Hunter Valley History
| 30,000 | Wonnarua ‘people of the hills and plains’ were the first inhabitants of the (Coquun) Hunter Valley. |
| 1797 | The first sighting of the Hunter River by European settlers, discovered by chance by Lieutenant John Shortland. |
| 1820 | First overland route to the Hunter, discovered by John Howe. A road-way was constructed along the path from Windsor to Singleton in 1823, now known as the Putty Road. With the arrival of free settlers agricultural and pastoral activities rapidly grew to rank with timber and mining in economic importance and it was at this point that wine grapes were first introduced to the Hunter Valley. |
| 1823 | By 1823 some 20 acres of vineyards had already been planted.
The early pioneers of the Hunter Valley’s long winemaking history were George Wyndham of Dalwood, William Kelman at Kirkton and James King of Irrawang. The Hunter Valley’s future was further assisted by the arrival of amateur viticulturalist James Busby, who arrived back in the Hunter Valley from Europe with some 500 vine cuttings. |
| 1826 – 1836 | The first road was built by convicts between 1826 & 1836 with many of the original-built features still visible when travelling along Tourist Route 33 to Wollombi. This project was recognised as the single most significant civil engineering project in the first century of the colony’s history. |
| 1840 |
By 1840 the Hunter Valley’s registered vineyard area exceeded 500 acres.
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| Late 19th Century | From these beginnings, the Hunter Valley flourished, with several families establishing vineyards in the area. The Tyrrell, Wilkinson and Drayton families’ history all started in the latter part of the 19th Century as did the viticultural pursuits of Dr Henry Lindeman. |
| 1930 | A number of qualified winemakers enhanced the Hunter Valley’s reputation in Sydney and Melbourne, led by the famous Maurice O’Shea of Mount Pleasant, the father of Australian table wine. At Lindeman’s Ben Ean winery, two pioneer winemakers helped establish the reputation of the Hunter Valley, Hans Mollenhauer and Karl Stockhausen. |
| Late 1930's | The late 1930's saw a decline in vineyard activity due to the depression and war along with the public’s general preferences for fortified wines, produced more cheaply in other vineyard areas. Some winemakers, such as Maurice O’Shea and the Tyrrells pursued their passion for fine table wine ensuring the Hunter Valley wines were not forgotten. |
| 1950 & 60's | It was at this time that the market saw a change, with fine dry table wines gaining popularity and the wine industry once again flourishing. |
| 1963 | Dr Max Lake established Lake’s Folly, the first new vineyard planted in the nineteen hundreds, marking the beginning of a great flurry of development. A proliferation of boutique wineries ensued which is still characterising the Hunter Valley today. |
| 1974 |
The first accommodation property was established in the Hunter Valley. With some of the most spectacular views in the Hunter Valley; Elfin Hill is still in operation today.
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| Present | Today the Hunter Valley is one of the Australia’s most well-known wine regions in Australia and throughout the world. The Hunter Valley has produced many fine, world recognised wines and with over 150 wineries, 65 restaurants and 180 accommodation properties, the Hunter Valley has become a tourism mecca for food and wine lovers alike. |
