Clarence Town, New South Wales

Clarence Town is a both a primarily rural locality and a township in the Dungog Shire Local Government Area in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia. It is 193 km north of Sydney, 54 km north-north-west of Newcastle, and 28 km from the Pacific Highway at Raymond Terrace. The locality is bisected by the Williams River. The township sits just to the west of the river about 32 km upstream from where it flows into the Hunter River at Raymond Terrace.

History
The area was originally inhabited by the Wanaruah Aboriginal people who called it Erringhi. There is a hotel in the main street of Clarence Town built in 1913 called The Erringhi Hotel.

The township is most famous for building and launching the William IV paddle steamer in 1831, although the town was still called Erringhi at this time. It was later renamed in 1832 after the Duke of Clarence, who became King William IV in 1830.

Demographics
At the 2006 census the locality had a population of approximately 2,100 while the township, which is the largest population centre in the area, had a population of 794.

Township
Clarence Town has its own post office (built about 1880), a supermarket (IGA), a primary school, several churches, a school of arts hall (which hosts many local events), a soccer club (home of the Clarencetown Cobras), a football field come cricket pitch, a fire station, police station, club, pub, hardware store and restaurant, a caravan park on the river and a swimming pool (home of the Clarencetown Comets swimming team). There are also several picnic spots and old houses and buildings to see.

Just out of town a little way is the Good Samaritan Donkey Sanctuary, which cares for mistreated donkeys. Visitors are welcomed; however appointments are required, except on advertised open days.

Disasters
In 2007, devastating floodwaters caused havoc in the Hunter Valley and claimed the lives of 2 people on a bridge into Clarence Town from Seaham, New South Wales.