Photo Slideshow: Coal Mining and Wine Making in Australia

An overview of Australia’s Hunter Valley, traditionally known for its vineyards but more recently as a hydrocarbon center.

The 10,000-person town of Muswellbrook, here in the fertile Hunter Valley in northeastern New South Wales, has always been a little rough around the edges. But a torrent of new investments in mineral leases, coal mines, and excavating equipment is changing the look of the local economy and giving Muswellbrooke the most significant development boost it has ever seen.

Aaron Jaffe is a Chicago-based photojournalist for Circle of Blue. This slideshow was made to accompany an article written by Jaffe: Burdens of Extraction — The Growing Coal Mining Industry in Australia’s Hunter Valley Wine Region. Reach Jaffe at circleofblue.org/contact.