Morpeth


A major river port until the 1890s, Morpeth's comparative isolation has meant that its historic shopfronts, wharves and even the hitching posts along the main street have survived intact. Today, Morpeth is a living museum of Australia's past, National Trust-classified and no longer a backwater but a wide-awake town.

Where is it?: Hunter Valley. Morpeth is 168 km north of Sydney, 37 km north-west of Newcastle and 5 km north-east of Maitland.

Lookout: from a vantage point known as Fig Tree Hill, there is a good perspective northwards over the river flats adjacent the Hunter with the land rising in the distance to the residential area of Largs. Further afield, beyond the Hunter, is the Paterson River to the north with the Barrington Mountains in the distance. A number of local buildings were constructed of sandstone quarried by convicts from the land below the lookout.

Things to see and do
With its beautiful riverside setting, the genuinely historic feel which emerges from the mellowed stonework of its many old buildings, the modest and eminently walkable size of the town and the willows which line the river bank it is becoming popular with travellers. The main street, with its profusion of arts and crafts, antique and curio shops housed in historic buildings, is very much geared towards tourism.

Closebourne Village: part of Closebourne at Morpeth, the village is a unique retirement and residential community where people of all ages and lifestyles can live together. The village is set around Closebourne House and Morpeth House, two historic properties.


Arnott Bakehouse Museum: the museum celebrates the Arnott's Biscuits empire, which had its origins in the Morpeth Sourdough Bakery building in which the museum is housed. The museum tells the story of Morpeth's most successful son - William Arnott - who migrated from Scotland in February 1848 to be reunited with his parents and siblings in Morpeth.�� His life's achievement was as the entrepreneur who built one of the largest biscuit companies in the world, Arnott's.

William Arnott is the great, great, great grandfather of Stephen Arnott, owner of Morpeth Sourdough. Stephen, a 6th generation baker, is continuing his family tradition at the same bakehouse in Morpeth where William and his brother David ran their business during the 1860's.

Surrounding area

Barrington Tops: carved out of an ancient volcano, Barrington Tops rises from near sea level to over 1500m. In the lower valleys, there are World Heritage-listed subtropical rainforests. Up on the plateau, the sub-alpine woodland regularly sees snow in winter. Most of the area is declared wilderness, and it's a well-known destination for bushwalkers, however the park is accessible even to those with limited mobility.

Maitland: the major commercial centre of the Hunter Valley, set on the Hunter River and surrounded by fertile plains. Of the major towns of the Hunter Valley, Maitland retains many historic buildings that date back to the earliest years of colonial Australia.

Dungog: a pleasant country town on the Williams River, located in the middle of dairy and timber country. Dungog is rich in natural assets. including mountain ranges, freshwater streams, clean air and magnificent rural vistas. Popular Dungog events are the Dungog Film Festival hosted at the James Theatre, the Dungog Agricultural Show, Pedalfest, the Dungog Rodeo, and the Thunderbolt Rally. Dungong marks the entrance to Barrington Tops.

Clarence Town: a small, pleasant, sprawling and tranquil township picturesquely situated by the banks of the Williams River, 50 km north of Newcastle. Until the railway arrived in 1911, it was a busy and important river port and effectively the gateway to northern New South Wales. Bypassed, and with its importance as a centre of exchange vanished, it is now a quiet rural town.




Paterson: a tiny but attractive little hamlet 24 km to the north-east, settled amidst mountains on the Paterson River which has its source in Barrington Tops to the north. Paterson was once an important river port. As such it also became a service centre to the surrounding community. About 5 km from the Woodville turnoff, to the right, is a memorial cairn to noted Australian boxer Les Darcy who was born here.

Brief history


Morpeth is an historic steamship port, established in 1821 on the Hunter River. It is 168km north of Sydney, 37km north-west of Newcastle and 5km north-east of Maitland in New South Wales. Much of the township still retains its colonial feel with cobble stone footpaths and sandstone buildings lining the riverbank. Today, Morpeth is a popular tourist town, with travellers spending a whole day discovering the shops and alleyways, the museum, the Campbell Store, restaurants and cafes and of course, Morpeth Sourdough, where the Arnott's Biscuits empire was born.


Morpeth was originally known as Illalaung, an occupied dense rainforest of the Gringgai clan of the Wanaruah indigenous people. It is known that the Wanaruah had trade and ceremonial links with the Kimilaroi people.

The first Europeans thought to have settled in the area were the party of Leutenant Colonel Paterson, who explored the Hunter River in 1801. Paterson named this area as Greenhills.This area of land was granted to Lt Edward Close as a gift for service as Engineer of Public Works at Newcastle. He built an impressive homestead, Closebourne House around 1826.

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