Muswellbrook
Located in the New South Wales Hunter Valley, Muswellbrook is known for coal mining, horse breeding and a developing reputation for gourmet food and wine production.
St James Catholic Church
Our walk around Muswellbrook town centre started at St James Catholic Church. There is a car park nearby or in the street. This is a beautiful old church with a huge spire.
St Alban’s Anglican Church
St Alban’s Anglican Church is located on the opposite side of the rail line that runs through town. Only a short walk off Bridge Street, if you walk around the back you will find the old wooden spire preserved on the ground.
Buildings on Bridge Street
As you walk down Bridge street from Brooke St towards the railway bridge, you will find some old and interesting buildings.
Presbyterian Church
Street Art and Sculptures
Street Art
There are several pieces of street art on or near Bridge Street. The JTS Real Estate building has a mural on one side of the building and the barbecue in Simpsons Park has the sides covered in mosaics.
Light Horseman Statue
This bronze statue commemorates the men and horses of the light horse in World War One. You will find it at the intersection of Bridge and Brooke Streets. There are verses from the poem of the light horse etched into the concrete under the statue, which adds a huge amount to the understanding of these brave men.
Small Cattle Dog Statue
Also, on Bridge street is this small statue of a cattle dog. A cute little statue worth having a quick look at.
The Blue Heeler Cattle Dog Statue
Sitting on a plinth 2 m tall, this huge statue commemorates the contribution of the blue heeler to Australian rural life. Located on the main road at the intersection with Hill Street he’s hard to miss.
Upper Hunter Valley Sculpture Trail
The Upper Hunter Valley Sculpture Trail runs from Muswellbrook to Denman and onto Sandy Hollow.
In Muswellbrook, it starts outside of the Regional Arts Centre, where you will find a map of the trail and the first sculpture, the ANZAC Centenary Stone. From here you drive to Two Rivers Wines outside of Denman, before heading to David Mahoney’s Art Gallery and Sculpture Park at Sandy Hollow. If you are interested in the Sculpture Trail, read our post here.
Hunter Belle
If you are in the mood for a taste of the local produce, Hunter Belle is a great spot to stop. Situated on the northern outskirts of the town on The New England Highway. Here you will find local cheeses and other produce that you can relax and eat with a nice cup of tea or coffee.
Memorial Park
Located north of Muswellbrook, Memorial Park contains memorials to both world wars, Vietnam and other conflicts. Adjacent to a rest area is the Vietnam Memorial, consisting of a 105 mm field gun and a roll of honour.
Located further north is the World War One memorial which has a 7.7 cm German field gun and 250 mm mortar.
Nearest to town is a memorial to the National Servicemen.
St Heliers Heavy Horse Field Days
St Heliers Heavy Horse Field Days is an annual event held just outside Muswellbrook. Held over a weekend it’s a great way to get up close to these amazing animals.
The events run continually throughout the day so you are able to see all of the heavy horse breeds. We found the owners to be very friendly and happy for you to take photos of their horses.
It was great to sit in the sun watching the competition or wandering around the stalls that were set up.
A blacksmith had his forge there and put on a demonstration which was very interesting. Nearby was a woodcarver using a chainsaw to make sculptures. There were many stalls selling leather belts, saddles and lots of horse gear for sale. It was only $5 each to get in and there was lots of seating and a huge paddock for car parking.
To see what else there is to do in the Hunter Valley, please see some of our other stories.
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