Singleton

Singleton is a town on the banks of the Hunter River in New South Wales, Australia. Singleton is 197km north-north-west of Sydney, and 80km northwest of Newcastle. At June 2015, Singleton had an urban population of 16,921.Singleton's main urban area includes the town centre, Singleton Heights, Dunolly, Darlington, The Retreat, Wattle ponds and Hunterview. Surrounding rural villages include Broke, Camberwell, Jerrys Plains, Goorangoola/Greenlands and Belford.Singleton is located on the north-eastern part of the geological structure known as the Sydney basin, which borders the New England region.HistorySingleton was established in the 1820s by John Howe. In its early years, it was also called Patrick's Plains. The Main Northern railway line reached Singleton in 1863 and was the end of the line until 1869. The town retains many historic buildings, including the original court house 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).