Dungog Shire is a gorgeous rural district with a town and several villages on three Hunter Valley rivers.

The Shire of Hills and Valleys

Dungog Shire is an 'off the track' district of 2,248 square kilometres near the Hunter Valley. With 8,000 or so people, it sits across picturesque valleys made by three rivers, the Paterson, Allyn and Williams, numerous creeks and all below the spectacular Barrington Tops National Park.

This was timber country once. As that industry waned, beef, dairy, poultry, olives, grapes and hobby farming took over the economy.

Dungog is the biggest town with a population over 2,000. The villages are riverside Clarence Town, pretty Paterson with its famous train bridge, Gresford (actually two villages, Gresford and East Gresford, one has the school, the other the pub) and Vacy.

The Shire has an above average proportion of both children and senior citizens in its total population. People’s incomes are extreme, from the seriously struggling and vulnerable to the very wealthy, with many in between.

The area is rich in natural resources and natural beauty. The beautiful bush and hilly areas like the Barrington Tops and Chichester Dam are an attraction to day trippers, campers and hikers. There are plenty of tree changers who have moved to the area or keep weekenders here. There are great places to buy coffee and loads of events including the Vacy Blues Festival, the Dungog Festival, Rodeos, the Vacy Village Fair, the Gresford and Dungog Shows, PedalFest, sports every weekend and gorgeous places to cycle or walk.