The Hunter Region Sporting Hall of Fame is made up of over 300 athletes who have Australian honours or competed in an international tournament and represented the Hunter region at junior or senior level.

Leading the inductees was Lochinvar Olympic equestrian Heath Ryan, who was a member of the Australian Dressage Team for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. 

He was also the assistant coach for the Australian eventing team, which won gold in Atlanta in 1996 and in Sydney four years later.

Ryan has been the Australian three day event champion and Grand Prix dressage champion.

Former Swansea-Belmont surf lifesaver Lisa Wright, who has been the world, Australian and NSW beach flags champion was also recognised.

Wright was still in red-hot form on the way to picking up a state masters titles at Blacksmiths Beach for Dixon Park this year.

Nadine Watson was inducted for her efforts in aquathon and duathlon. She was the national open women’s and under-18 aquathon champion in 1990 and represented Australia in the World Biathlon Championships in Fiji that year.

Also inducted were Rebecca Smyth (rugby union) for her three World Cup appearances, Alan Rae (motorcar racing), former Socceroo David William Bone (football), Thomas Chapman (boxing), Kevin Pinkstone (motor racing) and Herbert Jones, who played three rugby union internationals for Australia against New Zealand in 1915.