Dungog is a country town on the Williams River in the Hunter region and a small part of the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, Australia.[8][9] Located in the middle of dairy and timber country, it is the centre of the Dungog ShireLocal Government Area and at the 2021 Census it had a population of 2,169 people.[10] The area includes the Fosterton Loop, 22 kilometres (14mi) of road, used in the annual Pedalfest. A small portion of Dungog lies in the Mid-Coast Council Local Government Area.[8][9]
By 1825 Robert Dawson had named the Barrington area, while surveyor Thomas Florance named the Chichester River in 1827.[12] Two years later George Boyle White explored the sources of the Allyn and Williams rivers. Grants along the Williams followed to men such as Duncan Mackay, John Verge, James Dowling (later a NSW Chief Justice) and others, who, with their assigned convicts, began clearing land and building houses around a district that was by the early 1830s centred on a small settlement first known as Upper William. With a Court of Petty Sessions in 1833 and gazetted in 1838 as the village of Dungog (a local Gringai word), it had a court house, lockup and an increasing number of inns, shops and houses.[12]
Lord Streett, as were Dowling, Mackay, Chapman, Hooke, Brown and Myles, were all named after landowners at the time surveyor Francis Rusden drew up his generous 1838 grid plan of Dungog's streets. The descendants of some of these, notably the Dowlings, Mackays and Hookes, still live in and around Dungog. Others, such as John Lord, went bankrupt or, as did Myles, sold out early and moved to Sydney.[12]
Dungog village gradually grew from a mere 25 houses in the 1846 Census (three of stone or brick). By 1854, four licences for publicans were granted in Dungog: James Stephenson, Dungog Inn; Joseph Finch, Settlers' Arms; Joseph Robson, Trades' Arms; and Edward Tate, Durham Hotel. Two of these continue to operate today.
The plan and street pattern of 1838 gave Dungog generous sized lots that, over the years, have allowed people to build homes with ample space in between, as well as to enjoy cow and horse paddocks close by.[12] Before the 1920s there was relatively little building beyond Lord St. John Wilson, born in Dungog in 1854, described the town as a 'sea of bush and scrub, with a house here and there', and with bullock teams and drays having 'to wend their way between stumps and saplings'. Even in 1892, at the opening of Dungog Cottage Hospital on Hospital Hill to the west, the trek up was largely through open countryside.
Boosted by the dairy industry, which began to develop in the 1890s, Dungog grew more rapidly, receiving a further boost with the arrival of the railway in 1911. Many of the finest houses and commercial buildings still to be seen here were built between the end of the nineteenth and the first two decades of the following century. Coolalie (206 Dowling St) and Coimbra (72 Dowling St), as well as the then Angus & Coote, now J A Rose building (146-148 Dowling St) and the Dark stores (184-190 Dowling St) all date from this period of expansion. All, as the Dungog Chronicle continuously proclaimed, were 'up to date', and as the Dungog Chronicle also pointed out, modern improvements such as the 'water service and electric light service has made Dungog a desirable place to live in'. The architects and builders used for these projects were locals; such as C H Button, Town Clerk and architect, or J A Hall, builder, as well as those from Maitland, such as architect J A Pender.
Around 1926, Dowling Street was first fully kerbed and the present alignment of the shop facades was established. Money and new businesses were entering the town at this time. While things may have slowed a little thereafter, many new buildings and houses continued to be built in the following years. The Catholic community built a new place of worship in Brown St in 1933, replacing the church that had stood in Dowling St since 1870 (where the Tall Timbers Motel now stands). In 1935 the Bank of NSW replaced its old building on the corner of Dowling and Mackay Streets with one in the, then, very modern Georgian Revival Style.
World War II was just beginning when the Dungog Chronicle reported: "Recent weeks have seen a progressive building campaign in Dungog. Apart from the palatial new building for the Royal Hotel erected and furnished at a cost of some £20,000, and remodelling of the Court House Hotel and Bank Hotel, nine new residences have been completed within the past month. In addition to these works, the Education Department is clearing and grading the playing grounds at the public school, and has erected an ornate brick fence along those grounds on the Dowling-street frontage, whilst the Municipal Council has had two chains of kerbing and guttering carried out in Mary-street."[13]
Since the 1950s, few new public buildings and shops have been erected but homes have continued to be built in weatherboard, brick, fibro or concrete; following the fashions of the time. While dairying has declined, the beef industry has remained, and although most timber is now locked up in national parks, many visitors come these days to enjoy the area's natural beauty. This trend has also meant that numerous older homes have been saved from deterioration by 'tree-changers', who have increasingly bought and renovated older homes in Dungog and its surrounding countryside.[14]
Smith & Tims railway contractors with employees passing through Dungog to Taree, 1909.
Heritage listings
Dungog has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
95.1% of people spoke only English at home; the next most common languages spoken at home included Afrikaans 0.1%, and Mandarin 0.1%.
The most common responses for religion included No Religion 33.2%, Anglican 23.7%, Catholic 17.5%, and Presbyterian and Reformed 6.1; a further 6.4% of respondents for this area elected not to disclose their religious status.[10]
Popular Dungog events are the Dungog Film Festival hosted at the James Theatre, the Dungog Agricultural Show, Pedalfest, the Dungog Rodeo, and the Thunderbolt Rally. Each of these events showcase local produce and talent and bring tourists to the region.
James Theatre
Dungog is the home of the James Theatre, the oldest fully enclosed purpose-built cinema continuously operating in Australia, located at 6 Brown Street. It receives new movie releases soon after cinemas in more populated areas. The Dungog Film Society has been operating from the cinema since 1992 and screens fine films monthly to locals as well as bringing Flickerfest to Dungog and an AGOG weekend of foreign films in September. The theatre is the venue for the Dungog Film Festival, which is held annually.
The theatre was first opened on land of James Stuart in December 1912. Originally an open-air theatre, it was roofed by 1914 and in 1918 an enclosed hall built. In order to accommodate "talkie" movies and to provide improved dance facilities, Stuart commissioned major reconstruction works that commenced in 1930. These works were designed by the Newcastle architect, William Jeater.[20]
The reconstruction works included construction of a stage, remodelling the street façade into the Spanish Mission Style, a new dance floor, new northern entrance, a projection room above the foyer and seating arrangement for 400.[20]
It retains the simplicity of a Picture Theatre built in a small country town during the Great Depression. The building is architecturally significant as one of only four Picture Theatres in the New South Wales with Spanish Mission Style facades. The James Theatre Dungog Community Centre has been owned by the Dungog Shire Council since 1979.
The Dungog Film Festival, inaugurated on 31 May 2007, was a film festival which served the dual purposes of encouraging the local tourism industry and showcasing Australian cinema. It used to take place over four days and some of the proceeds went towards preserving the James Theatre.[21][22][23] It used to be held annually in May and was open to Australian filmmakers only. It did not operate in 2013 and in 2014 was replaced by the broader festival of the arts, the Dungog Festival, which is now held on the October Long Weekend.[citation needed]
In 2014, the State Government announced a three year investment to keep the Dungog Film Festival running.[24] As of 2024 the Dungog Film Festival is no longer active.[citation needed]
The screenings were shown in local venues including the James Theatre and the RSL auditorium.[25]
Gentlemen of the Road
Dungog hosted the 'Gentlemen of the Road' music festival[26] on 20 October 2012.[27] The Gentlemen of the Road is a single performance special event organised by band Mumford and Sons, for which they select a remote town in the country they are touring and hold a day-long music festival featuring local artists and bands with which they are friends. The "Dungog Stopover" featured Husky, Matt Corby, Willy Mason, Sarah Blasko, Yacht Club DJs, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, and headline act Mumford and Sons. Over 13,000 people attended the event held in the town's showground. Attendees were accommodated on campgrounds at the edge of the town, while the band members and entourages stayed at motels and pubs in Dungog.
Founded in 1963, Dungog Historical Society is located in the former School of Arts building which also houses the Dungog Museum. The wide collection showcases Dungog's history and heritage, including information and material about local aboriginalsnpeoples d family history.
The core of the display is Dungog: The Making of a Community, telling the story of Dungog via different themes. The colourful panels were produced with a grant from the NSW Ministry of the Arts. Temporary exhibitions are also held.
Dungog is the home of Dungog Soccer Club. Nicknamed the "Boomerangs", Dungog compete in the Zone League competitions in the Northern NSW Football Federation. The Club has a strongly established juniors-base with 10 teams competing in competitions across the Hunter Valley.
Other sports
Dungog also has a Rugby League club called the Dungog Warriors which has teams competing in junior and senior competitions. Additionally, Dungog has a Pony Club, a Cricket Club and a Netball Association who play a Port Stephens Netball Association in Raymond Terrace.
The town has 6 tennis courts which serve for children's tennis coaching in addition to primary and high school competitions. Many residents ride horses and compete in local rodeos.
Newcastle, also commonly referred to as Greater Newcastle is a regional metropolitan area and the second-most-populous district of New South Wales, Australia. It includes the cities of Newcastle and Lake Macquarie and it is the hub of the Lower Hunter region, which includes most parts of the cities of Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Cessnock, and Port Stephens Council. Newcastle is also known by its colloquial nickname, Newy.
Scone is a town in the Upper Hunter Shire in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia. At the 2021 census, Scone had a population of 5,013 people. It is on the New England Highway north of Muswellbrook about 270 kilometres(167.77 miles) north of Sydney, and is part of the New England (federal) and Upper Hunter (state) electorates. Scone is in a farming area and is also noted for breeding Thoroughbred racehorses. It is known as the 'Horse capital of Australia'.
Bourke is a town in the north-west of New South Wales, Australia. The administrative centre and largest town in Bourke Shire, Bourke is approximately 800 kilometres (500 mi) north-west of the state capital, Sydney, on the south bank of the Darling River. it is also situated:
Gundagai is a town in New South Wales, Australia. Although a small town, Gundagai is a popular topic for writers and has become a representative icon of a typical Australian country town. Located along the Murrumbidgee River and Muniong, Honeysuckle, Kimo, Mooney Mooney, Murrumbidgee and Tumut mountain ranges, Gundagai is 390 kilometres (240 mi) south-west of Sydney. Until 2016, Gundagai was the administrative centre of Gundagai Shire local government area. In the 2021 census, the population of Gundagai was 2,057.
Warialda is a town in the North West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia, in Gwydir Shire. It is situated on the banks of Warialda Creek. At the 2011 census, Warialda had a population of 1,120.
Paterson is a small township in the lower Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia. Located within Dungog Shire and City of Maitland, it is situated on the Paterson River. It is in the middle of what was once dairy, timber and citrus country and is now more significantly a feeder town for the nearby mining industry in the Upper Hunter and the city of Newcastle. It was named after one of the first known Europeans in the area was Colonel William Paterson in 1801 surveyed the area beside the river.
The Entrance is a coastal town in the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the Central Coast Council local government area. At the 2021 census, The Entrance had a population of 4,244 people.
Brewarrina is a town in north-west New South Wales, Australia on the banks of the Barwon River in Brewarrina Shire. The name Brewarrina is derived from 'burru waranha', a Weilwan name for a species of Acacia, Cassia tree, "Acacia clumps", "a native standing" or "place where wild gooseberry grows". It is 96 kilometres (60 mi) east of Bourke and west of Walgett on the Kamilaroi Highway, and 787 km from Sydney. The population of Brewarrina in 2016 was 1,143. Other towns and villages in the Brewarrina district include: Goodooga, Gongolgon, Weilmoringle and Angledool.
Martins Creek railway station is located on the Hunter Line in New South Wales, Australia opening on 14 August 1911. It serves the town of Martins Creek. It is served by NSW TrainLink Hunter Line services travelling between Newcastle and Dungog.
Bangalow is a small town in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia in Byron Shire. The town is 765 kilometres (475 mi) north of Sydney and 167 kilometres (104 mi) south of Brisbane, just off the Pacific Highway. It is on the Lands of the Bundjalung people.
East Gresford is a village in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia in Dungog Shire. The village is located 192 kilometres (119 mi) north of Sydney and the nearest major centres are Singleton some 42 kilometres (26 mi) southwest and Maitland to the south. In the 2006 census, it had a population of 289.
Gresford is a locality in the Dungog Shire, New South Wales, Australia.
Dungog Shire is a local government area in the Hunter region of New South Wales, Australia. The Shire is situated adjacent to the Barrington Tops and consists predominantly of very rugged to hilly country which becomes less rugged from north to south.
Glen Oak is a small community in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia, shared between the Port Stephens and Dungog local government areas (LGA). Approximately two thirds of the suburb's 45.1 square kilometres (17.4 sq mi) is located within the Port Stephens LGA while the remaining third, which is sparsely populated, is located in Dungog Shire.
Vacy is a locality of the Dungog Shire local government area in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia. Situated between Gresford and Paterson, it includes the village of Vacy, which was founded in the 1820s as a private town by John Cory, the owner of a large land grant. Vacy began to prosper in the 1850s and was a busy town by the 1870s. It remained a private town until it was sold in 1927 by the Cory family. The village is located at the junction of the Paterson and Allyn rivers. At the 2011 census, Vacy had a population of 547.
The Dungog Film Festival was an annual event held in the Hunter Region town of Dungog. The Dungog Film Festival was a not-for-profit arts organization that was dedicated to celebrating and promoting the Australian screen industry. The festival provided education of the Australian film and TV industry through a range of initiatives. Some proceeds of the festival have gone towards preserving the James Theatre. The festival aimed to support the Australian Film and TV Industry in a non-competitive environment that exclusively showcased Australian screen content.
Clarence Town Courthouse is a heritage-listed former courthouse and now museum at 49 Grey Street, Clarence Town, Dungog Shire, New South Wales, Australia. It was built from 1868 to 1869. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.
The Williams River bridge, Clarence Town is a heritage-listed road bridge that carries Limeburners Creek Road across the Williams River located in Clarence Town, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by the New South Wales Public Works Department and built by J. K. McKenzie. The property is owned by Transport for NSW. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 20 June 2000.
Wallarobba Shire was a local government area in the Hunter region of New South Wales, Australia.
Mount Rivers is a locality in the Dungog Shire, New South Wales, Australia.
↑ "The Legislative Assembly District of Upper Hunter". New South Wales Electoral Commission. Localities and postcodes. Archived from the original on 3 August 2024. Retrieved 23 November 2019. Aberdeen, Alison, Allworth, Allynbrook, Appletree Flat, Back Creek, Baerami, Baerami Creek, Bakers Creek, Bandon Grove, Barrington, Barrington Tops, Barry, Belbora, Belford, Belltrees, Bendolba, Bengalla, Berrico, Big Ridge, Bindera, Bingleburra, Blandford, Bolwarra, Bolwarra Heights, Booral, Bowman, Bowman Farm, Bowmans Creek, Branxton, Brawboy, Bretti, Bridgman, Broke, Brookfield, Bulga, Bulliac, Bundook, Bunnan, Bureen, Callaghans Creek, Camberwell, Cambra, Carrabolla, Carrowbrook, Cassilis, Castle Rock, Chichester, Clarence Town, Clydesdale, Cobark, Combo, Coneac, Copeland, Craven, Craven Plateau, Crawney, Curricabark, Dalswinton, Dalwood, Darlington, Dartbrook, Davis Creek, Denman, Dewitt, Doyles Creek, Dry Creek, Dungog, Dunolly, Dyrring, East Branxton, East Gresford, Eccleston, Edderton, Elderslie, Ellerston, Falbrook, Faulkland, Fern Gully, Fishers Hill, Flat Tops, Forbesdale, Fordwich, Fosterton, Gangat, Garland Valley, Giants Creek, Giro, Girvan, Glen Martin, Glen Oak, Glen Ward, Glen William, Glenbawn, Glendon, Glendon Brook, Glennies Creek, Glenridding, Glenrock, Gloucester, Goorangoola, Gouldsville, Gowrie, Green Creek, Greenlands, Gresford, Gundy, Gungal, Halton, Hambledon Hill, Hanleys Creek, Hebden, Hilldale, Hillsborough, Hollydeen, Howes Valley, Hunterview, Invergordon, Jerrys Plains, Kars Springs, Kayuga, Kerrabee, Kia Ora, Lambs Valley, Largs, Leconfield, Lemington, Lewinsbrook, Liddell, Limeburners Creek, Long Point, Lorn, Lostock, Lower Belford, Luskintyre, Main Creek, Maison Dieu, Maitland Vale, Mangoola, Manobalai, Marshdale, Martindale, Martins Creek, McCullys Gap, McDougalls Hill, Melville, Merriwa, Middle Brook, Middle Falbrook, Milbrodale, Mindaribba, Mirannie, Mitchells Flat, Mograni, Monkerai, Moobi, Moonan Brook, Moonan Flat, Moppy, Mount Olive, Mount Rivers, Mount Royal, Mount Thorley, Munni, Murrurundi, Murulla, Muscle Creek, Muswellbrook, Niangala, Nooroo, Obanvale, Owens Gap, Pages Creek, Pages River, Parkville, Paterson, Paynes Crossing, Phoenix Park, Pokolbin, Putty, Ravensworth, Rawdon Vale, Redbournberry, Reedy Creek, Rixs Creek, Rookhurst, Rosebrook, Rossgole, Rouchel, Rouchel Brook, Roughit, Salisbury, Sandy Creek, Sandy Hollow, Scone, Scotts Creek, Scotts Flat, Sedgefield, Segenhoe, Singleton, Singleton Heights, Singleton Military Area, St Clair, Stanhope, Stewarts Brook, Stratford, Stroud, Stroud Hill, Stroud Road, Sugarloaf, Summer Hill, Tabbil Creek, Terreel, The Branch, Tibbuc, Timor, Tiri, Titaatee Creek, Tocal, Tomalla, Torryburn, Tugrabakh, Turill, Underbank, Upper Allyn, Upper Dartbrook, Upper Karuah River, Upper Rouchel, Vacy, Wallanbah, Wallaringa, Wallarobba, Wards River, Warkworth, Washpool, Wattle Ponds, Waukivory, Waverly, Webbers Creek, Weismantels, Westbrook, Whittingham, Widden, Wingen, Wirragulla, Woko, Woodville, Woolooma, Wybong, Wylies Flat, Yarrawa.
↑ "Profile of the electoral division of Lyne (NSW)". Australian Electoral Commission. Location Description. Archived from the original on 2 August 2024. Retrieved 16 June 2016. Lyne covers an area from Ballengarra in the north to Paterson and Karuah in the south and inland to the western boundaries of the Shires of Greater Taree, Port Macquarie – Hastings, Gloucester, Dungog and Maitland (part). The main towns include Bonny Hills, Bulahdelah, Dungog, Forster, Gloucester, Gresford, Harrington, Hawks Nest, Lake Cathie, Lansdowne, Laurieton, Nabiac, North Haven, Old Bar, Paterson, Smiths Lake, Stroud, Taree and Wauchope.
↑ "Indigenous history". Visit Dungog. Dungog Shire Visitor Information Centre. 2009. Archived from the original on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
↑ "Statistics by Catalogue Number". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 21. Historical Censuses (Pre 1996). Archived from the original on 3 August 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
↑ "Dungog film festival revived". ABC News. 10 March 2014. Archived from the original on 3 August 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024. The State Government, through its tourism agency Destination NSW, has now announced a three year funding deal for a new film festival to be owned and run by the local community.
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