Duns Creek, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Duns Creek is a rural residential suburb in the Hunter Region of New South Wales
, Australia
, located near the historic village of Paterson
in the north-western corner of the Port Stephens Council Local Government Area.
where the land is only approximately 3 metres (10 ft) above mean sea level
(AMSL) and undulating with a few small hill
s. This continues to the eastern extent of the suburb where the a range
of hills begins, just before the border with Glen Oak
. Heading north the land becomes progressively more hilly, with elevations ranging from 80 to 220 m (262.5 to 721.8 ft) common and with heights peaking at 280 metres (919 ft) AMSL.
The area is typically subdivided into residential lot sizes of 2-20 hectare
s (5-50 acre
s) with a number of larger properties fronting the Paterson River up to 202 hectares (500 acres). Other properties at the top of Duns Creek Road have sweeping views of the Paterson and Hunter valleys and out to the Tasman Sea
approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) away. The area consistently receives good, reliable rainfall and the countryside is largely green and lush throughout the year.
, which was first surveyed in 1801. In December 1821 a grant of land 2.75 km (1.7 mi) to the south-west of the town was made to Captain Willian Dunn, after whom Duns Creek is named. Captain Dunn started a successful dairy farm
which he called Duninald. It remained in family hands until 2005 when it was sold. The homestead on the farm is listed as a heritage item of both state
and national
significance.
The suburb has seen subdivision of larger rural blocks since the 1980s and increasingly attracted a growing "treechange" population since the late 1990s. Most smaller rural holdings operate as hobby farm
s used for horse riding, olive and wine growing as well as other outdoor pursuits.
45 million tourist resort at Mahogany Ridge in Duns Creek was lodged with Port Stephens Council. The proposal would have, at various times, increased the population of the area by up to 1,500 people, approximately five times the permanent population, and was strongly opposed by the local community and Port Stephens Council. After continued opposition for almost seven years the matter resulted in court action by both Port Stephens Council and the Commonwealth Government
in the Land and Environment Court of New South Wales
and the proposal was finally defeated on 19 April 2007. The development has been replaced by a much smaller scale, upmarket rural residential subdivision.
is less than 15 minutes drive and Newcastle
can be reached within 50 minutes via Raymond Terrace
. Other lifestyle attractions include Nelson Bay
/ Port Stephens
(55 minute drive) and the Hunter Valley Wine Country centred on Pokolbin
(55 minutes drive). It is in close proximity to the Tocal Agricultural College (5 minutes drive) which hosts its annual small farm fields days in May each year. Regular train services at Paterson Railway Station
on CityRail's Hunter Line provide direct access to Maitland, Newcastle and Sydney
. Newcastle Airport
which has direct flights to Melbourne
, Brisbane
, the Gold Coast
and Canberra
, is located 40 minutes drive to the east at Williamtown
.
Paterson, which is less than 5 minutes away by car, has all the facilities of a normal country town as well as a number of hotels, cafes and a golf course. The Woodville
store, which is slightly further away, operates as a general store and post office. Both Paterson and Woodville each have long standing primary schools and other facilities including historic community halls. The privately owned sandstone 'All Saints' Church at Woodville is regularly used for wedding ceremonies. In 2006 the area was provided with ADSL
internet connections and offers a daily mail service to residents. Duns Creek also has a weekly garbage and recycling service provided by Port Stephens Council.
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, located near the historic village of Paterson
Paterson, New South Wales
Paterson is a small township in the lower Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia. Located within Dungog Shire it is situated on the Paterson River. At the 2006 census, Paterson had a population of 345 people...
in the north-western corner of the Port Stephens Council Local Government Area.
Geography
The suburb is bordered in the west by the Paterson RiverPaterson River
The Paterson River, a tributary of the Hunter River, is a significant river in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia. Its headwaters are in the Barrington Tops National Park and it flows to join the Hunter River between Hinton and Morpeth...
where the land is only approximately 3 metres (10 ft) above mean sea level
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
(AMSL) and undulating with a few small hill
Hill
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills often have a distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a particular section of flat terrain without a massive summit A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills...
s. This continues to the eastern extent of the suburb where the a range
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
of hills begins, just before the border with Glen Oak
Glen Oak, New South Wales
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...
. Heading north the land becomes progressively more hilly, with elevations ranging from 80 to 220 m (262.5 to 721.8 ft) common and with heights peaking at 280 metres (919 ft) AMSL.
The area is typically subdivided into residential lot sizes of 2-20 hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
s (5-50 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s) with a number of larger properties fronting the Paterson River up to 202 hectares (500 acres). Other properties at the top of Duns Creek Road have sweeping views of the Paterson and Hunter valleys and out to the Tasman Sea
Tasman Sea
The Tasman Sea is the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand, approximately across. It extends 2,800 km from north to south. It is a south-western segment of the South Pacific Ocean. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, the first recorded European...
approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) away. The area consistently receives good, reliable rainfall and the countryside is largely green and lush throughout the year.
History
Duns Creek's history is closely intertwined with the nearby village of PatersonPaterson, New South Wales
Paterson is a small township in the lower Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia. Located within Dungog Shire it is situated on the Paterson River. At the 2006 census, Paterson had a population of 345 people...
, which was first surveyed in 1801. In December 1821 a grant of land 2.75 km (1.7 mi) to the south-west of the town was made to Captain Willian Dunn, after whom Duns Creek is named. Captain Dunn started a successful dairy farm
Dairy farming
Dairy farming is a class of agricultural, or an animal husbandry, enterprise, for long-term production of milk, usually from dairy cows but also from goats and sheep, which may be either processed on-site or transported to a dairy factory for processing and eventual retail sale.Most dairy farms...
which he called Duninald. It remained in family hands until 2005 when it was sold. The homestead on the farm is listed as a heritage item of both state
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and national
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
significance.
The suburb has seen subdivision of larger rural blocks since the 1980s and increasingly attracted a growing "treechange" population since the late 1990s. Most smaller rural holdings operate as hobby farm
Hobby farm
A hobby farm is a smallholding or small farm that is maintained without expectation of being a primary source of income. Some are merely to provide some recreational land, and perhaps a few horses for the family's children...
s used for horse riding, olive and wine growing as well as other outdoor pursuits.
Mahogany Ridge Resort development proposal
On 30 June 2000 a development proposal for a A$Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
45 million tourist resort at Mahogany Ridge in Duns Creek was lodged with Port Stephens Council. The proposal would have, at various times, increased the population of the area by up to 1,500 people, approximately five times the permanent population, and was strongly opposed by the local community and Port Stephens Council. After continued opposition for almost seven years the matter resulted in court action by both Port Stephens Council and the Commonwealth Government
Government of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
in the Land and Environment Court of New South Wales
Land and Environment Court of New South Wales
The Land and Environment Court of New South Wales is a Court established by legislation giving it exclusive jurisdiction to determine environmental, development, building and planning disputes...
and the proposal was finally defeated on 19 April 2007. The development has been replaced by a much smaller scale, upmarket rural residential subdivision.
Location & amenities
Duns Creek has good links to major Hunter urban centres. MaitlandMaitland, New South Wales
Maitland is a city in the Lower Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia and the seat of Maitland City Council, situated on the Hunter River approximately by road north of Sydney and north-west of Newcastle...
is less than 15 minutes drive and Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
can be reached within 50 minutes via Raymond Terrace
Raymond Terrace, New South Wales
Raymond Terrace is a town in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia, about by road north of Newcastle on the Pacific Highway. Established in 1837 it is situated at the confluence of the Hunter and Williams rivers and has about 12,600 residents. It is the administrative centre of the Port...
. Other lifestyle attractions include Nelson Bay
Nelson Bay, New South Wales
Nelson Bay is a suburb of the Port Stephens Local Government Area in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia. It is located on a bay of the same name on the southern shore of Port Stephens about by road north-east of Newcastle, its nearest rail link. At the 2006 census, Nelson Bay had a...
/ Port Stephens
Port Stephens
Port Stephens is a large natural harbour located about north-east of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia. It lies wholly within the Port Stephens Local Government Area although its northern shoreline forms the boundary between the Port Stephens and Great Lakes LGAs...
(55 minute drive) and the Hunter Valley Wine Country centred on Pokolbin
Pokolbin, New South Wales
Pokolbin is a rural locality in the Hunter Region of New South Wales Australia. It is part of the Singleton Shire Council Local Government Area and the city of Cessnock. The area is the centre of the Lower Hunter Valley wine region...
(55 minutes drive). It is in close proximity to the Tocal Agricultural College (5 minutes drive) which hosts its annual small farm fields days in May each year. Regular train services at Paterson Railway Station
Paterson railway station, New South Wales
-Neighbouring stations:- References :...
on CityRail's Hunter Line provide direct access to Maitland, Newcastle and Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. Newcastle Airport
Newcastle Airport (Williamtown)
Newcastle Airport is north of Newcastle, New South Wales in Port Stephens. It is the 12th busiest airport in Australia, handling almost 1.2 million passengers in the year ending 30 June 2009, which is 107,000 more than in 2007-08.-Overview:...
which has direct flights to Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
and Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, is located 40 minutes drive to the east at Williamtown
Williamtown, New South Wales
Williamtown is a rural suburb of the Port Stephens Local Government Area in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the main road between Newcastle and Nelson Bay.-Geography:...
.
Paterson, which is less than 5 minutes away by car, has all the facilities of a normal country town as well as a number of hotels, cafes and a golf course. The Woodville
Woodville, New South Wales
Woodville is a very small township in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia that is shared between the Port Stephens and Maitland Local Government Areas...
store, which is slightly further away, operates as a general store and post office. Both Paterson and Woodville each have long standing primary schools and other facilities including historic community halls. The privately owned sandstone 'All Saints' Church at Woodville is regularly used for wedding ceremonies. In 2006 the area was provided with ADSL
Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line
Asymmetric digital subscriber line is a type of digital subscriber line technology, a data communications technology that enables faster data transmission over copper telephone lines than a conventional voiceband modem can provide. It does this by utilizing frequencies that are not used by a voice...
internet connections and offers a daily mail service to residents. Duns Creek also has a weekly garbage and recycling service provided by Port Stephens Council.