SINGLETON Singleton is the major entry town to the greater Hunter Valley, where vineyards, power generation and coal mines co-exist. Singleton is also an exarmy base of some substance. Singleton is also a town of substance, has significant heritage factors and has two main streets. Singleton was established in the 1820s by Benjamin Singleton. In its early years, it was also called Patricks' Plains. The Main North Railway line reached Singleton in 1863 and was the end of the line until 1869. The town retains many historic buildings, including the original court house built in 1841, various large churches and many traditional Australian pubs. The countryside surrounding Singleton contains an unusual number of fine old mansions, reflecting the aristocratic nature of land grants when the area was settled. They include 'Neotsfield' (1828), the elaborate 'Baroona' (1829), 'Abbey Green' (1865) and stunning 'Minimbah' (1877). Singleton was subject to the major flooding of the Hunter River in 1955 causing extensive damage to the town. When the area was being settled, the government originally attempted to create a town at Whittingham in a flood-free area, but the town grew by the river nonetheless. An embankment was constructed following the 1955 floods to help protect the town against any future flooding. In 1999, the town's army barracks became a temporary home to a large number of Kosovar refugees. The Catholic and United Churches are over 100 years old. Both are something special. The Anglican a 50's building. There a number of traditional pubs in Singleton. The Singleton War Memorial is on the main highway thru town. The Singleton Museum is at the back of the War Memorial. Singleton is very pretty town that deserve a stopover at a minimum.