Camperdown, Victoria

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Camperdown clock tower and war memorial.

Camperdown is an historically significant rural town in western Victoria, Australia, population 3500, 165 km south west (38.15S 143.9E) of the state's capital, Melbourne.

1 Geography
2 Features
3 History
4 Sources
5 External links

[edit] Geography

Camperdown lies within the 'Lakes and Craters' region, sitting at the foot of Mount Leura which together with nearby Mount Sugerloaf are part of a large extinct volcanic complex known as the "Leura Maar". To the immediate west are the deep volcanic crater lakes Bullen-Merri and Gnotuk while to the east is the crater lake Purrumbete popular for its Trout and Chinook Salmon fishing.

[edit] Features

The town is renowned for its classic historical buildings. Central is the 103 foot high Gothic Manifold Clock Tower, built 1897, which sits in a wide Elm lined median between the dual carriageways of Manifold Street, named in honour of one of the pioneer pastoralists. Tower, avenue, Boer War memorial, Soldiers' memorial, memorial cross and JC Manifold statue are all listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.

Among the many other classic buildings are the 1886-7 two storey Georgian style Court House, the 1863 two storey bluestone (granite) Post Office, Theatre Royal (1890) and Masonic Hall (1867-68).

[edit] History

First surveyed in 1851 and named Camperdown in 1854 in respect to a Scottish Naval hero (the Earl Of Camperdown), the town became the service centre for the vast pastoral empires of the region. By the mid 20th century it had emerged as a more diverse centre for dairy farming which drew on its rich volcanic soil, for woolgrowing and for produce processing industries. By the late 20th century the town had become a major centre for tourism because of its unspoiled 19th century architecture and as a gateway to the southern tourist attractions of the Otway Ranges, the Great Ocean Road and the 'Shipwreck Coast'.