MURRURUNDI Murrurundi is the northern most town in the Hunter Valley. Murrurundi is also the first of the central NSW country towns that end in ‘I’. Murrurundi has some nice heritage attributes but is one of those country towns that have from an economic perspective suffered. The name "Murrurundi" is often erroneously thought to come from an Aboriginal word meaning "nestling in the valley". It does in fact mean "five fingers", a representation of the rock formation visible at the northern end of the township. The town is almost completely surrounded by mountains of the Liverpool Range, and is located on the Pages River, a tributary of the Hunter River. European settlement of the area began in the 1820s, and the town itself was established by the New South Wales government in 1840. In the same year, a local landholder - Thomas Haydon - established an adjacent private township called Haydonton. In 1913, the two neighbouring settlements were merged to create the modern-day town of Murrurundi. The Anglican Church (what a beauty) and the Court House bear testimony to an earlier era of class erecting magnificent sandstone buildings. The Catholic Church on the western hill is also over 100 years old. The United ‘still’ in existence. The Murrurundi hotels are all classic century plus NSW pubs. The Murrurundi Museum is on the northern precinct of the town. The Murrurundi War Memorial Is acknowledged in various forms. Murrurundi is a town the traveller will pass through. If the timing is right a refreshment or coffee should be a consideration, including a look at that church.