page_title: Paterson, New South Wales
section_title: Present township of Paterson
hierarchical_section_title: Paterson, New South Wales / History / Present township of Paterson
caption_attribution_description: English: Paterson rural scene viewing village to the south west from Keppies Rd. the rising ground to left and right of the photo forms the beginning of the Paterson valley.
context_page_description: Paterson is a small township in the lower Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia. Located within Dungog Shire it is situated on the Paterson River. It is in the middle of what was once dairy, timber and citrus country and is now more significantly a feeder town for the nearby mining industry in the Upper Hunter and the city of Newcastle.
context_section_description: The present township of Paterson, situated six kilometres to the north of the original military station at Old Banks, was the third to be surveyed in the Hunter Valley after Newcastle and Maitland, but was not proclaimed until 1833. With the continuing settlement of the district, Paterson soon became an important tidal river port and service centre to the surrounding community.  Many early settlers were Scots and hence a Presbyterian Church preceded an Anglican establishment. Indeed, St Ann's, opened in 1842, is said to be the oldest Presbyterian Church on mainland Australia. The river trade began to decline in the 1850s as the road to Maitland improved.  Timber mills were established by the 1870s. In its heyday Paterson had four stores, five hotels, two shipyards, a sawmill, a tannery, four blacksmiths, two butchers, a bakery and a boarding school for girls. Shipbuilding also commenced with the development of the river trade and considerable supplies of tobacco were grown, as well as grains, grapes, wine, citrus fruits and cotton were transported by steamboats to Morpeth, Newcastle and Sydney.
  By the time the railway arrived in 1911 the long-term decline of river transportation had taken its toll.  With ironic symbolism the railway line passed directly over the wharf and a mishap during the construction of the railway bridge in 1909 sunk one of the local boats, the Anna Maria, which had been contracted to carry the BHP made girders.  The boat was salvaged but was nearly destroyed again when a spark from a steam train set it ablaze. The last steam boats visited the area in the 1930s.
  Throughout the 20th century agriculture has been the major source of local income.  Citrus production was particularly strong at the turn of the century, with an estimated 30,000 cases being handled at the port each year.
  At the 2006 census, Paterson had a population of 345 people.
caption: Viewing south to Paterson village. The rising ground to left and right forms the mouth of the Paterson Valley
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