Singleton

Postcode: 2330

Singleton is a town on the banks of the Hunter River in New South Wales, Australia. Singleton lies approximately 2.5 hours (183 km) northwest of Sydney, and around an hour (79 km) northwest of Newcastle. At the 2001 census, Singleton had a population of 12,495. Estimated district population in 2005 is 22,270.

Singleton's main districts include the town centre, Singleton Heights, Dunolly, Darlington, The Retreat and Hunterview. Surrounding villages include Broke, Camberwell, Jerry's Plains and Belford.

The town is located at the junction of the New England Highway and Putty Road. The Golden Highway bypasses the town to the south. Singleton is also served by Cityrail and Countrylink rail services. Singleton station is located at the southern end of the town centre. There are also bus services, both intercity and local.

Singleton was established in the 1820s by Benjamin Singleton. In its early years it was also called St Patricks' Plains. The Main North Railway line reached Singleton in 1863 and was the end of the line until 1869. The town retains many historic buildings, including the original courthouse built in 1841, various large churches and many traditional Australian pubs. The countryside surrounding Singleton contains an unusual number of fine old mansions, reflecting the aristocratic nature of land grants when the area was settled. They include 'Neotsfield' (1828), the elaborate 'Baroona' (1829), 'Abbey Green' (1865) and stunning 'Minimbah' (1877).

Major industries near Singleton include coal mining, energy generation, light industry, vineyards, horse breeding and cattle production. Dairying was once a mainstay in the area, but has declined.

For more information about this town, click here