Fast facts
- Attractive and historic country town with several colonial-era buildings
- On the Pages River surrounded by the Liverpool Ranges
- 327 km north of Sydney, population 800
Why go there
Straddling the New England Highway, Murrurundi has remained faithful to its pastoral roots and the town has a fine legacy of historic houses and public buildings.
The pace of change has been slow compared with the mining towns of the Hunter Valley and the historic main street of Murrurundi has been declared an urban conservation area.
History
Settlement commenced with the arrival of pastoralists in the 1820s and the town acquired a reputation for its fine wool.
Murrurundi lay at the fringes of European settlement and bushrangers played a role in its early history. The Jewboy Gang was a scourge of the area until its members were captured at Doughboy Hollow in 1840. Ben Hall, the notorious bushranger, was born in the region and spent much of his childhood here.
Things to do
- Explore the history of Murrurundi on the town’s Heritage Walk, which takes in churches, hotels and the town’s original telegraph office.
- Take a self-drive touring route through the surrounding countryside, which include many tranquil villages and Barrington Tops National Park.
Events
- King of the Ranges Stockman's Challenge in May
- Norvill Art Prize in October
- Make, Bake and Create Markets, last Sunday of each month
Don't Miss
- A visit to the Murrurundi & District Historical Society's Museum.
- Burning Mountain, a coal seam that has been alight for at least 5,000 years.
- Wallabadah Creek, site of a volcanic plug, the second largest monolith in the southern hemisphere.
- Paradise Park - try and squeeze though the “Eye off the Needle” rock formation.
