Denman Hotel

Denman (including Baerami, Widden, Sandy Hollow, Gungal and Martindale)
Small and quiet town in the Upper Hunter
Denman, on the rim of the Upper Hunter Valley, is a small, quiet and picturesque country town situated 276 km north-west of Sydney, 24 km south-west of Muswellbrook and 107 m above sea-level.

Surveyor Henry Dangar camped alongside the Hunter, north-east of the present townsite during his investigations of the upper Hunter in 1824. The following year William Ogilvie and naval surgeon Peter Cunningham travelled to Australia together. They investigated the Hunter Valley and chose land at the confluence of the Hunter and Goulburn Rivers. Ogilvie named his grant 'Merton' after the village in Surrey from which the family originated and Cunningham called his property 'Dalswinton' after his family's English estate.

Cunningham, who wrote Two Years in New South Wales about his experiences, soon returned to England leaving Ogilvie to manage both properties. Merton became the centre of a designated police district (called Merton) and Ogilvie was appointed a magistrate.

A private village named Merton emerged on his property. It was isolated but largely self-sufficient. Aside from cattle and sheep, dairying and viticulture were practiced. In 1841 the population was recorded at 137.

The Wanaruah Aboriginal people were in the area until the 1860s, although it is known that the Kamilaroi were also present in this region. The Wanaruah favoured goannas as a food source, covering larger animals in hot ashes and stuffing them with grass. They also adopted burning off practices as the new shoots which emerged after fire attracted kangaroos which they surrounded and killed with clubs and spears (du-rane) barbed with sharp stones.

The Ogilvie family were reputedly on good terms with the local tribe and when 200 of their number besieged the village demanding the release of two tribesmen falsely accused of murdering a white man it is said that Mary Ogilvie saved the family by going out to talk with the tribal leader.

The present townsite developed on government surveyed land on the riverbank opposite Merton. Denman, named in honour of Lord Denman, was gazetted in 1853. The new township became a cattle-buying centre in the 1860s as it was located on the major stock route from the Upper Goulburn. The railway did not arrive from Muswellbrook until 1915. Much of the town was destroyed by fire in 1928 but was rebuilt.

The population of Denman (currently 1600) has increased in recent years due to the possibilities presented by open-cut coalmining in the area, the presence of Bayswater Power Station and the proximity of Muswellbrook and Singleton, both expanding centres. What was once an area known for its horse and cattle studs has seen a veritable explosion of vineyards opening in the area of late. The cement factory, once important to the local economy, has now closed down but the town continues to function as a service centre to the dairy farms, vineyards, horse studs and beef cattle studs in the district.

Things to see:  

Tourist Information
The town's information centre is an old railway carriage which is located just off the road at 33 Ogilvie St, tel: (02) 6547 2731. The adjoining carriage contains the Carriage Restaurant. If you are interested in visiting local horse studs this is the place to make enquiries.

Royal Hotel

Heritage Buildings
Ogilvie St is named after the first European settler hereabouts, William Ogilvie. It has been declared an urban conservation area and an effort has been made to preserve the look and feel of a 1930s Australian country town streetscape. Consequently it has been used a number of times as the setting for television shows and films.

Near the bottom of Ogilvie St is the Royal Hotel (1916). Diagonally opposite, at the very bottom of Ogilvie St, is the Denman Hotel (c.1900). Both are quite attractive buildings, particularly the Denman which has a fine cast-iron lacework balcony.

Over the first crossroad, Turtle St, is St Matthias' Anglican Church which was commissioned by the White family (relatives of the Nobel Prize-winning author Patrick White) who had bought the Merton, Dalswinton and Martindale properties. They hired J. Horbury Hunt to design the building which was built of stone between 1871 and 1875. It has an impressive roof of rough-hewn hardwood timbers, walls two feet thick and a bullseye window in the south wall. The nave is divided from the chancel by decorative panelling.

Continue south, over Merino St, and the police station is on the corner to the right. The building next to it is the old rendered brick courthouse (1881, designed by James Barnet). It features cast-iron lacework along the verandah roof with a vent in the gable.

Apex Lookout
Head out of town on Rosemount Rd. After 2.8 km there is a signposted side road on the right which leads, after 1 km, to an excellent lookout high up a mountainside from whence there are outstanding views down over Denman which is clearly nestled in a valley between these mountains and those opposite (looking due east).

Rosemount Estate
5.4 km further along Rosemount Rd is Rosemount Estate. It is open seven days for tasting and sales from 10.00 a.m. - 4.00 p.m. (12.00 p.m. - 4.00 p.m. on Sundays) with a bistro operating from Friday to Sunday, tel: (02) 6549 6400. It was near here, at the junction of Wybong Creek and the Goulburn River, that a young German settler, Carl Brecht, planted the first vineyard of the Upper Hunter in 1864.

More Wineries
About 16 km from Denman (3 km beyond the intersection with Rosemount Rd) is the locality of Hollydeen where you turn right on Reedy Creek Rd. At its end is a T-intersection. Turn right here on to Wybong Rd. 7km brings you to the sign for Cruickshank Callatoota Estate, a specialist in Cabernet Sauvignon and winner of the Hunter Valley Tourism Award for Excellence. There is a barbecue and childrens' play area. They are open 7 days from 9.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m. for tastings and sales, tel: (02) 6547 8149.

Reynolds Yarraman are also open for tastings and sales 7 days from 10.00 a.m. - 4.00 p.m. (11.00 a.m. - 4.00 p.m. on Sundays), tel: (02) 6547 8127. The old sandstone building was originally part of the Bengala homestead near Muswellbrook (1837), being reconstructed on the present site in the 1970s.

Serenella Estate
About 5 km west of Hollydeen on the Merriwa Rd the Rylstone/Mudgee Rd heads off through some charming countryside. About 8 km along this road (just past the intersection with the Yarrawa Rd) is Serenella Estate. It is open for tastings and sales 7 days from 10.00 a.m. - 4.00 p.m., and on Sundays from 12.00 p.m. - 4.00 p.m., tel: (02) 6547 5168. The setting is very pleasant and there are barbecue facilities.

Baerami and Mt Dangar
Mt Dangar (670 m above sea-level), sited in 1824 by Henry Dangar who named it Mt Cupola but renamed by Allan Cunningham who became the first European to climb it the following year, is located within Goulburn River National Park and is a good place for walks, offering exceptional views of the area.

4 or 5 km west of Serenella Estate, Baerami Creek Rd leads past Baerami Homestead (off the road, to the right), a two-storey Victorian mansion built of local sandstone in 1875 for Thomas Hungerford, MLA, whose father was granted the land in 1833. More recently media magnate Kerry Packer purchased the estate. The mansion features projecting bays with French windows, cedar joinery, fine plasterwork and marble fireplaces. The earlier wooden homestead is to the rear.

Widden Valley
Widden Valley Road (30 km in length) runs south off the Rylstone Rd, 11km west of Baerami Creek Rd. The road follows Widden Brook and there are some spectacular views of the sandstone ridges and escarpments of Wollemi National Park. En route are two horse studs, Widden (02-6547 0507) and Barramul (02-6547 0506). The road comes to a dead end at Holbrook Stud (02-6547 0514). Inspections are possible but by appointment only.

Kerrabee Homestead
About 5 km further west along the Rylstone Rd is Kerrabee Homestead. Built c.1850 of sandstone and ironbark it has been restored and now offers accommodation. The owners will provide directions concerning local attractions and will make reservations for those interested in visiting local wineries. There are also bushwalks and tours of horse studs and historic sites, tel: (02) 6547 5155.

Sandy Hollow
Sandy Hollow is famous as where bushranger Captain Thunderbolt held up the Denman-Merriwa mail service in the 1860s. 2 km west of the village is Ellamara's Collections. Once a small township (established in the 1860s) Ellamara has been converted into a bush inn. They have helicopter joy rides, tasting and sales of upper Hunter wines, a gallery, a studio, annual art shows, a cottage store, farmstay accommodation, refreshments, barbecue and picnic facilities, a cottage garden, Aboriginal items, antiques, a model plane display, deer, ostriches, cattle, and walks along the nearby creek and through an historic cemetery. Buses and groups are catered for, tel: (02) 6547 4589.

London Lodge, Gungal
10 km further north along the Merriwa Rd is the tiny settlement of Gungal (little more than a hotel and community hall). Just beyond it, to the right, is London Lodge Estate Winery where there are tastings, sales and a restaurant, open seven days, tel: (02) 6547 6122.

Horseshoe Vineyard, Martindale
There are wine tastings and sales on weekends and public holidays from 10.00 a.m.- 4.00 p.m. and at other times by arrangement, tel: (02) 6547 3528.

Tours
Upper Hunter Tours organise visits to local wineries, horse studs, cattle studs, antique shops and the Barrington Tops, tel: (02) 6545 3337 or (02) 6547 2731.

	Tourist Information
	Upper Hunter Tourist Information Centre 33 Ogilvie St Denman NSW 2328 Telephone: (02) 6547 2731 Facsimile: (02) 6547 2511
	Motels
	Denman Motor Inn 8 Crinoline St Denman NSW 2328 Telephone: (02) 6547 2462 Facsimile: (02) 6547 2268 Rating: ***1/2
	Hotels
	Denman Hotel 3 Ogilvie St Denman NSW 2328 Telephone: (02) 6547 2207
	Royal Hotel 10 Ogilvie St Denman NSW 2328 Telephone: (02) 6547 2226
	Cottages & Cabins
	Sandy Hollow Caravan Park & Country Cottages Golden Hwy Sandy Hollow 2333 Denman NSW 2328 Telephone: (02) 6547 4575 Rating: ****
	Caravan Parks
	Denman Van Village Macauley St Denman NSW 2328 Telephone: (02) 6547 2590 Facsimile: (02) 6547 20790 Rating: **
	Sandy Hollow Caravan Park & Country Cottages Golden Hwy Sandy Hollow 2333 Denman NSW 2328 Telephone: (02) 6547 4575 Rating: ***1/2
	Restaurants
	Chinese Malaysian Restaurant Denman RSL Club Denman NSW 2328 Telephone: (02) 6547 2932
	Rosemount Vineyard Brasserie Rosemount Rd Denman NSW 2328 Telephone: (02) 6547 2310
	Cafés
	Denman Cafe 16-18 Oglivie St Denman NSW 2328 Telephone: (02) 6547 2731