Victoria Hotel, Hinton

Hinton
Tiny historic township north of Morpeth
Located just 3 km north-east of Morpeth on the banks of the Hunter River and171 km north of Sydney, 40 km north-west of Newcastle and just 8 km north-east of Maitland, is the tiny village of Hinton which has some genuinely historic buildings though none of any great beauty.

Hinton was a land grant made out to the merchant R.C. Dillin in 1823. The rich alluvial soil made the area ideal for crop farming with the produce shipped down to Newcastle and beyond to Sydney as early as 1824. A post office was established in 1835 and the village came into existence through the subdivision of Dillin's property in 1840. A wharf was built in 1844. However the town had declined by the end of the 19th century.

To get to Hinton cross the bridge over the Hunter at Morpeth and take the immediate right along the Hinton Rd across the river flats of Phoenix Park. This area was originally known as Paterson's Plains, which stretched along the northern bank of the Hunter from the nearby junction of the Hunter and Paterson Rivers south-west to the area now known as Bolwarra (see entry on Maitland). Although a few farmers had been allowed to undertake some farming in the area the first permanent settlers were 12 ex-convicts authorized in 1818. Another 11 were allowed on the other side of the river at Wallis Plains, those being the first European settlers of Maitland.

Things to see:  

The Hinton Bridge

Hinton Bridge and Victoria Hotel
2 km brings you to the Hinton Bridge over the Paterson River, built in 1900 with a liftspan for shipping it was opened in 1901. Just across the bridge, on the corner with Old Punt Rd, is the Victoria Hotel. Built in the 1840s it is now one of Australia's oldest continually licensed hotels. As its name suggests, Old Punt Rd once led down to a punt by the junction of the Paterson and Hunter Rivers which connected Hinton with Morpeth on the other side.

Hinton School
Continue along Hinton Road over Market St and to the right is the school which was established in 1848, only the fourth public school to be built in NSW under the National School System. The oldest building of the complex dates from 1877 and is clearly visible on the roadside.

Other Attractions
Diagonally opposite is St John The Evangelist Anglican Church (c.1864). Turn right down Elizabeth St to the Baptist Church (1857). Further up Hinton Rd, just past Hunter St and to the immediate left is the former School of Arts (1863) now somewhat run down. Just beyond that is the Hinton Pioneer Cemetery to the left.

Accommodation and Eating
There is no accommodation in Hinton but the Victoria Hotel (the village's only pub) is open on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday lunch offering meals to travellers and locals. See Morpeth for alternative arrangements.