Clarence Town

Clarence Town is both a primarily rural locality and a township in the Dungog Shire local government area in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia.

Clarence Town is both a primarily rural locality and a township in the Dungog Shire local government area in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia. It is 193 kilometres (120 mi) north of Sydney, 54 km (34 mi) north-north-west of Newcastle, and 28 km (17 mi) from the Pacific Highway at Raymond Terrace. The locality is bisected by the Williams River. The township sits just to the west of the river about 32 km (20 mi) upstream from where it flows into the Hunter River at Raymond Terrace.

The area was originally inhabited by the Wanaruah Aboriginal people who called it Erringhi.The first Europeans to arrive in Clarence Town wasWilliam Patersonand explorer Francis Barrellier in 1801 exploring the Hunter River . 1801 convicts were cutting timber in area. In 1826 after a number of cedar cutter moved to an area a village was created.The township is most famous for building and launching the William IV paddle steamer in 1831, although the town was still called Erringhi at this time. It was later renamed in 1832 after the Duke of Clarence, who became King William IV in 1830.

In 1886 the town was described as:The land on the river-banks, consisting chiefly of alluvial flats, is remarkably fertile. This is largely due to the floods of past ages. wheat, maize, barley, oats and potatoes are produced in abundance. Tobacco is now grown and the grape and orange are cultivated with success. The population is 370.

There is a hotel in the main street of Clarence Town built in 1913 called The Erringhi Hotel.