Dungog, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Dungog is a country town on the Williams River
in the upper Hunter Valley in New South Wales
, Australia
. Located in the middle of dairy and timber country, it is the centre of the Dungog Shire
Local Government Area (LGA) and at the 2006 census it had a population of 2,102 people. The area includes the Fosterton Loop, 22 kilometres (14 mi) of road, used in the annual Pedalfest. A small portion of Dungog lies in the Great Lakes Council LGA.
The theatre was first opened on land of James Stuart in December 1912. Originally an open air theatre, it was roofed by 1914 and in 1918 an enclosed hall built. In order to accommodate "talkie" movies and to provide a dance facility, Stuart commissioned major reconstruction works that commenced in 1930. These works were designed by the Newcastle
architect, William Jeater.
The reconstruction works included construction of a stage, remodelling the street façade
into the Spanish Mission Style, a new dance floor, new northern entrance, a projection room above the foyer and seating arrangement for 400.
It retains the simplicity of a Picture Theatre built in a small country town during the Great Depression
. The building is architecturally significant as one of only four Picture Theatres in the New South Wales with Spanish Mission Style facades. The James Theatre Dungog Community Centre has been owned by the Dungog Shire Council since 1979.
which serves the dual purposes of encouraging the local tourism industry and showcasing Australian cinema
. It takes place over four days and some of the proceeds go towards preserving the James Theatre. It is held annually in May and is open to Australian filmmakers only. The festival is a non-competitive, four-day cultural event that showcasts exclusively the Australian movies from the past, present and future. The types of films showcased at the Dungog festival include feature films, short films, television pilots, short documentaries, feature documentaries, music videos and In The Raw script submission for television series, miniseries and feature films scripts.
It is considered the biggest festival of Australian cinema
in the country, attended by around 6,000 film fanatics. Allanah Zitserman is Festival Director and founder of the Dungog Film Festival.
The screenings are shown in local venues including the James Theatre and the RSL
auditorium.
, Gresford, Paterson
, Vacy
, Wallarobba, Martins Creek
, East Gresford
, and Glen Martin
) attend.
The core of the display is Dungog: The Making of a Community, telling the story of Dungog via different themes. The colourful panels were produced with a grant from the NSW Ministry of the Arts. Temporary exhibitions are also held.
The museum is open on Wednesday and Saturdays from 10am to 3pm and by arrangement.
has been served by the North Coast railway line
since 1911. The Great White Train
visit in August 1926 was attended by a large crowd. There are approximately six regional rail services and six XPT (eXpress Passenger Train)
services a day to Dungog, run by CityRail
and CountryLink
. The two afternoon CityRail services were formerly run by 620 & 720 railcars but are now run by the new Hunter railcars.
The town has 6 tennis courts which serve for children's tennis coaching in addition to primary and high school competitions. An adult competition is also run on Monday and Wednesday nights. Many residents ride horses and compete in local rodeos.
Dungog has an array of successful Motorcross riders. Riders such as Nick Lean, Brad Redman, Brad Francis and Christian Clark have been highly successful, winning races. Nick has also been selected to go to the Australian Institute of Sport
to improve his skills. He is also on the Suzuki National Team.
and geographer Reginald Golledge
were born in Dungog. Dave Sands
, one of Australia's well known boxers, was killed near Dungog in 1952 aged 26.
Dungog is home to Kevin Bacon, the Australian Olympic equestrian rider, who has captured many show jumping
titles in Australia and overseas.
Williams River (New South Wales)
The Williams River is a river that flows through Dungog, Clarence Town and Seaham in New South Wales, Australia. The river flows generally south east and south for about to its confluence with the Hunter River, just to the west of the Fitzgerald Bridge at Raymond Terrace. Previously it was known...
in the upper Hunter Valley in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Located in the middle of dairy and timber country, it is the centre of the Dungog Shire
Dungog Shire
Dungog Shire is a Local Government Area in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia. It is situated in the Barrington Tops region and consists predominantly of very rugged to hilly country which becomes less rugged from north to south.- Incomes :...
Local Government Area (LGA) and at the 2006 census it had a population of 2,102 people. The area includes the Fosterton Loop, 22 kilometres (14 mi) of road, used in the annual Pedalfest. A small portion of Dungog lies in the Great Lakes Council LGA.
Culture
Popular Dungog events are the Dungog Film Festival hosted at the James Theatre, the Dungog agricultural show, Pedalfest, the Dungog rodeo, and the Thunderbolt rally. Each of these events showcase local produce and talent and bring tourists to the region.James Theatre
Dungog is the home of the James Theatre, the oldest purpose-built cinema still operating in Australia, located at 6 Brown Street. It receives new movie releases soon after cinemas in more populated areas. The Dungog Film Society has been operating from the cinema for 18 years and screens monthly fine films to locals as well as bringing Flickerfest to Dungog and an AGOG weekend of foreign films in September. The theatre is the venue for the Dungog Film Festival, which is held annually.The theatre was first opened on land of James Stuart in December 1912. Originally an open air theatre, it was roofed by 1914 and in 1918 an enclosed hall built. In order to accommodate "talkie" movies and to provide a dance facility, Stuart commissioned major reconstruction works that commenced in 1930. These works were designed by the Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
architect, William Jeater.
The reconstruction works included construction of a stage, remodelling the street façade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
into the Spanish Mission Style, a new dance floor, new northern entrance, a projection room above the foyer and seating arrangement for 400.
It retains the simplicity of a Picture Theatre built in a small country town during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. The building is architecturally significant as one of only four Picture Theatres in the New South Wales with Spanish Mission Style facades. The James Theatre Dungog Community Centre has been owned by the Dungog Shire Council since 1979.
Dungog Film Festival
The Dungog Film Festival, inaugurated on 31 May 2007, is a film festivalFilm festival
A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...
which serves the dual purposes of encouraging the local tourism industry and showcasing Australian cinema
Cinema of Australia
Cinema of Australia, more commonly referred to as the Australian film industry, refers to the system of production, distribution, and exhibition of films in Australia. Film production commenced in Australia in 1906 with the production of The Story of the Kelly Gang, the earliest feature film made...
. It takes place over four days and some of the proceeds go towards preserving the James Theatre. It is held annually in May and is open to Australian filmmakers only. The festival is a non-competitive, four-day cultural event that showcasts exclusively the Australian movies from the past, present and future. The types of films showcased at the Dungog festival include feature films, short films, television pilots, short documentaries, feature documentaries, music videos and In The Raw script submission for television series, miniseries and feature films scripts.
It is considered the biggest festival of Australian cinema
Cinema of Australia
Cinema of Australia, more commonly referred to as the Australian film industry, refers to the system of production, distribution, and exhibition of films in Australia. Film production commenced in Australia in 1906 with the production of The Story of the Kelly Gang, the earliest feature film made...
in the country, attended by around 6,000 film fanatics. Allanah Zitserman is Festival Director and founder of the Dungog Film Festival.
The screenings are shown in local venues including the James Theatre and the RSL
Returned and Services League of Australia
The Returned and Services League of Australia is a support organisation for men and women who have served or are serving in the Australian Defence Force ....
auditorium.
Education
Dungog High School has approximately 680 students, 55 teachers, 42 rooms, 330 computers, two ovals and school grounds of roughly 8 hectares (20 acre). Children from nearly all of the surrounding towns (e.g.: Clarence TownClarence Town, New South Wales
Clarence Town is a both a primarily rural locality and a township in the Dungog Shire Local Government Area in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia. It is north of Sydney, north-north-west of Newcastle, and from the Pacific Highway at Raymond Terrace. The locality is bisected by the...
, Gresford, Paterson
Paterson, New South Wales
Paterson is a small township in the lower Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia. Located within Dungog Shire it is situated on the Paterson River. At the 2006 census, Paterson had a population of 345 people...
, Vacy
Vacy, New South Wales
Vacy is a rural locality of the Dungog Shire Local Government Area in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia. Situated between Gresford and Paterson, the village of Vacy was founded in the 1820s as a private town by John Cory, the owner of a large land grant. Vacy began to prosper in the...
, Wallarobba, Martins Creek
Martins Creek, New South Wales
Martins Creek is a small country town located between Dungog and Maitland in the Hunter ValleyThe town is centered on Cory Street, which snakes its way through the centre of the town....
, East Gresford
East Gresford, New South Wales
East Gresford is a village in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, Australia in Dungog Shire. The village is located 198 kilometres north of Sydney and the nearest major centre is Singleton, some 42 kilometres southwest. At the 2006 census, it had a population of 289.There are actually two...
, and Glen Martin
Glen Martin, New South Wales
Glen Martin is a scattered rural community located within the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the Dungog Local Government Area. Not a lot is known about the early history of Glen Martin, but the name most likely comes from an early estate at the time of settlement...
) attend.
Historical Society and museum
Founded in 1963, Dungog Historical Society is located in the former School of Arts building which also houses the Dungog Museum. The wide collection showcases Dungog's history and heritage, including information and material about local aboriginals and family history.The core of the display is Dungog: The Making of a Community, telling the story of Dungog via different themes. The colourful panels were produced with a grant from the NSW Ministry of the Arts. Temporary exhibitions are also held.
The museum is open on Wednesday and Saturdays from 10am to 3pm and by arrangement.
Rail transport
The town's railway stationDungog railway station, New South Wales
-Neighbouring stations:-References:...
has been served by the North Coast railway line
North Coast railway line, New South Wales
The North Coast Line is the primary rail route in the Mid North Coast and Northern Rivers regions of New South Wales, and forms a major part of the Sydney-Brisbane rail corridor....
since 1911. The Great White Train
Great White Train
The Great White Train was an effort in the 1920s by Sydney based industrialists to convince Australians to 'Buy Australian Made'.The train was created by the Australia Made Preference League with the New South Wales government contributing £5000 to the project.The movie Undercover made about the...
visit in August 1926 was attended by a large crowd. There are approximately six regional rail services and six XPT (eXpress Passenger Train)
CountryLink XPT
The XPT is the main long-distance passenger train used in regional New South Wales, Australia. It operates on key eastern seaboard routes including the Sydney-Melbourne and Sydney-Brisbane services...
services a day to Dungog, run by CityRail
CityRail
CityRail is an operating brand of RailCorp, a corporation owned by the state government of New South Wales, Australia. It is responsible for providing commuter rail services, and some coach services, in and around Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong, the three largest cities of New South Wales. It is...
and CountryLink
CountryLink
CountryLink is the operator of passenger rail services in country New South Wales, Australia and into Queensland and Victoria. It is an operating brand of the Rail Corporation New South Wales, a government-owned entity...
. The two afternoon CityRail services were formerly run by 620 & 720 railcars but are now run by the new Hunter railcars.
Sport
Dungog has a rapidly growing football (soccer) club with a record 14 teams competing in competitions across the Hunter Valley. 2010 proved to be a very successful year with 2 teams classified as Premiers at the end of the regular season; and 3 teams winning their post season Championships. Dungog also has a Rugby League club called the Dungog Warriors which has teams competing in junior and senior competitions. Additionally, Dungog has a Cricket Club and a Netball Association.The town has 6 tennis courts which serve for children's tennis coaching in addition to primary and high school competitions. An adult competition is also run on Monday and Wednesday nights. Many residents ride horses and compete in local rodeos.
Dungog has an array of successful Motorcross riders. Riders such as Nick Lean, Brad Redman, Brad Francis and Christian Clark have been highly successful, winning races. Nick has also been selected to go to the Australian Institute of Sport
Australian Institute of Sport
The Australian Institute of Sport is a sports training institution in Australia with world class facilities and support services. The Institute's headquarters is situated in Canberra, the capital city of Australia. The 66.0 hectare site campus is in the northern suburb of Bruce, but some of the...
to improve his skills. He is also on the Suzuki National Team.
Notable persons
Cricketer Doug WaltersDoug Walters
Kevin Douglas Walters MBE in Dungog New South Wales, known as Doug Walters, is a former Australian cricketer. He was known as an attacking batsman, and also as a typical ocker.-First-class career:...
and geographer Reginald Golledge
Reginald Golledge
Reginald George Golledge was an Australian-born American Professor of Geography at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He was named Faculty Research Lecturer for 2009...
were born in Dungog. Dave Sands
Dave Sands
Dave Sands, born David Ritchie, was an Australian Aborigine boxer. He established himself as a leading contender for the World Middleweight Title, only to die prematurely in a motor vehicle accident at the age of 26....
, one of Australia's well known boxers, was killed near Dungog in 1952 aged 26.
Dungog is home to Kevin Bacon, the Australian Olympic equestrian rider, who has captured many show jumping
Show jumping
Show jumping, also known as "stadium jumping," "open jumping," or "jumpers," is a member of a family of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes commonly are seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics...
titles in Australia and overseas.