A farmer from the Upper Hunter Valley in New South Wales has today been bestowed a significant international environmental award.

Wendy Bowman has received the Goldman Environmental Prize in the United States, and is the first Australian to be honoured in almost 15 years.

Previously won by former Greens leader, Bob Brown, the award recognises unsung individuals who are striving to protect the natural environment in the face of overwhelming odds.

For almost three decades, the tenacious Hunter Valley cattle producer has been fighting to save prime farmland, water, and rural villages from the impacts of open-cut coal mining — inspiring a community movement along the way.

She said receiving the award was an unexpected surprise.

"When I got the phone call, I was in shock, because I really had never heard of this award and I didn't believe it was happening for a long while," she said.

The prize is awarded annually to a grassroots environmental leader from each of the world's six inhabited continental regions, offering financial support to pursue their vision.

Ms Bowman said her work to help inform fellow landholders about their rights was a contributing factor.

"I think I was awarded it, possibly because I seem to have been fighting against mining here for so long," she said.

"We started fighting around 1990 when I started Mine Watch NSW and that was because the open cut mines in the mid-80s just suddenly developed everywhere.

"Before that, there'd always been mining here in the Valley, but it had been underground mines.

"All of a sudden, this open-cut started and people were being pushed off their properties by the mines because Government departments were just giving leases out to mining companies, not telling the owners what they were doing.

"People would come to you and say, 'Oh will you sign this, we're coming in to drill on your property,' and you'd say, 'You what?' You didn't know who they were, what they were — it all happened terribly quickly."

In December 2014, the steadfast widow won an unprecedented case in the NSW Land and Environment Court against the development of the Ashton South East open-cut mine, owned by Chinese company Yancoal.

The proposed mine would have consumed her 182-hectare property and had potential consequences for other farmers, as well as the Hunter's multi-million-dollar wine industry downstream.

The judge issued a condition of approval that required Yancoal to acquire Wendy Bowman's property before any development could take place.

The NSW Court of Appeal dismissed a bid by Yancoal to have the ruling overturned in 2015.

Praise from environmental groups

New South Wales coordinator for Lock the Gate, Georgina Woods, said the decision turned the tables for the movement.

"The extraordinary thing is that people don't tend to win battles against coal mines in the Hunter," she said.

"I guess that's why her success is worthy of an international environmental prize.

"We hope that the spotlight that her win will bring to the Hunter and the struggles of the agricultural sector here against the mining industry, will help turn the tide and bring back some balance.

"It's not a story that many Australians know and so I hope there will be greater scrutiny on the industry as a result of Wendy's success in winning this prize — it's certainly long overdue."

Acknowledgment from mining industry

Chief executive of the New South Wales Minerals Council, Stephen Galilee, has also applauded the achievement.

"We are very pleased that Wendy has won this award," he said.

"It is a tribute to the work that she has done on behalf of her community in the Hunter.

"She's worked very closely with the Upper Hunter mining industry over many years to help improve our practices.

"Some activists would have you believe that mining can't coexist with other industries or with local communities, but Wendy and the work that she has been involved in, has demonstrated that is possible.

"The truth is that if you took mining out, the Hunter would struggle to survive economically and socially, and it would be a very big blow for the Hunter and for the state as well," he said.

Ms Bowman said she would like to dedicate the award to other environmental advocates.

"I'm accepting this on behalf of everybody in the Hunter Valley and in New South Wales who are fighting for the environment and I just accept it for all of us, not just for me, because there are so many people all over the state who are fighting."