Hunter River (New South Wales)

Hunter River
Coquon P.T.O., First Hunter Creek, Coal River
Open/trained mature wave dominated barrier estuary
Ship entering the mouth of the Hunter River at Newcastle
Name origin: In honour of John Hunter
Country	Australia
State	New South Wales
Regions	NSW North Coast (IBRA), Sydney Basin (IBRA), Hunter
Local government areas	Upper Hunter, Dungog, Maitland, Muswellbrook, Singleton, Port Stephens, Newcastle
Tributaries
- left	Moonan Brook, Stewarts Brook, Paterson River, Williams River
- right	Pages Creek, Pages River, Goulburn River, Wollombi Brook
Major settlements and towns	Aberdeen, Muswellbrook, Denman, Jerrys Plains, Singleton, Maitland, Morpeth, Raymond Terrace., Newcastle
Source	Mount Royal Range, Liverpool Range
- location	within Barrington Tops National Park, Upper Hunter
- elevation	1,420 m (4,659 ft)
Mouth	Tasman Sea
- location	between Nobbys Head and
- elevation	0 m (0 ft)
- coordinates	32°55′S 151°47′E / 32.92°S 151.79°E / -32.92; 151.79Coordinates: 32°55′S 151°47′E / 32.92°S 151.79°E / -32.92; 151.79
Length	300 km (190 mi)
Depth	3.3 m (11 ft)
Volume	137,089.4 m3 (4,800,000 cu ft)
Basin	21,367 km2 (8,250 sq mi)
Area	47 km2 (20 sq mi)
National park	Barrington Tops NP
Nature reserves	Hexham Swamp, Kooragang
Reservoir	Glenbawn Dam
River islands	Hexham, Smiths
Website: NSW Environment & Heritage webpage

The Hunter River is a major river in New South Wales, Australia. The Hunter River rises in the Liverpool Range and flows generally south and then east, reaching the Tasman Sea at Newcastle, the second largest city in New South Wales and a major harbour port. Its lower reaches form an open and trained mature wave dominated barrier estuary.

The Hunter River rises on the western slopes of Mount Royal Range, part of the Liverpool Range, within Barrington Tops National Park, east of Murrurundi, and flows generally northwest and then southwest before being imponded by Lake Glenbawn; then flowing southwest and then east southeast before reaching its mouth of the Tasman Sea, in Newcastle between Nobbys Head and . The river is joined by ten tributaries upstream of Lake Glenbawn; and a further thirty-one tributaries downstream of the reservoir. The main tributaries are the Pages, Goulburn, Williams and the Paterson rivers and the Moonan, Stewarts and Wollombi brooks. East of Hexham, the river splits into two main channels, separated by the Ramsar-protected Kooragang Wetlands that feeds Milham Ponds, Wader Pond, Swan Pond and a series of smaller wetland pondages. The southern arm of the river also creates Hexham Island, while the northern creaters Smiths Island and flows in Fullerton Cove. The two channels converge at Walsh Point, reaching confluence with Throsby Creek adjacent to the Newcastle central business district, before reaching the river mouth. The Hunter River descends 1,397 m (4,583 ft) over its 468 km (291 mi) course from the high upper reaches, through the Hunter Valley, and out to sea.