Fast facts
- Historic country town renowned for its award-winning wineries
- Surrounded by bronzed sandstone cliffs, in the Upper Hunter
- 240 km north-west of Sydney, population 1,500
Why go there
Get a ‘real country’ feel in this historic town that turned 150 years old in 2003.
Have a game of golf at the nine-hole course, taste the fine wines on offer at the nearby vineyards or have a delicious meal and cleansing ale at one of the old pubs.
History
The first European settlement in the Denman district was Merton, located east of the present Denman township on the opposite side of the river. The population gradually moved closer to, and eventually crossed, the Hunter River.
In 1853 Merton Village Reserve was gazetted and the name was changed to Denman in honour of Lord Denman, who later became the fifth Governor-General of Australia.
Things to do
- Take a stroll along Ogilvie Street, an urban conservation area, and discover the look and feel of a 1930s Australian country town.
- Taste some of the Upper Hunter’s top wines at local wineries.
Events
- The Upper Hunter Wine and Food Affair, in May, attracts the best of the region’s gourmet food producers, olive growers and vineyards. The wines grown here are some of the best in the Hunter region.
Don’t miss
- Taking a drive through the stunning Widden Valley.
- A tour of one of the local thoroughbred studs.
- Exploring NSW’s largest wilderness area – Wollemi National Park.
