about the common
About The Common
Dungog Common is approximately 270 hectares (667 acres) of Crown Land adjoining the western edge of Dungog, a town on the Williams River in the NSW Hunter region.
The Common terrain is quite diverse, from open grazing land to steep timbered ridges. The use of the Common is also diverse, including public recreation, tourist facilities, environmental protection, heritage purposes and rural services.
Dungog Common Recreation Reserve is managed by a Crown Land Manager appointed by the Minister for Lands. The Crown Land Manager is a not-for-profit company Dungog Community Projects Limited (DCP Ltd) incorporated in 2023 for the purpose of local management of Dungog Common, and other community assets.
Location
Dungog is 215kms north of Sydney, 75kms from Newcastle and 55kms from Maitland. The Dungog Reserve is on the western edge of Dungog, 2kms from the railway station and the main street, Dowling Street.
If you are using a GPS system, we suggest putting 74 Common Road, Dungog, 2420 into your GPS and following directions to the main parking area, where there is a dark grey shipping container.
There are regular train services to Dungog - we recommend using the latest timetable available at NSW Trains - The Dungog railway station in Brown Street is a 25 minute walk or a 9 minute cycle.
fACILITIES
Amenities block accessed through Common Road entrance, with toilets, showers and a bike wash down area.
Click image to view larger version.
History & background
The Dungog Common is a unique parcel of land with a history stretching from traditional Gringai custodianship to its current status as a community-managed recreation hub.
The land is part of the traditional country of the people of the Gathang group of languages, the Gringai, Worimi and Biripai. In the Gathang language,Dungog is said to mean "sparsely wooded hills," a description that still fits the Common’s landscape today.
The Common was part of the original 1838 village plan for Dungog. It was designed as an English-style common, intended to provide local residents with shared space for grazing livestock and gathering firewood. It was formally gazetted by the NSW Government as a Common in 1850.
While many colonial commons were subdivided or sold off for private development, the Dungog Common has in large part survived. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, additional uses were made of the Common, including as a designated rifle range. The "Rifle Range Loops" still exist as walking trails today.
A good overview of the history of Dungog can be found at https://williamsvalleyhistory.org/
Roles, Projects & Strategy
Dungog Community Projects Ltd is responsible, under the NSW Crown Land Management Act 2016, for managing the entire Common ensuring sustainable operations, environmental and heritage protection, public recreation, rural services and tourist facilities.
Dungog Community Projects Ltd is managed by a Board of seven Dungog locals with significant experience in land management and organisational governance.
Board members are:
Ms Penny Willcock, Chair
Mr Howard Glenn
Ms Marion Stuart
Mr Allen Shrimpton
Mr Val Shannon
Mr Bruce Chick
See the Government Gazettal of the appointment of the Crown Land Manager NSW Government Gazette No 145 of Friday 11 April 2025
More information about Crown Land Managers can be found at https://www.crownland.nsw.gov.au/reserve-manager
Dungog Common Advisory Group
The Dungog Common Advisory Group, also known as the “Common Voice”, is made up of an engaged group of Dungog locals who each have a strong connection to the Common.
Those community members are:
Lucy Miller
Emma Heath
Philippa Graham
Philippa Nagle
Peter Tiffin
Tony Edwards
Dan Lyons
David Smith
The Dungog Common Advisory Group advises Dungog Community Projects on community views relating to the Common, to ensure a wide range of perspectives are heard. This includes input and recommendations on park and trail management, user safety, conservation, visitor experience, cultural and natural heritage interpretation, fund raising, and the sustainable development of the Dungog Common Recreation Reserve.
Ride Dungog
Our local mountain bike club, Ride Dungog, is responsible for the management and maintenance of the mountain bike tracks under license from the Crown Land Manager.
dUNGOG COMMONERS LANDCARE
Dungog Commoners Landcare protects and preserves the Dungog Common Reserve through weed removal, erosion control, and revegetation, working as volunteers, on behalf of the Crown Land Manager.
