Jerrys Plains, New South Wales

Jerrys Plains New South Wales
Jerrys Plains
Coordinates	32°30′S150°55′E / 32.500°S 150.917°E / -32.500; 150.917
Population	447 (SAL 2021) [1]
Postcode(s)	2330
LGA(s)	Muswellbrook Shire Singleton Council
State electorate(s)	Upper Hunter
Federal division(s)	Hunter

Jerrys Plains is a village in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales, Australia about 33 kilometres west of Singleton on the Golden Highway. ^[2]

The surrounding countryside is home to some substantial horse-breeding properties, notably the Australian branch of Ireland's giant Coolmore Stud, as well as viticulture and coal mining. ^[3]

History

Jerrys Plains is on the land of the Wonnarua and Darkinjung peoples, with some sources also mentioning Gamilaraay territory extending to this area. The area is considered the intersection of these Indigenous peoples. ^{[4] [5]}

The first Europeans to the area came in an expedition led by mineralogist William Parr, who made it as far as the hills above Doyles Creek in 1817. In 1819, John Howe followed roughly the same route then traced what is now known as Doyles Creek to its junction with the Hunter River. Howe's Aboriginal guide, Myles, told him that this was 'Coomery Roy', the land of the Kamilaroi peoples who apparently called it 'Pullmyheri' or 'Pullumunbra'. ^[4]

Pastoral squatters soon moved to the area, operating sheep stations. Edmund Doyle took up property at "Jerry's Plains" in the 1830s. ^[6] He established "Montrose Park" pastoral holdings there. ^[7]

Jerrys Plains Public School opened in January 1881. ^[8] It had an enrolment of 40 students in 2018. ^[9]

Jerrys Plains Post Office opened in 1837; it has now closed, though the closure date is unknown. ^[10] The former post office building later served as a visitor information centre. ^[11]

St James Anglican Church, designed by John Horbury Hunt, dates from the 1870s. ^[11] It has monthly services, held on the second Sunday of each month. ^[12]

The town has a hotel, the Jerrys Plains Tavern, located on Golden Highway. ^[13] A long-running earlier hotel, the Post Office Hotel, burnt down in December 1947 and was not rebuilt. It initially carried on in temporary premises, but was delicensed in 1953. ^{[14] [15] [16]}

Etymology

Jerrys Plains is believed to be named after a member of John Howe's party, Jeremiah Butler, Jerry, an ex-convict and servant, who was injured while lighting a camp fire in damp weather using gunpowder. ^[17] Another theory postulates that Jerry developed gangrene after his gun exploded and blew off his thumb. ^[4]

Population

In the 2016 Census, there were 385 people in Jerrys Plains. 68.8% of people were born in Australia and 86.5% of people spoke only English at home. The most common responses for religion were Anglican 30.1% and Catholic 27.4%. ^[18]

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Jerrys Plains (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022. 
2. "Jerrys Plains". Geographical Names Board of New South Wales . Retrieved 26 December 2018.
3. "Farm". Coolmore Stud . Retrieved 26 December 2018.
4. "Jerrys Plains Culture and History". Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 20 October 2025.
5. "Darkinyung (S65)". AIATSIS . Retrieved 20 October 2025.
6. "PIONEER FAMILIES". PIONEER FAMILIES (1935, February 27). The Sydney Mail (NSW:1912-1938), p.23. National Library of Australia . 27 February 1935. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
7. "THE HAWKESBURY DOYLES". THE HAWKESBURY DOYLES (1930, December 5). Windsor and Richmond Gazette (NSW:1888-1971), p.7. National Library of Australia . 5 December 1930. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
8. "Jerrys Plains". School History Search. NSW Department of Education. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
9. "School Plan 2018-2020" (PDF). Jerrys Plains Public School. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
10. "Jerry's Plains". Phoenix Auctions Reference. Phoenix Auctions. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
11. "Jerrys Plains, NSW". aussietowns.com.au. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
12. "Singleton". Anglican Diocese of Newcastle. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
13. "Hunter Valley pubs hit the market". Pubtic. 2 June 2017. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
14. "Hotel Burnt Down At Jerry's Plains". Newcastle Morning Herald a& Miners' Advocate . No. 22, 224. Newcastle. 26 December 1947. p. 2. Retrieved 26 December 2018– via National Library of Australia.
15. "PUB LICENSE EXTENDED". Singleton Argus . Singleton. 28 March 1951. p. 2. Retrieved 26 December 2018– via National Library of Australia.
16. "Advertising". Sydney Morning Herald . No. 35, 959. Sydney. 23 March 1953. p. 10. Retrieved 26 December 2018– via National Library of Australia.
17. "Jerry's Plains as it now is". JERRY'S PLAINS AS IT NOW IS (1896, December 30). Singleton Argus (NSW:1880-1954), p.4 National Library of Australia . 30 December 1896. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
18. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Jerrys Plains (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 July 2019. Material was copied from this source, which is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.