Scone

Hunter, Manning & Central Coast

Scone is known as the ‘Horse capital of Australia’, it is home to world-class thoroughbred breeders and many equine events.

A Grouping

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Location

Scone is 275 km (3.5 hr drive) north from Sydney. It is 150 km (2.1 hr drive) from the regional city of Newcastle and 30 km (30 min drive) from Muswellbrook.

Located in the second largest horse breeding area in the world, Scone has thriving pony and polo clubs, and events including the 10-day Scone Horse Festival. Scone is also home to other agriculture including cattle and sheep grazing, cereal cropping, dairies and boutique wineries.

How to get there

The closest airport is Newcastle Airport, which is a 2 hr drive from Scone. The airport is serviced by Jetstar, Virgin Australia, QantasLink, FlyPelican and Regional Express. Destinations include Canberra, Ballina/Byron Bay, Dubbo, Taree, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Sydney, and Auckland (NZ). There are daily services to Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.

Scone is serviced by the Main North railway line which has daily services to Sydney and local regular services to Newcastle.

There are local and regional bus services that run to Sydney which have timetables available online.

Population

Scone is home to nearly 5000 people, the median age of residents is 40 years. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up nearly 5% of the population.

Scone is in the Hunter, New England, & Central Coast Primary Health Network, this fact sheet provides a health profile for the area.

Healthcare facilities

Scott Memorial Hospital is a 48-bed facility with services including: 24 hour emergency department, acute care, aged care, antenatal care, gastroenterology, obstetric care, orthopaedic clinic, outpatients clinics, medical clinic, medical imaging including X-ray and ultrasound, paediatric clinic, palliative care clinic, respiratory clinic, surgical clinic and rural rehabilitation services.

Scone Community Health Service, is situated at the rear of the hospital, and offers a range of services including: audiometry, community mental health, community nursing, physiotherapy, sexual assault counselling service, speech pathology and women's health.

There is an Ambulance Service of NSW station in Scone.

Accredited GP practices

Scone Medical Practice

Doctor accommodation

There may be accommodation available in Scone for registrars working there, please contact your Rural Support Officer for details.

Industry

The major industry sectors employing residents of Scone are: coal mining, meat processing, horse farming, local government administration and secondary education.

Education

Scone has four schools: Scone Public School (K-6), St Mary’s Primary School (K-6), Scone Grammar School (K-12) and Scone High School (7 – 12). Scone also has a tertiary college (Hunter TAFE – Scone Campus).

Childcare

There are a range of options suitable for children from six weeks to school age in Scone including family day care, occasional care, long day care and preschool.

Shopping

In Scone there is Coles and Woolworths supermarkets, and a variety of retail stores. There are many cafes, eateries and restaurants. Nearby Muswellbrook has more extensive shopping opportunities, as well as weekend markets.

Places of worship

In Scone there are places of worship for a range of Christian denominations including Anglican, Baptist, Roman Catholic, Uniting and Presbyterian faiths. There are additional further places of worship in nearby Muswellbrook. The nearest mosque is in Newcastle, approximately 2 hr drive from Scone.

Points of interest

In addition to the many horse related sites and activities around Scone, including camping in Towarri National Park and visiting Burning Mountain Reserve. The UNESCO-listed Barrington Tops is east of Scone, as is Lake Glenbawn one of the best freshwater fishing spots in NSW. The lake is also popular for waterskiing, sailing and canoeing. Upper Hunter Shire Council what's on calendar lists events happening in the region throughout the year.

Sporting activities

Scone offers a range of sporting activities including: basketball, tennis, football, skate park, netball, soccer, hockey, squash, cricket, outdoor gym and little athletics.

Community groups and activities

In Scone, community groups and volunteer organisations include: Scone Dance Company, Scone Singers, Rotary Club, Lions Club and Scone & District CWA Evening Branch. A community directory can be found at Scone.com.au.

Social media groups

There are social media pages and groups dedicated to life and sport in Scone. A good place to start is the Facebook pages The Scone Advocate, Upper Hunter Shire Council, Arts Upper Hunter and Scone.com.au.