Scone, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Scone is a town in the Upper Hunter Shire in the Hunter Valley
region of New South Wales
, Australia
. At the 2006 census
, Scone had a population of 4,624 people. It is located on the New England Highway
north of Muswellbrook
about 270 kilometres north of Sydney
, and is part of the Hunter
(federal) and Upper Hunter (state) electorates. Scone is in a farming area and is particularly noted for breeding Thoroughbred
racehorses, and is regarded as the Horse Capital of Australia
.
Surveyor, Henry Dangar
was the first Europe
an to travel through the area, prior to passing over the Liverpool Range
above Murrurundi in 1824. Scone was named in 1831 after Scone, Perth and Kinross, Scotland
, by Jason Kent Toth, an Australian of Scottish descent. Scone was gazetted in 1837 and during the early days was renowned for its large pastoral properties including Belltrees and Segenhoe. Early buildings were St Luke’s Church and the St Aubins’ Inn.
Scone Shire was merged into the Upper Hunter Shire in 2004, integrating parts of the former Murrurundi and Merriwa
shires.
music festival
, Metal Stock. The festival took place every year over the Easter
long weekend and has featured such homegrown talent as The Furor, Infernal Method
as well as some international acts including Profanation and Nervecell. Recently the concert was bought out and moved to Sydney.
The annual Scone Horse Festival is a celebration of Scone's cultural links to equines. It is celebrated during May and includes all manner of activities, including wine tours, Open Days across the numerous horse studs in the area, the Scone rodeo, the Scone School Horse Sports competition, the Black Tie Ball, and a parade in Kelly Street.
The main event is a horse racing
carnival featuring the prestigious Scone Cup, one of the richest country racing days in New South Wales
and Australia
. Small celebrations are also a key part of the festival and includes schools, businesses, public events and sports centres. The Horse Festival is also traditionally linked with such events as the Belltrees poetry competition, the yarns night and many other small annual fundraisers and events. In 2011 Scone will also host the Inglis Guineas Day, a major race meet, on 14 May.
, and is served by a passenger train service made up of a daily CountryLink
train to Sydney
and local regular CityRail
services to Newcastle
.
Hunter Valley
The Hunter Region, more commonly known as the Hunter Valley, is a region of New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney with an approximate population of 645,395 people. Most of the population of the Hunter Region lives within of the coast, with 55% of the entire...
region of New South Wales
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...
. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Scone had a population of 4,624 people. It is located on the New England Highway
New England Highway
The New England Highway is a highway in Australia running from Hexham near Newcastle at its southern end to Yarraman near Toowoomba at its northern end. At its southern end it connects to the Pacific Highway and at its northern end it connects to the D'Aguilar Highway. It traverses the Hunter...
north of Muswellbrook
Muswellbrook, New South Wales
Muswellbrook, a corruption of 'Muscle Brook', is a town and Local Government Area in New South Wales, Australia. The original spelling and etymology of the town's name is a matter of some debate...
about 270 kilometres north of 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...
, and is part of the Hunter
Division of Hunter
The Division of Hunter is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. It is located in northern rural New South Wales, and encompasses much of the Hunter Valley region, including the towns of Singleton, Maitland, Muswellbrook, Cessnock and Denman...
(federal) and Upper Hunter (state) electorates. Scone is in a farming area and is particularly noted for breeding Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racehorses, and is regarded as the Horse Capital of 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...
.
History
Henry Dangar
Henry Dangar was a surveyor and explorer of Australia in the early period of British colonisation. He became a successful pastoralist and businessman, and also served as a magistrate and politician...
was the first Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an to travel through the area, prior to passing over the Liverpool Range
Liverpool Range
The Liverpool Range is a mountain range and a lava-field province in New South Wales, Australia.The Liverpool Range starts from the volcanic plateau known as the Barrington Tops and runs for about 100 km westwards, forming the northern boundary of the Hunter Valley district...
above Murrurundi in 1824. Scone was named in 1831 after Scone, Perth and Kinross, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, by Jason Kent Toth, an Australian of Scottish descent. Scone was gazetted in 1837 and during the early days was renowned for its large pastoral properties including Belltrees and Segenhoe. Early buildings were St Luke’s Church and the St Aubins’ Inn.
Scone Shire was merged into the Upper Hunter Shire in 2004, integrating parts of the former Murrurundi and Merriwa
Merriwa, New South Wales
Merriwa is a town in the far west of the Hunter Valley in New South Wales, Australia, in Upper Hunter Shire. It is located on the Golden Highway, 273 kilometres northwest of Sydney and about half way between Newcastle and Dubbo...
shires.
Events
Scone was the site for the annual open-air heavy metalHeavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
music festival
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
, Metal Stock. The festival took place every year over the Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
long weekend and has featured such homegrown talent as The Furor, Infernal Method
Infernal Method (band)
Infernal Method was a melodic death metal band from Sydney, Australia. Despite the volatility of its line-up, the band was a dominant presence on Sydney's live metal music scene between early 2002 and late 2006 and notable for featuring an array of members who came from or later joined other bands...
as well as some international acts including Profanation and Nervecell. Recently the concert was bought out and moved to Sydney.
The annual Scone Horse Festival is a celebration of Scone's cultural links to equines. It is celebrated during May and includes all manner of activities, including wine tours, Open Days across the numerous horse studs in the area, the Scone rodeo, the Scone School Horse Sports competition, the Black Tie Ball, and a parade in Kelly Street.
The main event is a horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
carnival featuring the prestigious Scone Cup, one of the richest country racing days in New South Wales
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 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...
. Small celebrations are also a key part of the festival and includes schools, businesses, public events and sports centres. The Horse Festival is also traditionally linked with such events as the Belltrees poetry competition, the yarns night and many other small annual fundraisers and events. In 2011 Scone will also host the Inglis Guineas Day, a major race meet, on 14 May.
Schools
- Scone Public School
- Scone High SchoolScone High SchoolScone High School is a government high school, located in the town of Scone, New South Wales. Currently around 500 students from Scone, Aberdeen, Murrurundi and surrounding areas like Denman attend the school....
- St Mary's Scone
- Scone Grammar School
Transport
Scone lies on the Main North railway lineMain North railway line, New South Wales
The Main North Line is a major railway in New South Wales, Australia. It runs through the Central Coast, Hunter and the New England regions. The line was the original main line between Sydney and Brisbane, however this required a change of gauge at Wallangarra...
, and is served by a passenger train service made up of a daily CountryLink
CountryLink
CountryLink is the operator of passenger rail services in country New South Wales, Australia and into Queensland and Victoria. It is an operating brand of the Rail Corporation New South Wales, a government-owned entity...
train to 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...
and local regular CityRail
CityRail
CityRail is an operating brand of RailCorp, a corporation owned by the state government of New South Wales, Australia. It is responsible for providing commuter rail services, and some coach services, in and around Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong, the three largest cities of New South Wales. It is...
services to 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...
.
See also
- Scone railway stationScone railway station, New South Wales-Neighbouring stations:-External links:***...
- Scone ThoroughbredsScone ThoroughbredsScone Thoroughbreds is a country rugby league team, based in Scone, New South Wales, competing in the Group 21 competition under the auspices of the Country Rugby League....