Lochinvar, New South Wales facts for kids
Lochinvar is a small village in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia. It's about 11 kilometres west of a bigger town called Maitland. Lochinvar is part of the City of Maitland area. It got its name from a loch (which is a lake) in southern Scotland.
In 2016, about 784 people lived in Lochinvar.
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A Look Back: Lochinvar's History
Lochinvar is one of the oldest towns in the Hunter Region. It played a big part in the history of farming in the area.
Historic Homes in Lochinvar
One very old home is called "Windermere homestead." It was built around 1821-1823 by the Winder family. This is the oldest homestead in the Hunter Region. It was probably built with the help of convicts and former convicts who had become free workers. You can find out more about it at Windermere House, NSW.
Another important old building is the Lochinvar House, built in 1841. It has also been used as a guest house. Some stories connect this house and others nearby to the early days when convicts were part of the workforce.
People in Lochinvar also kept records of the weather a long time ago. Some of these old weather records from the 1800s are still available today!
Learning in Lochinvar
Lochinvar has several schools.
Schools in the Village
Right on the main highway, there's a large Catholic convent where the Sisters of St Joseph have been since 1883. On these grounds, you'll find St Joseph's College. This is a high school for both boys and girls, from Year 7 to Year 12. It used to be a boarding school just for girls.
The village also has Lochinvar Public School and St Patrick's Lochinvar, which is the local Catholic primary school.
Getting Around Lochinvar
Lochinvar is mostly built along the busy New England Highway. This highway connects it to bigger towns like Maitland and Singleton. Sydney is about 165 kilometres south of Lochinvar. Many people who live here work in Maitland or Singleton.
Public Transport Options
There's a train station called Lochinvar railway station about two kilometres south of the village.
Hunter Valley Buses also runs three bus routes through Lochinvar:
- 179: This bus goes from Stockland Greenhills to North Rothbury, passing through East Maitland, Maitland, Rutherford, Greta, and Branxton.
- 180: This route connects Stockland Greenhills to Singleton Heights, going through East Maitland, Maitland, Rutherford, Greta, Branxton, and Singleton.
- 180X: This bus travels between Maitland station and Singleton station, stopping in Greta and Branxton.
Famous Faces from Lochinvar
Some interesting people have connections to Lochinvar.
People Who Made a Mark
- Thomas White Melville Winder (1787-1853) was the first person to officially own the land where Windermere is. He also planted the very first grapevines in the Hunter Valley!
- Sisters Abbie and Isabelle Cornish are actresses who were born in Lochinvar. Abbie was born in 1982 and Isabelle in 1994.
