muswellbrook

Before European settlement of the region the Wonnarua and Gamilaroi peoples occupied the land.{{cite web |url=http://www.muswellbrook.nsw.gov.au/index.php/about-muswellbrook-shire/aboriginal-people-of-muswellbrook-shire |title=Aboriginal people of Muswellbrook Shire – Muswellbrook Shire Council |author=Fiona McBurney |access-date=25 October 2014}} The first European to explore the area was Chief Constable John Howe in 1819, with the first white settlement occurring in the 1820s. The township of Muswellbrook was gazetted on 23 October 1833.Exercise book Historical notes - hand-written, indexed in back To the south, "Forbestown" was established by the sons of Francis Forbes in 1842; the name was changed in 1848 to "South Muswellbrook" to prevent confusion with the town of Forbes.{{cite web |url=http://www.muswellbrook.nsw.gov.au/muswellbrook-town-walk/ |title=Muswellbrook Town Historical Walk |access-date=25 October 2014}}

Muswellbrook has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

• 7 Bridge Street: Muswellbrook Post Office{{cite AHD|106128|Muswellbrook Post Office|fn=1/09/076/0021|access-date=15 September 2018}}
• 132 Bridge Street: Weidmann Cottage{{cite NSW SHR|5045128|Weidmann Cottage|hr=00260|fn=S90/05877 & HC 32432 |access-date=18 May 2018}}
• 142–144 Bridge Street: Loxton House{{cite NSW SHR|5045633|Loxton House|hr=00185|fn=S90/05895 & HC 32411 |access-date=18 May 2018}}
• 178, 180–188 Bridge Street: Eatons Group{{cite NSW SHR|5045132|Eatons Hotel & St Vincent De Paul Group |hr=00331 |fn=EF11/20060; S90/5350; 11/20060|access-date=18 May 2018}}
• 710 Denman Road: Edinglassie{{cite NSW SHR |5045625 |Edinglassie hr=00170|fn=S90/05833 & HC 32464|access-date=18 May 2018}}
• Denman Road: Rous Lench{{cite NSW SHR|5045629|Rous Lench|hr=00211|fn=S90/05440 & HC 32806|access-date=18 May 2018}}
• Hunter Terrace: St Alban's Anglican Church{{cite NSW SHR|5045125|St. Alban's Anglican Church |hr=00458 |fn=S90/05526, NEP90 342, HC 32968 |access-date=18 May 2018}}
• Main Northern railway: Muswellbrook railway station {{cite NSW SHR|5012118|Muswellbrook Railway Station and yard group |hr=01208 |fn=EF14/5014 |access-date=18 May 2018}}

"Mussel Creek" (now called "Muscle Creek") was first named by a party of surveyors who found mussels in the small stream while camping along its banks in the early 19th century. The present spelling of Muswellbrook has a disputed etymology. Historians largely subscribe to one of two theories:

1. that the name derives from the Muswell Hill area of London (England), due to the influence of Sir Francis Forbes whose wife, Amelia, was born and schooled in that town; or
2. that the name is a gradual corruption of the original gazetted name "Musclebrook", eventually adopted as the official spelling due to common use.{{cite web |url=http://www.muswellbrook.nsw.gov.au/index.php/about-muswellbrook-shire/history/muswellbrook-history/450-the-naming-of-our-town-as-muswellbrook |title=The naming of our town as 'Muswellbrook' |author=Fiona McBurney |access-date=25 October 2014}}

According to the 2021 census of Population, there were 12,272 people in Muswellbrook.{{Cite web |title=2021 Muswellbrook, Census All persons QuickStats {{!}} Australian Bureau of Statistics |url=https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2021/1023 |access-date=2023-05-27 |website=www.abs.gov.au}}

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 13.1% of the population.
• 84.7% of people were born in Australia. The most common countries of birth were New Zealand 1.5%, England 1.0% and Philippines 0.9%.
• 86.9% of people only spoke English at home.
• The most common responses for religion were No Religion 35.6%, Anglican 23.0%, and Catholic 20.2%.

{{Historical populations

|type= Australia

|1921|2789

|1933|3984

|1947|3939

|1954|5635

|1961|5717

|1966|6486

|1971|8125

|1976|7805

|1981|8548

|1986|9988

|1991|10140

|1996|10541

|2001|10010

|2006|10222

|2011|11042

|2016|10404

|2021|10901

|source=Australian Bureau of Statistics data.{{cite web |title=Statistics by Catalogue Number |publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics |url=https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/ViewContent?readform&view=ProductsbyCatalogue&Action=Expand&Num=2.2 |access-date=15 May 2024}}{{cite web |title=Search Census data |publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics |url=https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/search-by-area |access-date=15 May 2024}}

}}

The New England Highway currently passes through the town. A route was selected for a bypass in 2006 but the Australian Government suspended the project in August 2008.{{cite web

|title = Muswellbrook Bypass

|url = http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/constructionmaintenance/majorconstructionprojectsregional/hunter/muswellbrook/index.html

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20051205055622/http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/constructionmaintenance/majorconstructionprojectsregional/hunter/muswellbrook/index.html

|url-status = dead

|archive-date = 5 December 2005

|publisher = www.rta.nsw.gov.au

|access-date = 1 May 2007

}} Denman Road provides a connection to the Golden Highway.

Muswellbrook railway station is served by local (Newcastle to Scone) and long-distance rail (Sydney to Armidale and Moree) services.{{cite web|url=https://transportnsw.info/stop?q=10101191#/ | title=Muswellbrook Station | publisher=Transport for NSW | accessdate=2021-04-08}} Interstate coaches and local bus services also call at the station.

Muswellbrook lies at the junction of the Main Northern railway line and the Merriwa line, part of a cross country rail line to Gulgong.{{cite web |title = Merriwa Branch |url = http://www.nswrail.net/lines/show.php?name=NSW:merriwa |publisher= www.nswrail.net |access-date =3 December 2006}} As such, it formed an important junction, as well as serving the numerous coal mining sidings found within a short distance from the main station building.Muswellbrook up to the Early 1950s Estell, D. Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, April 1997 pp99-106

The Steely Dan song "Black Friday" from the 1975 album Katy Lied contains the lyrics:

"When Black Friday comes,

I'll fly down to Muswellbrook,

gonna strike all the big red words

from my little black book.

Gonna do just what I please,

gonna wear no socks and shoes,

with nothing to do but feed

all the kangaroos."

Songwriter Donald Fagen explained the lyrics in an interview with Paul Cashmere of Undercover Music; "I think we had a map and put our finger down at the place that we thought would be the furthest away from New York or wherever we were at the time".{{cite web |url=http://www.undercover.fm/news/1841-the-steely-dan-interview-paul-cashmere-talks-to-donald-fagen |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303230818/http://www.undercover.fm/news/1841-the-steely-dan-interview-paul-cashmere-talks-to-donald-fagen |archive-date=2016-03-03 |title = The Steely Dan Interview: Paul Cashmere Talks to Donald Fagen |last = Cashmere |first = Paul |author-link = Paul Cashmere |publisher = Undercover Media Pty Ltd |date = 8 April 2007 |url-status=usurped |access-date = 7 August 2012}}

Donald Horne spent his early childhood in Muswellbrook and the first volume of his autobiography, The Education of Young Donald, features an extensive description of life in the town in the 1920s and early 1930s.

Muswellbrook is also mentioned in Thomas Keneally's book The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith.

Muswellbrook also features prominently in the Robert G Barrett novel, "The Tesla Legacy".

• Blue Heeler Film Festival{{cite web|url=http://www.muswellbrook.nsw.gov.au/index.php/bhff-home |title=HOME – Muswellbrook Shire Council |access-date=25 October 2014}}
• Muswellbrook Carnivale{{cite web|url=http://www.muswellbrookcarnivale.com.au |title=Muswellbrook Carnivale... in spring |access-date=25 October 2014}}
• Muswellbrook and Upper Hunter Eisteddfod{{cite web |url=https://sites.google.com/site/muheisteddfod/home |title=Muswellbrook & Upper Hunter Eisteddfod Inc. |access-date=25 October 2014}}
• Muswellbrook Creative Arts Fair
• NAIDOC Week Art Awards
• Rock'n The Brook
• The Muswellbrook Show
• Noisy Heerler Music Festival (October)
• St Heliers Heavy Horse Field Days{{cite web|url=http://www.stheliersheavyhorse.org.au|title=St Heliers Heavy Horse Field Days Inc. – St Heliers Heavy Horse Field Days|access-date=25 October 2014}}

All major digital-only television channels are available in Muswellbrook. The networks and the channels they broadcast are listed as follows:

• Seven (formerly Prime7 and Prime Television), 7two, 7mate, 7Bravo, 7flix. Seven Network owned and operated channels.
• Nine (NBN), 9Go!, 9Gem and 9Life. Nine Network owned and operated channels.
• 10 (WIN Television), 10 Bold Drama and 10 Peach Comedy. Network Ten affiliated channels.
• ABC, ABC Family, ABC Kids, ABC Entertains and ABC News, part of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
• SBS, SBS Viceland, SBS World Movies, SBS WorldWatch, SBS Food and NITV, part of the Special Broadcasting Service.

Muswellbrook has three local radio stations:

• ABC Upper Hunter on 105.7 FM and 1044 AM
• Power FM on 98.1 FM
• 2NM on 981 AM

Other radio stations that broadcast to the town are:

• Radio National on 1512 FM
• ABC NewsRadio on 104.9 FM
• KIX Country on 94.5 FM
• hit106.9 Newcastle on 106.9 FM

The town is served by the local newspaper The Muswellbrook Chronicle.

• Muswellbrook South Public School{{cite web |url=http://www.muswellbrs-p.schools.nsw.edu.au|title=Home – Muswellbrook South Public School |access-date=25 October 2014}}
• Muswellbrook Public School{{cite web |url=http://www.muswellbro-p.schools.nsw.edu.au|title=Home – Muswellbrook Public School |access-date=25 October 2014}}
• St James Muswellbrook{{cite web |url=http://www.muswellbrook.catholic.edu.au|title=St James' Primary School, Muswellbrook |access-date=25 October 2014}}
• Muswellbrook High School{{cite web |url=http://www.muswellbro-h.schools.nsw.edu.au|title=Home – Muswellbrook High School |access-date=25 October 2014}}
• Muswellbrook Pre School Kindergarten{{cite web|url=http://www.muswellbrookpreschool.com.au|title=Muswellbrook Pre School |access-date=25 October 2014}}
• Pacific Brook Christian School{{cite web|url=http://www.pacificbrook.nsw.edu.au|title=Pacific Brook Christian School |access-date=25 October 2014}}
• Little Kindy Muswellbrook{{cite web|url=http://www.littlekindy.com.au|title=Little Kindy Muswellbrook|access-date=15 January 2018}}

During World War II, Muswellbrook was the location of RAAF No.5 Inland Aircraft Fuel Depot (IAFD), completed in 1942 and closed on 29 August 1944. Usually consisting of 4 tanks, 31 fuel depots were built across Australia for the storage and supply of aircraft fuel for the RAAF and the US Army Air Forces at a total cost of £900,000 (A$1,800,000).{{Citation |author1 = Australia. Royal Australian Air Force. Historical Section |title = Logistics units |publication-date = 1995 |publisher = AGPS Press |isbn = 978-0-644-42798-2}}

• Kurt Barnes (born 1981), a professional golfer, was born and raised in Muswellbrook{{cite web|title=Player Profile: Kurt Barnes|url=http://www.golf.org.au/default.aspx?s=proplayersdisplay&id=73127|website=Golf Australia|access-date=31 July 2014}}
• Brooke Boney (born 1987), entertainment reporter on the Nine Network's breakfast program Today
• James Clifford (1936–1987), an artist, was born and raised in Muswellbrook{{cite book |author=Germaine, Max |title=Artists and Galleries of Australia|year=1984|publisher=Booralong Publications|location=Brisbane, Australia }}
• Tommy Emmanuel {{post-nominals|country=AUS|AM}} (born 1955), a virtuoso guitarist, was born in Muswellbrook{{cite web |title=Tommy Emmanuel |url=http://www.australianmusicdatabase.com/people/tommy-emmanuel |website=Australian Music Database |access-date=31 July 2014}}
• Jamie Feeney (born 1978), a rugby league footballer was born in Muswellbrook{{cite web|title=Jamie Feeney – Career Stats & Summary |url=http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/jamie-feeney/summary.html|website=Rugby League Project|access-date=31 July 2014}}
• Wayne Harris (born 1960), a jockey who rode Jeune to victory in the 1994 Melbourne Cup, was born and raised in Muswellbrook{{cite web |title=Wayne Harris made Muswellbrook race club life member |url=http://www.thoroughbrednews.com.au/international/default.aspx?id=44281 |website=ThoroughbredNews |access-date=31 July 2014}}
• Shayne Hayne (born 1967), a rugby league football referee, grew up and spent most of his life in Muswellbrook{{Cite news |url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/origin/hayne-has-chosen-his-side-already/2007/06/12/1181414299267.html|title=Hayne has chosen his side already |last=Magnay |first=Jacqueline |date=13 June 2007 |work=Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=15 October 2013}}
• Donald Horne {{post-nominals|country=AUS|AO}} (1921–2005), an author and journalist, was raised in Muswellbrook. Much of one of Horne's memoirs, The education of young Donald, published in 1967, was based on his educative years in Muswellbook{{cite web |url=http://www.muswellbrook.org.au/halloffame/print/54.asp?cat=54&picture=54|title=Horne, Donald Richard|work=Muswellbrook Shire Hall of Fame |publisher=Muswellbrook Visitors Centre|year=2005|access-date=14 June 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130425205859/http://www.muswellbrook.org.au/halloffame/print/54.asp?cat=54&picture=54|archive-date=25 April 2013|df=dmy-all}}
• Simon Orchard (born 1986), an Australian hockey player and Olympic medalist, was born and raised in Muswellbrook{{cite web|url=http://ausport.gov.au/ais/sports/athlete_spotlight?sq_content_src=%2BdXJsPWh0dHAlM0ElMkYlMkZtYXRyaXh0dW5uZWwuYXVzcG9ydC5nb3YuYXUlMkZTcG9ydCUyRkhvY2tleSUyRlNxdWFkJTJGUHJvZmlsZSUyRkF0aGxldGUlMkZEZXRhaWwlMkZTaW1vbl9fT3JjaGFyZCZhbGw9MQ%3D%3D |title=Athlete Spotlight |work=Australian Institute of Sport |publisher=Australian Sports Commission|date=2 August 2010|access-date=16 March 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111206075439/http://www.ausport.gov.au/ais/sports/athlete_spotlight?sq_content_src=+dXJsPWh0dHAlM0ElMkYlMkZtYXRyaXh0dW5uZWwuYXVzcG9ydC5nb3YuYXUlMkZTcG9ydCUyRkhvY2tleSUyRlNxdWFkJTJGUHJvZmlsZSUyRkF0aGxldGUlMkZEZXRhaWwlMkZTaW1vbl9fT3JjaGFyZCZhbGw9MQ%3D%3D |archive-date=6 December 2011 |df=dmy-all}}
• Brydie Parker (born 1999), a rugby league footballer for the Sydney Roosters NRLW side, was born in Muswellbrook.
• Fletcher Baker (born 1999), a rugby league footballer for the Sydney Roosters NRL side, was born in Muswellbrook.

{{portal|New South Wales}}

• Hunter Institute of TAFE
• Hunter River (New South Wales)
• Power FM 98.1
• The Muswellbrook Chronicle and Upper Hunter advertiser
• Wollemi National Park

{{reflist|30em}}

{{commons category|Muswellbrook, New South Wales}}

• [http://muswellbrook.nsw.gov.au/ Muswellbrook Shire Council]
• [https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-32.264786,150.891552&spn=0.081050,0.086758&t=k&hl=en Google Maps satellite image of Muswellbrook]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070310200730/http://walkabout.com.au/locations/NSWMuswellbrook.shtml Walkabout guide Muswellbrook]

{{Suburbs of Muswellbrook Shire}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Suburbs of Muswellbrook Shire

Category:Towns in the Hunter Region

Category:Hunter River (New South Wales)