Wingen, New South Wales
Wingen /ˈwɪndʒən/ is a village in the Upper Hunter Shire, in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia. Situated on the New England Highway, it lies about 15 minutes from the town of Scone. It is known for the local Burning Mountain tourist attraction, a burning underground coal seam. Wingen has a population of just several hundred people.
Its few businesses include an antique store and a pub.
The town is known for the Burning Mountain, which according to scientists is the world's oldest known coal fire, and has been burning for approximately 6,000 years. Explorers in the 19th century mistook its smoking summit for a volcano. In fact the name Wingen comes from the local Aboriginal language, and means "fire".
The Wingen Maid is a rock formation in the local Wingen Maid Nature Reserve which resembles a woman when viewed from a particular direction.
Wingen was served by Wingen railway station on the Main North railway line between 1871 and 1975.
Heritage listings
Wingen has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
- Raglan Street: Mountain House, Wingen
References
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Wingen (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
- ^ Krajick, Kevin (May 2005). "Fire in the hole". Smithsonian Magazine. Smithsonian Institution: 54ff. Retrieved 8 February 2007.
- ^ Wingen station NSWrail.net, accessed 15 September 2009.
- ^ "Mountain House". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00311. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC BY 4.0 licence.
