for the lower Hunter Region
1400-506: The Endeavour sailed past the entrance at Sydney Heads , Cook wrote in his journal "at noon we were...about 2 or 3 miles from the land and abrest of a bay or harbour within there appeared to be a safe anchorage which I called Port Jackson." Eighteen years later, Port Jackson saw the arrival of the First Fleet . On 21 January 1788, after arriving at Botany Bay , Governor Arthur Phillip took
1470-525: The Barangaroo development. White Bay and adjacent Glebe Island have been working ports since the mid-1800s, handling just about everything from timber and paper, coal, sugar and cement to cars and containers. The NSW Government identified both as vital to the City's economy and in March 2013 announced its commitment to maintaining both as working ports as it frees up neighbouring bays for public access. Glebe Island
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#17330939952451540-464: The Eraring , Bayswater , Liddell , Munmorah , Redbank and Vales Point coal-fired power stations is a major industry of the region. The Hunter Valley is Australia's main region for the breeding and rearing of Thoroughbred horses and most of the country's best racehorses. The Upper Hunter area around Scone is one of the largest horse breeding areas in the world. Commonly known as "Wine Country",
1610-618: The Greater Western Sydney region, with distinctive maritime influences from the Pacific Ocean . With its northerly latitude and close oceanic influences, the Hunter Valley is one of Australia's hottest and wettest wine regions. Flanked by mountains to the west and north the Hunter Valley acts as a funnel, pulling cool ocean breezes into the area. With those cooling breezes also comes heavy rainfall and periodic cyclonic storms in
1680-732: The Middle Head Fortifications , the Georges Head Battery , the Lower Georges Heights Commanding Position and a small fort located on Bradleys Head , known as the Bradleys Head Fortification Complex . The forts were built from sandstone quarried on site and consist of various tunnels, underground rooms, open batteries and casemated batteries, shell rooms, gunpowder magazines , barracks and trenches. Geologically, Port Jackson
1750-740: The Parramatta River to Rose Hill belonged to the Wangal. The Eora inhabited Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour), south to the Georges River and west to Parramatta. The first recorded European discovery of Sydney Harbour was by Lieutenant James Cook in 1770. Cook named the inlet after Sir George Jackson , one of the Lords Commissioners of the British Admiralty, and Judge Advocate of the Fleet . As
1820-631: The Roseville Bridge spanning Middle Harbour; the Tarban Creek Bridge spanning Tarban Creek. The original Meadowbank Railway Bridge carried the Main Northern railway line , now reduced to pedestrian traffic only. The replacement John Whitton Bridge carries two railway tracks with piers suitable for four tracks. There is a single track rail bridge on the Carlingford railway line crossing
1890-622: The Sydney Basin to the south. Between these two geological areas is the Hunter- Mooki Thrust fault. At one time this fault was very geologically active and gave rise to the Brokenback range that feature prominently in the Hunter region. Strips of basalt found throughout the region also bear witness to the volcanic activity that has occurred in the history of this fault. The Permian rocks in
1960-739: The Sydney Harbour Tunnel passing underneath the Harbour to the east of the bridge was opened in August 1992. In 2005, 2010 and in 2014, the NSW Government proposed a rail tunnel be constructed to the west of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Construction of an extra pair of road tunnels to the west of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, as part of the Sydney Metro project, was approved in January 2017 while
2030-535: The "Living Seawalls" project, which entails covering parts of the harbour seawalls with specially-designed tiles that mimic natural microhabitats - with crevices and other features that more closely resemble natural rocks. Project Restore is partly funded by the NSW Government. Port Jackson has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: A Sydharb is a unit of volume used in Australia for water, especially in dams and harbours. One sydharb (or sydarb), also called
2100-423: The (Lower) Hunter Valley proper in 1820. Today, the modern Putty Road between the cities of Windsor and Singleton follows Howe's exact path and is a major thoroughfare for wine tourists coming into the Hunter Valley from Sydney. As previous plantings in the coastal areas around Sydney succumbed to the humidity and wetness, and plantings to the west were limited by spring frost damage, northern reaches leading to
2170-463: The British Empire. The Hunter River itself was discovered, by accident, in 1797 by British Lieutenant John Shortland as he searched for escaped convicts. The region soon became a valuable source for timber and coal that fuelled the steamship trade coming out of Sydney. Land prospector John Howe cut a path through the Australian wilderness from Sydney up to the overland area in what is now known as
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2240-557: The Harbour tunnelling was completed in March 2020. The Western Harbour Tunnel is planned to offer another motor vehicle tunnel in 2026. Permanent cruise ship terminals are located at the Overseas Passenger Terminal at Circular Quay, Sydney Cove and at the White Bay Cruise Terminal at White Bay . White Bay's evolution to a cruise terminal came with the closure of Darling Harbour terminal to make way for
2310-586: The Hunter Region are: There is an active movement campaigning for the Hunter Region to secede from New South Wales to form its own state. The sale of the Port of Newcastle and the refusal of the NSW state government to build a container terminal in Newcastle has been cited as the motivation behind the campaign. The movement's demands include a Royal commission into the feasibility of Hunter Valley Statehood as soon as possible, and
2380-553: The Hunter Region is contained within the divisions of Hunter , Lyne , Newcastle , Paterson , and Shortland . For the purposes of New South Wales elections for the Legislative Assembly , the Hunter Region is contained within the electoral districts of Cessnock , Charlestown , Lake Macquarie , Maitland , Myall Lakes , Newcastle , Port Stephens , Swansea , Upper Hunter , Wallsend , and Wyong . The following local government areas are contained within
2450-628: The Hunter Valley is a major tourist destination in New South Wales and is the 6th most visited place in Australia attracting more than 2.5 million people annually. There are regular events held in the Hunter for visitors, including the Hunter Valley Steam Trains running the first three Sundays of each month and regular scenic cruises on the Hunter River and Lake Macquarie . The Hunter Valley Wine Zone Australian Geographical Indication
2520-705: The Hunter Valley wine region. Along with the Worimi to the north and the Awabakal to the south, the Wonnarua developed a trading route connecting the Coquun (Hunter) Valley to the harbour now known as Sydney harbour . The wine-making history of Hunter Valley begins with the European settlement of the Sydney and the New South Wales region of Australia in the late 18th century as a penal colony of
2590-607: The Hunter Valley. This temporarily produced an up-tick in plantings but the global Great Depression as well as a series of devastating hail storms between 1929 and 1930 caused many growers to abandon their vineyards. The Hunter Region is considered a transitional area between the Paleozoic rock foundation of the New England Fold Belt located to the south and the Early Permian and Middle Triassic period rock formations of
2660-478: The Hunter became, almost by default, the wine region of the new colony. The expansive growth of the Hunter Valley wine industry in the mid to late 19th century arose from its monopoly position in the lucrative Sydney market. The provincial government of New South Wales had enacted regulations that placed prohibitive duties on wines from other areas such as Victoria and South Australia. Following World War I , many returning Australian veterans were given land grants in
2730-408: The Hunter region is almost as large, and includes most of the wine-producing areas, excluding the metropolitan area of Newcastle and nearby coastal areas, some national parks, and any land that was in the Mudgee Shire (at the western heights of the catchment). The Hunter wine region is one of Australia 's best known wine regions , playing a pivotal role in the history of Australian wine as one of
2800-400: The Hunter, many endangered ecological communities (EECs) have been declared under the TSC Act . These communities are found on both public and private land, and prior to development of land, the landowner is required to undertake an environmental assessment to ascertain whether it will impact endangered species or endangered communities. Examples of endangered ecological communities found within
2870-501: The Lower Hunter vary widely from sandy alluvial flats (often planted to Semillon), to deep friable loam (often planted with Shiraz) and friable red duplex soils . In the Upper Hunter, the rivers and creeks of the region contribute to the areas black, silty loam soils that are often overlaid on top of alkaline clay loam. Among the hills of the Brokenback range are strips of volcanic basalt that are prized by growers for their tendencies to restrict vigor and concentrate mineral flavours in
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2940-417: The Parramatta River near Camellia . Bennelong Bridge over Homebush Bay connects Wentworth Point and Rhodes A weir between Queens Avenue and Charles Street, Parramatta, called Charles Street Weir, separates the saltwater and tidal waters to the east from the freshwater and non-tidal waters to the west. The weir is marked right near the western (left) edge of the detailed map above. A road tunnel,
3010-441: The Ships can Anchor so close to the Shore, that at a very small expence... Port Jackson was described as a "capacious harbour, equal, if not superior to any yet known in the world", that "sheltered anchorage for the ships" and provided "a suitable landing place on rocks on the western side of the cove, relatively level land at the head of the cove , and a run of fresh water", in addition to it being "capable of affording security to
3080-401: The Tomago Sandbeds in Tomago . In January 2024, Hunter Water applied for consent to construct and operate a seawater desalination plant at Belmont , in the Lower Hunter region, at an estimated cost of $ AUD530 million. The plant is intended to supply up to 30 million litres per day, representing around 15% of the daily average consumption in the region. This corporation or company article
3150-444: The Upper Hunter, the more Triassic sandstone that can be found leading eventually to the carboniferous rocks that form the northern boundary of the Hunter with the New England Fold Belt and the foothills of the Barrington Tops . Overall, the Hunter Valley has more soils (mostly hard, acidic patches of poorly draining heavy clay) that are unsuitable for viticulture than they have areas that are ideal for growing grapes. The soils of
3220-417: The area's investments in wine production and its emergence as a tourist destination. The Broke Fordwich area is located along the Hunter River tributary of the Wollombi Brook near the suburb of Pokolbin and was founded in 1830 by Major Thomas Mitchell who named the region after his fellow Napoleonic War veteran Sir Charles Broke-Vere . Much of the rolling countryside around Pokolbin is under vine and has
3290-422: The area's namesake, the Hunter River itself is not the dominant feature of the region—falling behind the Brokenback Range for that distinction. The greater river system of the Hunter, which includes the Goulburn and important tributaries such as Giants Creek, do provide needed irrigation for areas such as the Upper Hunter than can be prone to drought condition. The origins of the river begin the Liverpool Range of
3360-421: The central and southeastern expanse of the Lower Hunter Valley were formed when the area was underneath a shallow marine estuary . The remnants of this period has left an extensive network of coal seams that fuelled the early population boom of the Hunter Valley in the 19th century as well a high degree of salinity in the water table of much of the area. The further north and west, towards the Brokenback Range and
3430-427: The crew detonated charges, killing themselves in the process. A second midget submarine came to grief in Taylor's Bay, the two crew committing suicide. The third submarine fired two torpedoes at USS Chicago (both missed) before leaving the harbour. In November 2006, this submarine was found off Sydney's Northern Beaches. The anti-submarine boom net was demolished soon after World War II , and all that remains are
3500-407: The economy by the tourism industry. While the Hunter Valley has been supplanted by the massive Riverina wine region as the largest producer of New South Wales wine, it still accounts for around 3% of Australia's total wine production and is one of the country's most recognisable regions. For over 30,000 years the Wonnarua people of Aboriginal Australians inhabited the land that is now known as
3570-423: The first colony in Australia, later to become the city of Sydney. In his first dispatch from the colony back to England, Governor Phillip noted that: We got into Port Jackson early in the Afternoon, and had the satisfaction of finding the finest Harbour in the World, in which a thousand Sail of the line may ride in the most perfect security...I fixed on the one [cove] that had the best spring of Water, and in which
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#17330939952453640-401: The first wine regions planted in the early 19th century. The success of the Hunter Valley wine industry has been dominated by its proximity to Sydney with its settlement and plantings in the 19th century fuelled by the trade network that linked the Hunter Valley to Sydney. The steady demand of consumers from Sydney continues to drive much of the Hunter Valley wine industry, including a factor in
3710-424: The foundations of the old boom net winch house, which can be viewed on Green (Laings) Point, Watsons Bay. Today, the Australian War Memorial has on display a composite of the two midget submarines salvaged from Sydney Harbour. The conning tower of one of the midget submarines is on display at the RAN Heritage Centre , Garden Island , Sydney. Fort Denison is a former penal site and defensive facility occupying
3780-442: The grapes. The Warkworth Sands Woodland of the Hunter Valley are situated on these soils. The main river in the region is the Hunter River, after which the region is named. Other rivers in the region include the Allyn , Avon , Barrington , Bow , Bowman , Chichester , Gloucester , Goulburn , Isis , Karuah , Krui , Mammy Johnsons , Merriwa , Munmurra , Pages , Paterson , Wangat and Williams rivers. Despite being
3850-427: The harbour itself, particularly Sydney New Year's Eve celebrations. The harbour is also the starting point of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race . The waterways of Port Jackson are managed by Transport for NSW . Sydney Harbour National Park protects a number of islands and foreshore areas, swimming spots, bushwalking tracks and picnic areas. The harbour is a global hotspot for marine and estuarine diversity. At
3920-451: The harbour, including Shark Island , Clark Island , Fort Denison , Goat Island , Cockatoo Island , Spectacle Island , Snapper Island and Rodd Island . Some other former islands, including Garden Island , Glebe Island and Berry Island , have been linked to the shore by land reclamation, though their names often still contain the word "island". Two other former islands, Bennelong Island and Darling Island, are similarly now linked to
3990-411: The large urban population of more than 500,000 living near the coast and centred on the cities of Newcastle and Lake Macquarie. State Water Corporation's Glenbawn , the largest dam in the region, Chichester and Lostock are dams on the Hunter, Chichester and Paterson rivers respectively. Hunter Water Corporation's Grahamstown Dam , the largest dam supplying the urban areas of the lower Hunter Region,
4060-410: The mainland, but rarely mentioned as islands. The former Dawes Island was joined to another small island to create Spectacle Island. Exposed at low tide is Sow and Pigs Reef , a well-known navigation obstacle near the main shipping lane. Port Jackson has a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen : Cfa ) with warm, somewhat humid summers and mild to cool winters, with moderate rainfall spread throughout
4130-468: The north and south. Situated at the northern end of the Sydney Basin bioregion, the Hunter Valley is one of the largest river valleys on the NSW coast, and is most commonly known for its wineries and coal industry. Most of the population of the Hunter Region lives within 25 km (16 mi) of the coast, with 55% of the entire population living in the cities of Newcastle and Lake Macquarie . There are numerous other towns and villages scattered across
4200-409: The region in the eleven local government areas (LGAs) that make up the region. At the 2021 census the combined population of the region was 682,465, and is expected to reach over 1,000,000 people by 2031. Under Australia's wine appellation system, the Hunter Valley wine zone Australian Geographical Indication (GI) covers the entire catchment of the Hunter River and its tributaries. Within that,
4270-494: The region's annual rainfall will fall with January and February being the wettest months. Between the months of October–April, the 3pm average for relative humidity in the Lower Hunter is 49%, while it is 43% in the Upper Hunter. The main industries in the Hunter Region are coal mining , manufacturing, agriculture, viticulture and wine making, tourism, horse breeding, electricity production, dairy farming and beef cattle farming, and associated service industries. The Hunter Region
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#17330939952454340-444: The region: The Hunter Region contains the Goulburn River National Park , Myall Lakes National Park , Barrington Tops National Park , Werakata National Park , Watagans National Park , Mount Royal National Park , Polkolbin State Forest, Putty State Forest, Chichester State Forest, Running Creek Nature Reserve, The Glen Nature Reserve, Black Bulga State Conservation Area , Myall River State Forest, and Karuah Nature Reserve. Within
4410-443: The sea. During the spring the Hunter Valley receives an average of 7.3–7.5 hours of sunshine a day. Mid-latitude westerly winds bring high pressure weather front that alternate with cold fronts on the winter. This leads to generally drier conditions in the winter months of July and August. In the summer, southeasterly winds bring weather fronts harbouring extensive amounts of moisture. Between October and April more than two thirds of
4480-567: The single entrance known as Sydney Heads (North and South Heads) and encompasses all tidal waters within North Harbour, Middle Harbour , Sydney Harbour, Darling Harbour , Parramatta River and Lane Cove River . The harbour is heavily embayed. The bays on the south side tend to be wide and rounded, whereas those on the north side are generally narrow inlets. Many of these bays include beaches . The Sydney central business district extends from Circular Quay . East to west, north side: East to west, south side There are several islands within
4550-403: The summer and autumn months. In the summer, the average daily temperature regularly exceeds 21.1 °C (70.0 °F) while during the winter the temperature averages around 14 °C (57.2 °F). Temperatures during January average between 22.7–23.3 °C (72.9–73.9 °F), with the temperature becoming progressively hotter the further inland you move away from the cooling influence of
4620-419: The time of the European arrival and colonisation, the land around Port Jackson was inhabited by the Eora clans, including the Gadigal , Cammeraygal , and Wangal . The Gadigal inhabited the land stretching along the south side of Port Jackson from what is now South Head, in an arc west to the present Darling Harbour . The Cammeraygal lived on the northern side of the harbour. The area along the southern banks of
4690-419: The village of Fordwich. Pokolbin , located in the "Lower Hunter Valley", is the centre of the Hunter Valley wine country, which claims to be Australia's oldest wine region. It is located between the towns of Cessnock and Branxton , about 50 km (31 mi) west of Newcastle. The wine country is primarily located within the Cessnock and Singleton LGAs. Its proximity to Sydney has been an influence on
4760-487: The volcanic Barrington Tops and flows south and then east down to the Pacific Ocean at the seaport city of Newcastle . Fresh water supply for the region is provided from a number of sources, which are managed by the Hunter Water and State Water Corporations. State Water Corporation's dams supply water for irrigation, industrial use at coal mines and the region's coal-fired power stations , and town water to upper Hunter Region towns. Hunter Water Corporation's dams supply
4830-533: The year. Due to its exposed proximity to the Tasman Sea, it is slightly cooler, wetter and windier than Observatory Hill to the west. In addition to featuring the lowest maximum summer temperatures in the Sydney region (averaging just 24.4 °C (75.9 °F)), Port Jackson is also least affected by extreme heat due to frequent sea breezes . Conversely, winter nights are among the warmest in Sydney, and rarely dip below 8.0 °C (46.4 °F), although fog often occurs and may be disruptive. Port Jackson's weather station
4900-442: Was registered on 1 May 1996 and is approximately the entire Hunter River catchment. It contains only one named wine region, Hunter. The Hunter Wine Region Australian Geographical Indication was declared on 18 March 1997. It is not as large as the Hunter Valley zone, but includes most of the significant vineyards. It does not extend east of the Pacific Highway . Some of the oldest vines in the Hunter Valley were planted in 1924 around
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