How the Hunter River has changed over time

The river before and after European colonisation

When the Wanaruah people lived along the Coquun — the Hunter River — its banks were dense with Cedar Scrub (Dry Rainforest). The deep roots of these trees held the soil in place, filtered floodwaters, and kept the river's course stable for thousands of years.

European settlers began clearing this scrub in the 1800s, initially targeting the prized Red Cedar for timber. Within a century, 97% of the Dry Rainforest in the Lower Hunter was gone. Without the root systems holding the banks, the river began to change — channels widened, soil eroded, and the natural filtering system that kept the water clean collapsed.

Restoring the forest means restoring the river

The connection between the Dry Rainforest and the Hunter River is inseparable. The trees are the river's banks — their roots filter pollutants, reduce flood peaks, slow erosion, and stabilise sediment that would otherwise cloud the water and smother river beds.

Every tree we plant along the river corridor is a step toward reversing two centuries of damage. Restored riparian vegetation doesn't just improve water quality — it rebuilds habitat for aquatic species, reduces the impact of floods on downstream communities, and brings back the native birds and animals that depend on the forest edge.

The Hunter Rainforest Revival Project is working with landholders across the Lower Hunter to replant Dry Rainforest at scale — one property at a time, working toward a connected corridor from the ranges to the coast.