The Upper Hunter Shire is a Local Government Area in the Hunter 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...

. It was formed in May 2004 from Scone Shire and parts of Murrurundi and Merriwa shires. The shire council's vision is "A Quality Rural Lifestyle - in a caring and thriving community". Along with the Muswellbrook and Singleton shire councils, it forms a sub-region of the Hunter Valley, which is commonly known as the "Upper Hunter Region", or simply the "Upper Hunter". In June 2008 the area had an estimated population of 14,043. The Upper Hunter is the largest horse-rearing region in Australia.

The Burning Mountain

Burning Mountain

Burning Mountain, the common name for Mount Wingen, is a hill near Wingen, New South Wales, Australia, approximately north of Sydney just off the New England Highway. It takes its name from a smouldering coal seam running underground through the sandstone...

 Nature Reserve, near Wingen

Wingen, New South Wales

Wingen is a village in the Upper Hunter area of the Hunter Valley in New South Wales, Australia. Situated on the New England Highway, it lies about 15 minutes from the town of Scone. It is known for the local "Burning Mountain" tourist attraction, a burning underground coal seam...

, is the site of a subterranean coal seam fire that has been burning for several thousand years.

The council also owns several FM rebroadcasters of ABC Radio National and SBS Radio

SBS Radio

SBS Radio is a service provided by the Special Broadcasting Service '..to inform, educate and entertain Australians, especially those of non-English speaking backgrounds'. SBS Radio originally began as two stations based in Melbourne and Sydney, set up to provide pre-recorded information about the...

, under the self-help schemes run by those broadcasters.

Towns

The towns of the Upper Hunter are Scone

Scone, New South Wales

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 and Upper...

, Aberdeen

Aberdeen, New South Wales

Aberdeen is a small town in the upper Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, Australia, in Upper Hunter Shire. It is located about 12 kilometres north of Muswellbrook on the New England Highway. Aberdeen is named after Aberdeen, Scotland. At the 2006 census, Aberdeen had a population of...

, Murrurundi

Murrurundi, New South Wales

Murrurundi is a rural town in Upper Hunter Shire, located in the Upper Hunter Valley of New South Wales. Murrurundi, which is 193 km by road from Newcastle and 309 km from Sydney, has a population of 1,330 people...

, 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...

, as well as several villages, including Bunnan

Bunnan, New South Wales

Bunnan is a town in the Upper Hunter Shire in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia. It is located on Bunnan Road west of Merriwa about 270 kilometres north of Sydney, and is part of the Hunter and Upper Hunter electorates. Bunnan is an agricultural area known for cattle and sheep...

, Gundy, Moonan Flat, Ellerston

Ellerston, New South Wales

Ellerston is a rural locality of the Upper Hunter Shire Local Government Area, about north-east of Scone in the Upper Upper Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia...

, Wingen

Wingen, New South Wales

Wingen is a village in the Upper Hunter area of the Hunter Valley in New South Wales, Australia. Situated on the New England Highway, it lies about 15 minutes from the town of Scone. It is known for the local "Burning Mountain" tourist attraction, a burning underground coal seam...

, Blandford

Blandford, New South Wales

Blandford is a village in the upper Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia, located on the New England Highway and Main North railway line. A now closed railway station which opened in 1872 was located there, no trace now remains.-References:...

 and Cassilis

Cassilis, New South Wales

Cassilis is a village in the central west of New South Wales, Australia. Its population in the 2006 census was 346. It was formerly known as Dalkeith.-References:...

. Of the towns, only Aberdeen on the Shire's south eastern border is situated on the Hunter River.