Beaufort, Victoria

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Beaufort Victoria
LGA:	Pyrenees Shire

Beaufort is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is located on the Western Highway midway between Ararat and Ballarat, in the Pyrenees Shire local government area. It is 387 metres above sea level. The town has a population of approximately 2,600. The town takes its name either from Rear-Admiral F. Beaufort or a Welsh village in Monmouthshire.^[1]

The area was once occupied by the Jajowarrung Aborigines who called the area 'Peerick'.

Thomas Mitchell passed through the district on his expedition of 1836. Early settlers in the area were the Kirkland Brothers and a Mr. Hamilton; the latter took up Trawalla Station in 1838. The station was taken over by Adolphus Goldsmith in 1841 and he developed the property into a rich grazing enterprise. Lake Goldsmith was named after him. Gold was discovered in 1852, with another gold rush from 1854 at nearby Fiery Creek. The Fiery Creek diggings supported four townships – Beaufort, Yam Holes Creek, View Point and Southern Cross – during the 1850s. The population on the fields reportedly reached approximately 100,000 people at its height in the late 1850s and produced 450,000 ounces of gold over a two-year period, 1855 - 1856.^[2] The town was surveyed in 1857 and town allotments were sold from 1858. By 1860, Beaufort had become a small but strong agricultural, pastoral and timber district. Beaufort's Court House was built in 1863.[1] [2]

Beaufort has been home to the biggest and most beautiful nightclub in the world, an all ages 5 day music and arts (rave) festival called, Rainbow Serpant Festival, for the last 9 years.

The Nordic knights outlaw motorcycle club moved to Beaufort after departing from Melbourne in 1982, but was later disbanded. the 3 founding members survive within the immeadiate local area today.^{[citation needed]} Also from Melbourne, in 1981, appeared Highway 8 music management, that claim the name Highway 8 and is why the Australian government can't name the highway that the town's located on Highway 8, due to the company's ACN, it's confined to ozroads 8.^{[citation needed]} In 2006, a CEO of Highway 8 ran for mayor of Beaufort but was beat out by Cr Gabriel Horvat.^{[citation needed]}