In 1820 John Howe led an expedition to the fertile valley of St Patrick's Plains. Many settlers followed and began raising stock on their grants of land. Within a generation the pastoral district was flourishing and traders also came to establish their livelihood. Hence a township grew on the banks of the Hunter River, taking its name from one of the original discovering party, Benjamin Singleton.

For the first 100 years of Singleton's history the agricultural industry dominated the region. However, the discovery of vast resources of coal in the area has transformed Singleton into the State's largest producer of coal, giving the Shire a two-fold industrial profile.

The diversity of its resources has encouraged many changes, helping Singleton to evolve from a quiet country town to one of the most progressive and sophisticated commercial centres in the State, catering for its cosmopolitan workforce and residents. The area continues to experience further mining developments and is diversifying into other industries.

For more information the Singleton Index by Tony Andrews provides a timeline of Singleton's history.