Hunter Valley is a region of New South Wales, Australia, that lies on both sides of the Hunter River. It is part of Australia’s Coastal Belt, bordering the North Coast and Sydney regions. The Hunter Valley is noted for its mild climate and fertile soil. 
Hunter Valley is most famous for its wine industry, which attracts many tourists to the region. The area is internationally renowned for its production of fine red and white table wines. Many vineyards are located on the foothills of the Broken Back Range, a group of mountains that make up part of the Great Dividing Range. The region’s history with wine dates back to the early 1800’s, when the first vineyards were planted along the northern banks of the Hunter River.
Other regional industries include vegetable production around the town of Maitland. The Upper Hunter region is known for its dairy farms. Beef cattle are raised along the hills and ridges at the edges of the valley. Newcastle is an important coal-mining area in the region.
The Wonnarua people, an Australian Aboriginal group, have a traditional land claim to the Hunter Valley. According to the group’s oral history, they have lived in the valley for more than 30,000 years. The area was first encountered by Europeans in 1797, when the British soldier John Shortland stumbled upon the Hunter River while searching for escaped convicts. The river, known as Coquun to the Wonnarua people, was renamed by Shortland in honor of Governor John Hunter. Hunter was the second colonial governor of New South Wales.
