Home in the Hunter

This display draws from the rich collection of regional material in the Caroline Simpson Library to look at the changing fortunes of three late-19th century pastoral estates in the Hunter Region.

European settlers, mainly squatters, had begun to claim the traditional land of the Wonnarua people by the 1820s. By the late 19th century, vast pastoral estates dominated the countryside. But the grand homesteads came under threat as the demand for agricultural and farming land grew, combined with an expanding population. While some properties remain to this day, many estates would not survive the sweeping changes of the 20th century.