Beaufort, Victoria
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Beaufort Victoria |
|
| Population: | 987[1] |
| Postcode: | 3373 |
| Location: | |
| LGA: | Pyrenees Shire |
| State District: | Ripon |
| Federal Division: | Wannon |
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. At the 2001 census, Beaufort had a population of 987.[1] The town takes its name either from Rear-Admiral F. Beaufort or a Welsh village in Monmouthshire.[2]
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.[3] 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] and the the Post Office renamed as Beaufort the same year (since 1855 having been known as Fiery Creek, Fiery Creek PGF, and Raglan).[4]
Beaufort has been home to an all-ages, five-day (rave) music and arts festival, called Rainbow Serpent Festival, since 1998.[5][6]
The Nordic Knights motorcycle club moved to Beaufort after departing from Melbourne in 1982, but was later disbanded.
The town has its own railway station on the Ararat railway line.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (9 March 2006). Beaufort (L) (Urban Centre/Locality). 2001 Census QuickStats. Retrieved on 2007-06-03.
- ^ Beaufort. Historical Towns Directory. Australian Heritage. Retrieved on 2006-07-10.
- ^ History. Pyrenees Tourism. Pyrenees Shire (2006). Retrieved on 2006-07-10.
- ^ Premier Postal History, Post Office List, <https://www.premierpostal.com/cgi-bin/wsProd.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=VIC&country=>. Retrieved on 11 April 2008
- ^ *Rainbow Serpent Festival
- ^ *Highway 8 Music Management
[edit] External links
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