Nestled in the Hunter Valley wine-growing region, Singleton is a historic riverside town north-west of Newcastle. It’s named after Benjamin Singleton, who was a member of John Howe’s 1820 expedition into the region. Today, the town is renowned for its colonial architecture and cellar doors and is on the doorstep of Lake St. Clair’s popular recreational pursuits.
Things to do in Singleton
You can explore the town along the Singleton Heritage Walk, which takes in some of George Street’s historic sights. Admire the early-20th-century Singleton District Hospital and the Singleton Post Office (which was designed by the colonial architect James Barnet in 1878), together with the 1880s Ewbank built to house the Bank of New South Wales.
If you want to learn more about the town’s past, pay a visit to the Singleton Historical Museum, which occupies the 1874 Council Chambers within Burdekin Park. Originally built as a jail, this Georgian building now houses antique furnishings, farm machinery and kitchenware, as well as an original horse-drawn ambulance cart.
Singleton is an ideal base for exploring the Pokolbin wine-growing region where you’ll find both boutique, family-run cellar doors and large, multi-national wineries. Pokolbin is also home to the Hunter Valley Gardens, which features 10 themed gardens set across 14 hectares. Enjoy the serenity of the Chinese Garden and the rich fragrances of the Indian Garden before getting up close to nursery rhyme characters in the Storybook Garden.
Getting around Singleton
Singleton is around an hour’s drive from Newcastle and Newcastle Airport, which has flights to destinations across Australia. Singleton railway station is located on the Main Northern line and the town is well served by intercity and local buses. The town centre is compact enough to explore on foot or by bicycle.