Wingen, New South Wales

Wingen is a village in the Upper Hunter area of the Hunter Valley in 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.

The Local Government Area of Wingen is the Upper Hunter Shire Council.

Its few businesses include an antique store and a pub.

The town is famous for the local "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. [cite journal
last = Krajick
first = Kevin
title = Fire in the hole
journal = Smithsonian Magazine
publisher = Smithsonian Institution
pages = 54ff
date = May 2005
url = http://www.smithsonianmag.com/issues/2005/may/firehole.php
accessdate = 2007-02-08] 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.

See also

* Burning Mountain
* Wingen Maid Nature Reserve
* Scone, New South Wales
* Parkville and Murrurundi, other neighbouring towns
* New England Highway
*Mine fire

External links

* [http://www.smh.com.au/news/New-South-Wales/Burning-Mountain/2005/02/17/1108500192935.html "Sydney Morning Herald" article on Wingen and the Burning Mountain]
* [http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/parks.nsf/ParkContent/N0492?Opendocument&ParkKey=N0492&Type=Xo Wingen Maid Nature Reserve]

References