Castlemaine, Victoria

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Castlemaine
Victoria

Location of Castlemaine in Victoria (red)
Population: 6,797 (2006)[1]
Postcode: 3450
Elevation: 310.9 m (1,020 ft)
Location:
LGA: Shire of Mount Alexander
State District: Bendigo West
Federal Division: Bendigo
Mean Max Temp Mean Min Temp Rainfall
20.2 °C
68 °F		 6.7 °C
44 °F		 558.4 mm
22 in
For other uses, see Castlemaine (disambiguation).

Castlemaine (pronounced /ˈkæsəlmæɪn/; note the Flat A rather than a Broad A) is a city in Victoria, Australia, in the "Goldfields" region about 120 kilometres northwest by road from Melbourne, and about 40 kilometres from the major provincial centre of Bendigo. It is part of the Shire of Mount Alexander.

In 2006, Castlemaine's population was 6,797 (2006 census data), of whom about 17% were born overseas (3% in the United Kingdom).

Contents

[edit] History

Castlemaine was established during the gold rush of 1851 and was originally named Forest Creek. The name was later changed to Mount Alexander, but the chief goldfield commissioner, Captain W. Wright, renamed the settlement to honour his uncle, Viscount Castlemaine. The old name is still present in the name of a major Melbourne thoroughfare, Mount Alexander Road, which before the establishment of the Calder Freeway was the maine route to Castlemaine.

In September, 1851, three shepherds and a bullock driver discovered gold in Specimen Gully, about 5 km NE of present-day Castlemaine. Within a month the alluvial bed of Forest Creek was being worked with 8,000 miners on the field by the end of the year and 25,000 by March 1852.

Typical 19th-century commercial building in Castlemaine
Typical 19th-century commercial building in Castlemaine

The Theatre Royal [1] opened in 1856 to provide entertainment for the gold diggers, with the first performance being provided by the world renowned Lola Montes and her celebrated Spider Dance. The theatre still hosts films (including several world and Australian premieres), concerts, and functions, and claims to be the oldest continuously operating theatre in mainland Australia.

In 1859, the historic Castlemaine Football Club was established, and recent evidence makes it the second oldest football club in Australia and one of the oldest football clubs in the world.

Castlemaine's 19th-century post office
Castlemaine's 19th-century post office

After gold mining gradually ceased a number of other secondary industries sprang up. The largest was established in 1905 as the Castlemaine Bacon Company, producing smallgoods. The company is still the area's largest single employer with around 750 employees there. The company is now known as KR Castlemaine after merging with a Queensland based smallgoods manufacturer. Castlemaine XXXX was initially brewed in Castlemaine. Tourism exploring the gold-rush era buildings, and other attractions including an art gallery featuring a number of fine Heidelberg School works, is also a major source of income for the town.

For the past thirty years Castlemaine has biennially been the home of The Castlemaine State Festival, one of Victoria's premier regional arts events. The Festival, usually held in late March, has on offer over 130 free events, with a particular emphasis on outdoor events, visual arts, music and theatre. It has also attracted internationally and nationally renowned performers, including The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

Barker St was named after William Barker, another pioneer pastoralist whose run included part of the land that is now Castlemaine. The whole eastern side of Barker St, between Templeton St and Lyttleton St, has been classified by the National Trust. Adjacent the solicitors' offices is the library, built in 1857 as a mechanics' institute with additions in 1861, 1872 and 1893. Next to it is the Faulder Watson Hall which opened in 1895 and adjacent is the old telegraph office (1857). There is an information plaque. On the Lyttleton St corner is the decorative Classical Revival post office (1873-75). It is in the form of an Italian palazzo with a central clock tower, five arched bays and strongly contrasting colouration. This structure replaced a wooden post office which was built on this same spot in 1859 when the service was transferred from the gold commissioner's camp. Over the road is the Cumberland Hotel (1884). [2]

[edit] Art Gallery and Museum

Founded in 1913, the Castlemaine Art Gallery and Historical Museum has acquired an excellent collection of Australian art works and of historical items from the district's past.

The 1931 art deco building is noted for its elegant design and is Heritage listed. The building has been extended a number of times. [3]

The Gallery has always specialised in Australian art. Its particular strength is in major works of the late 1800s, the Golden Period of Australian painting, and the Edwardian era. Traditional landscape painting is a feature of the collection. More contemporary artists are also well represented.

Earlier artists include Louis Buvelot, Fred McCubbin, Tom Roberts, Arthur Streeton, Walter Withers, David Davies, E.Phillips Fox, Rupert Bunny, Max Meldrum, Percy Leason, R.W.Sturgess, John Russell, A.M.E.Bale, Hugh Ramsay, Dora Meeson, Clarice Beckett and John Longstaff.

Modernists include William Frater, Arnold Shore, Margaret Preston, Sybil Craig, Roland Wakelin, Russell Drysdale, Fred Williams, John Brack, Eric Thake, Albert Tucker, John Perceval, Clifton Pugh, Lloyd Rees, Ian Fairweather, Charles Bush and Roger Kemp. More contemporary painters include Rick Amor, John Dent, Wendy Stavrianos, Ray Crooke, Robert Jacks, Jeffrey Smart, Ian Armstrong, Paul Cavell and Brian Dunlop.The Gallery collects photographic images of Australian artists by Australian photographers and has built up a quality collection by such noted photographers as Max Dupain, David Moore, Richard Beck, Olive Cotton, May Moore, Pegg Clarke and Michel Lawrence.

The Museum has a wonderful collection of historical artworks, journals, photographs, costumes, and items specifically relating to the history of the Mount Alexander district.

[edit] Prominent People from Castlemaine

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). Community Profile Series : Castlemaine. 2006 Census of Population and Housing. Retrieved on 2007-06-30.
  2. ^ Castlemaine - Victoria - Australia - Travel - smh.com.au
  3. ^ Castlemaine Art Gallery & Historical Museum

[edit] External links

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Coordinates: 37°3′49″S, 144°13′2″E

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Cities, towns and localities in the Shire of Mount Alexander Local Government Area
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Castlemaine
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Barfold · Baringhup · Baringhup West · Barkers Creek · Bradford · Campbells Creek · Chewton · Elphinstone · Faraday · Fryerstown · Glenluce · Golden Point · Gower · Green Gully · Guildford · Harcourt · Irishtown · Joyces Creek · Langley · Maldon · McKenzie Hill · Metcalfe · Metcalfe East · Moonlight Flat · Muckleford · Muckleford South · Myrtle Creek · Neereman · Newstead · Nuggetty · Ravenswood South · Redesdale · Sandon · Strangways · Strathlea · Sutton Grange · Taradale · Tarilta · Tarrengower · Vaughan · Walmer · Welshmans Reef · Werona · Yandoit Hills · Yapeen
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