What are the opening hours?

Monday 9am - 4pm Tuesday 9am - 4pm Wednesday 9am - 4pm Thursday 9am - 4pm Friday 9am - 4pm Saturday 9am - 4pm Sunday 9am - 4pm

Hunter Wetlands Centre Australia

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Shortland, NSW
Hunter Wetlands Centre Australia

The Hunter Wetlands Centre is Australia's oldest community-owned wetland centre. We restore wetlands and conserve wildlife on our 43 hectare site.
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Activities:

Escape the everyday and discover the magic of wetlands at Hunter Wetlands Centre Australia.This incredibly diverse 45 hectare wetland site offers endless opportunities to explore, discover and relax with nature. When you visit Hunter Wetlands Centre you’ll be amazed at how much there is to do and see. There’s so many activities on offer to help you discover the magic of wetlands. Here

’s our top ten to start you off:

Walking/Bike Trails
Dipnetting
Wildlife Sighting
Self-guided/Guided Ecotours
Feeding Talks
Discovery Zone & Playground
Orienteering
Picnics and BBQs
Giftshop & Spoonbill Café

03/09/2026

🎉Our September Art Exhibition “Southern Lights “ is NOW OPEN

This marvellous exhibition showcases the works of 6 local painters 👩‍🎨 Cheryl Barrett, Jill Campbell, Pam Carroll, Jenni Gander, Sharon O’Hearn and Dianne Turnbull from The Artists’ Studio whose eclectic and contemporary works portray the vibrant beauty of our wetlands.

Joining them is sculptor 👩‍🎨 Maria Hine who takes driftwood from the beaches of Port Stephens and Newcastle and crafts them into interesting art.

Thanks to all who attended the exhibition launch, it was such a success and great to see so many people there! A special thanks to Celtic musicians John and Ruth. 🪉🎻🪈

🎨All art works are for sale with a percentage of the sale price going to the Hunter Wetlands so you’ll be supporting our local artists and the nature that inspires them! 🌿

✨ “Southern Light” The Artists’ Studio
📍 Hunter Wetlands Centre Artspace
📅 28 Aug-24 Sept 2006

02/09/2026

⚠️ BIRD FLU UPDATE

As of late August, Australia has recorded 350 H5N1 bird flu cases including, sadly, mass mortalities. And while we are devastated to hear this news, we are grateful that impact on the Hunter Region has been minimal so far.

It’s important that we all continue to be vigilent and ‘do our bit’ to reduce the risk and impact of the virus on our bird and mammal populations.

🚫AVOID: do not touch the animal or get too close
🤳RECORD: the bird’s location, type of bird and what you saw (videos or photos are useful!)
☎️REPORT: contact the 24 hour emergency animal disease hotline 1800 675 888

We also remind visitors - particularly avid birders and bushwalkers - that you can reduce the likelihood of spreading the disease between sites by taking an ‘arrive clean, leave clean’ approach and washing off your boots. 🥾

❓What to know more about how the Hunter Wetlands is managing the H5N1 risk? 🎧Listen to our Director Michele Keith on ABC Newcastle Drive with Kylie Morris ▶️ [scroll to 18:40min]
https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/newcastle-drive/drive/107094302

31/08/2026

Yesterday, one of our HWCA Members and local photographer, Mel New, spent a full 5 hours wandering our wetlands and capturing these beautiful glimpses of birds and the changing seasons. 🌿🌸🐥

While some of our winter breeding birds, the Black Swan and Australian Ibis, are busy raising their chicks the warmer weather has enticed the Fairy-wrens to start getting busy with their own nesting duties! 🪺

So as winter slips by and gives way to spring, here’s a lovely little collection from the last days of the season. 👏Thanks Mel for sharing!

📸If you have any photos taken at our wetlands that you’d like to share just tag us! 🏷️ And don’t forget our photo comp closes 18 September ‼️ - it’s your chance to get published in our 2027 calendar 🗓️ https://www.wetlands.org.au/upcoming-event/annual-photography-competition

27/08/2026

🖼️ What happens when six artists who have been painting and exhibiting together for more than a decade come together in one exhibition?

✨Southern Light by The Artists’ Studio is a vibrant celebration of contemporary expressionist painting, bringing together six distinctive artists 👩‍🎨: Cheryl Barrett, Jill Campbell, Pam Carroll, Jenni Gander, Sharon O’Hearn and Dianne Turnbull.

Expect bold colour, energetic design and plenty of creative variety — from abstract works through to realism, each artist brings their own style and perspective to the landscapes and subjects of the wetlands.🎨

✨ “Southern Light” The Artists’ Studio
📍 Hunter Wetlands Centre Artspace
📅 28 Aug-24 Sept 2006

🥂EXHIBITION LAUNCH
Meet the Artists and enjoy light refreshments and live music by Ruth Calderwell (Harp) and John Houston (Fiddle)
⏰3.30pm-5pm Sat 29 August
🎟️FREE

19/08/2026

The Wednesday Pastels Group picked a lovely day to get out of the church hall at Mayfield and into nature at the wetlands for their inspiration. 🎨🌿

From the reflections on the water and the colours in the landscape to the wildlife posing perfectly, there’s always something incredible to draw, paint or photograph and we love seeing artists interpreting this special place in their own way. 💚

13/08/2026

🐦 The delightful Little Wattlebird (Anthochaera chrysoptera) is distinguishable from other birds in the Wattlebird family by its lack of ‘wattles’.

These are a common sight in Australia’s east coast woodlands and heathlands where they feed on nectar, berries and insects. 🌺

This fine specimen was one of many birds enjoying near spring conditions and flowering in our Bushtucker Garden - a perfect place for birdwatchers!

06/08/2026

👩‍🎨 Tallulah Cunningham, Melissa Murry, Jenepher Surbey, Aurelia Nowak, Fiona Heard, Juliet Ackery and Jennifer Wood and are just some of the amazing artists with works in our current exhibition.

‘Windows on the Wetlands’ brings together artists from the Newcastle Printmakers Workshop who have over the last 18 months explored the Hunter Wetlands Centre and created artworks that reflect its rich biodiversity through a range of printmaking techniques. 🎨

👩‍🎨Joining the printmakers in this special exhibition are Ceramicists Jenepher Surbey & Juliet Ackery. Their beautiful work celebrates their love of colour, texture and textiles and provides visitors a rare opportunity to see some of their recent work.

Drop in and discover this inspiring exhibition on in our Visitors Centre until 27 August 2026. 🔴All works are for sale with a percentage of the sale price going to the Hunter Wetlands Centre meaning you be supporting local artists and the wonderful wetlands that inspired their art. 🌿

🖼️ Windows on the Wetlands
🧑‍🎨 Newcastle Printmakers Workshop + Ceramicists
🗓️ 24 July - 27 August 2026
📍Hunter Wetlands Centre Artspace 1 Wetlands Pl Shortland NSW

04/08/2026

🎪Call for Stallholders!

Our annual Spring Festival is happening Sunday 27 September 2026 and we’re looking for local artisans, food producers and community group who would like to be a part of it! 🍭🎨 🌸

🌿Hunter Wetlands Centre’s Spring Festival is a celebration of our beautiful wetlands and the conservation work we do with kids activities, guided walks, live music, market stalls and more!

Interested in having a stall? We’d love to hear from you!

For more details or Expression of Interest ➡️ https://www.wetlands.org.au/upcoming-event/market-stall-holders-for-wetlands-spring-festival

🎊 Sunday 27 Sept 2026 10am-2pm
📍 Hunter Wetlands Centre: 1 Wetlands Pl Shortland

27/07/2026

🌳 The results are in… and we have a winner!
🏆 The Fig Tree! 🌳

During our school holiday program we asked visitors to vote for their favourite tree, and after counting the votes, the Fig tree came out on top…

Australia is home to around 45 species of native figs. Our biggest native fig, the Moreton Bay Fig, can grow over 35 metres tall with canopies spreading more than 40 metres wide, supported by massive buttress roots that also provide habitat for wildlife. Fig trees are also a keystone species, producing fruit at different times of the year and providing an essential food source for birds, flying foxes and other native animals when little else is available.

Thanks to everyone who cast a vote! Did your favourite tree take out the top spot? 🌳 💚

Address

1 Wetlands Place
Shortland, NSW
2307

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 4pm
Tuesday	9am - 4pm
Wednesday	9am - 4pm
Thursday	9am - 4pm
Friday	9am - 4pm
Saturday	9am - 4pm
Sunday	9am - 4pm

Telephone

+61249516466

Website

http://www.wetlands.org.au/

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