Cessnock

Cessnock is located in the Hunter Valley approximately 150k north of Sydney to the south and 50k west of the major regional centre of Newcastle.

After living in the valley for over 30,000 the Aboriginal tribes of the Wonnarua nation were eventually driven out by the arrival of European settlers.  Many places in the area have Aboriginal names such as Kurri Kurri, Wollombi, Congewai, Laguna, Nulkaba;  and the Wollombi Valley is home to many significant sites of Aboriginal cultural heritage,

The first Europeans to stumble across the Hunter Valley did so in 1797 and in 1820 John Howe found a route to the Hunter which was constructed from Windsor to Singleton  by 1823.  The area then became established to provide timber and coal to the early colonies.

This opened up the valley to settlers and John Campbell was granted 1560 acres along Black Creek in 1826 and named his property Cessnock after Cessnock Castle in Ayrshire, Scotland, which belonged to his baronial grandfather.

Vineyards were planted as early as 1823 making the Hunter Australia's first wine producing region.  By 1930 the Hunter Valley had a fine reputation for quality wine production.

A decline in the wine industry from the late 30s to the late 60s was replaced during the 70s and beyond by a proliferation of boutique wineries and the Hunter gradually became a popular tourist destination for both Australian and oversees visitors.

Coal mining commenced in the region after the establishment of the South Maitland coalfields in the early 1900s.  These coalfields covered an area from East Greta to Paxton.  Around 30 collieries operated, employing tens of thousands of people.

Mining in the area produced enormous quantities of high quality coal but also had a sad history.  In 1923, 21 miners were killed at an accident at the Bellbird mine.  In 1929, the incident known as the Rothbury Riot - a protest by around 5,000 miners after a lockout at the pit, resulted in the death of one minor and injury to 45 others.

Slowly all of the pits in Cessnock closed.  The last was the Pelton Colliery which started in 1916 and operated in various forms off and on over the years.  It finally closed in 2020 ending the extraction of coal in Cessnock.

The Cessnock area, while remembering its mining heritage, is now known as 'wine country' and has well over 100 wineries and restaurants and a wide range of accommodation options.  It is now also a major entertainment centre hosting world famous music acts at various venues such as Bimbadgen, Hope Estate and Roche Estate.  Hunter Valley Gardens is also a great attraction for families and garden lovers.  Cessnock and surrounds is one of the most significant tourism regions in NSW.