Lovedale is a locality in the

Hunter Valley The Hunter Region, also commonly known as the Hunter Valley, is a region of New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney. It contains the Hunter River and its tributaries with highland areas to the north and so ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

. It is two hours from Sydney, 30 minutes from Newcastle, and is connected to the

Hunter Expressway The Hunter Expressway is a long controlled-access highway in New South Wales, Australia. It was previously known as the F3 to Branxton link or Kurri Kurri Corridor during the planning stage. It has two lanes in each direction, running generally ...

. The name is believed to be a combination of one of the early European families, the Loves, with the memories of the hills and dales of

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...

. At the , it had a population of 485.

History

A major wine producing area since the 1800s when wheat and general produce farming turned to grapes,

James Busby James Busby (7 February 1802 – 15 July 1871) was the British Resident in New Zealand from 1833 to 1840. He was involved in drafting the 1835 Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand and the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi. As British Resident, ...

was vital in establishing the

as a key wine region by purchasing many properties in and around the Lovedale area. European settlement can be traced back to 1825 with significant land grants along Black Creek.

Attractions

It is famous for the Lovedale Long Lunch which is a two-day festival held in May.

Rothbury Cemetery

Rothbury Cemetery is an

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

cemetery dating back to 1851. Joseph Broadbent Holmes established the land in 1842. His house hosted church services until 1867. Alfred Glennie offered two acres for a churchyard and fifty pounds towards the cost of a church on 12 August 1886. St Paul was opened by William Tyrrell on 15 December 1867. The church no longer stands on the site and its timber was purchased by Errol Mears to build a dairy shed. It is still used as a public cemetery by Cessnock City Council. Emma's Cottage is a historic home.

References

Suburbs of City of Cessnock {{HunterRegion-geo-stub