A Hunter Valley vineyard.

The Hunter Valley is a region of New South Wales, approximately 160 kilometres north of Sydney, Australia with an approximate population of 700,000 people, most of which live in the Newcastle metropolitan area. There are also numerous other towns and villages scattered across the valley. The valley is most commonly known for its wineries and coal industry. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (768 × 1024 pixel, file size: 352 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Hunter Valley. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (768 × 1024 pixel, file size: 352 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Hunter Valley. ... Capital Sydney Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Professor Marie Bashir Premier Morris Iemma (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 50  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $305,437 (1st)  - Product per capita  $45,153/person (4th) Population (End of March 2006)  - Population  6,817,100 (1st)  - Density  8. ... The Sydney Opera House on Sydney Harbour Sydney (pronounced ) is the most populous city in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of over 4,200,000 people, and 151,920 in the City of Sydney. ... Newcastle CBD Newcastle is the seventh largest and the second oldest city in Australia [1] and the second largest in the state of New South Wales. ...

It is the valley of the Hunter River, one of the major eastwards-flowing rivers of South-Eastern Australia. The Hunter River is a major river in New South Wales, Australia. ...

Industries

The Hunter Valley 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, mostly for export. Other major industries include power generation, dairy farming and beef cattle farming. The port at Newcastle is the world's largest export facility for coal, most of which is brought to port via the railways into the valley. A glass of red wine This article is about the alcoholic beverage. ... Coal Coal (IPA: ) is a fossil fuel formed in swamp ecosystems where plant remains were saved by water and mud from oxidization and biodegradation. ... Chuquicamata, the largest open pit copper mine in the world, Chile. ... Electricity generation is the first process in the delivery of electricity to consumers. ... A dairy farm near Oxford, New York in the United States. ... COW is an acronym for a number of things: Can of worms The COW programming language, an esoteric programming language. ...

Tourism

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. The Pokolbin area has a large number of vineyards, restaurants, shops, golf courses and country guesthouses. Other parts of the valley are also well known for wine. The Upper Hunter area around Scone is one of the largest horse breeding areas in the world. Capital Sydney Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Professor Marie Bashir Premier Morris Iemma (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 50  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $305,437 (1st)  - Product per capita  $45,153/person (4th) Population (End of March 2006)  - Population  6,817,100 (1st)  - Density  8. ... Pokolbin is the centre of the famous Hunter Valley wine region in New South Wales, Australia. ... A common vineyard. ... A glass of red wine This article is about the alcoholic beverage. ... Old Church outside Scone, Upper Hunter, NSW. Scone is a town in the Upper Hunter Shire in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, Australia. ...

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.

Towns and cities

Newcastle, situated at the mouth of the Hunter River, is the largest city in the region. Its immediate metropolitan area includes Lake Macquarie, though its statistical division also includes Maitland, Cessnock and Port Stephens areas. Other major centres of the Hunter Valley are Port Stephens, Maitland, Cessnock, Kurri Kurri, Singleton, Scone and Muswellbrook. Newcastle CBD Newcastle is the seventh largest and the second oldest city in Australia [1] and the second largest in the state of New South Wales. ... Lake Macquarie is the name of a Local Government Area (the City of Lake Macquarie) and a lake, both located in NSW, Australia, approximately 150km north of Sydney, Australia, and 20km south of Newcastle. ... Harbour Entrance Port Stephens is a large coastal inlet, located about 190 kilometers north of Sydney. ... Maitland is a city in the Lower Hunter region of New South Wales, Australia and the seat of Maitland City Council. ... Cessnock is a city in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, Australia in Cessnock City Council. ... Kurri Kurri is a town in Cessnock City Council, in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, Australia. ... Location of Singleton in New South Wales (red) Singleton is a town and Local Government Area (see Singleton Shire Council) on the banks of the Hunter River in New South Wales, Australia. ... Old Church outside Scone, Upper Hunter, NSW. Scone is a town in the Upper Hunter Shire in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, Australia. ... Muswellbrook (Postcode 2333), originally known as Muswell Creek, is a town and Local Government Area (see Muswellbrook Shire Council) in New South Wales, Australia. ...

Growth

The Hunter Valley is growing both economically and culturally. New residential areas are being developed throughout the region to accommodate people attracted to the area by employment opportunities, the family-friendly environment and affordable housing prices. The state government is working with local government to plan for further growth which is expected to continue for several decades. There is even a proposal for a new town of 50,000 to be built near Branxton. Branxton is the name of a town in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, Australia. ...

View across the Hunter Valley.

Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1080x296, 355 KB) Hunter Valley Panorama, mfunnell, stitched from separate shots by the author on 19NOV2005. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1080x296, 355 KB) Hunter Valley Panorama, mfunnell, stitched from separate shots by the author on 19NOV2005. ...

See also

• Australian wine
• Hunter valley cannabis infestation
• Hunter Valley Coal Chain