Camperdown, Victoria

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Camperdown
Victoria

Camperdown clock tower and war memorial.

Population:

4,860

Established:

1854

Postcode:

3260

Elevation:

682 m

Location:

193.6 km south-west of Melbourne
45.4 km west of Colac

LGA:

Corangamite Shire Council

Mean Max Temp	Mean Min Temp	Rainfall
19.1 °C ^{66 °F}	8.1 °C ^{47 °F}	762.4 mm ^{30 in}

Camperdown is an historically significant rural town in western Victoria, Australia, population 4,860, 193.6 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

Wide view of Clock Tower & War Memorial.

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.Another interesting feature is Mt Leura & Mt Sugarloaf, a series of volcanic hills & craters. A senic lookout road winds its way up Mt Leura which allows visitors to see the surrounding countryside. This road is also used regularly for motorsport events. Rounds of the Victorian Hillclimb Championship are held on a regular basis. These events challenge drivers and their race cars to see who can get to the top of the mount the quickest.

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'.