Kangaroo Flat, Victoria

Kangaroo Flat Bendigo, Victoria
Main street
Kangaroo Flat
Coordinates	36°47′S 144°14′E / 36.783°S 144.233°E / -36.783; 144.233Coordinates: 36°47′S 144°14′E / 36.783°S 144.233°E / -36.783; 144.233
Population	9,492 (2011)[1]
Postcode(s)	3555
Location	145 km (90 mi) from Melbourne 5 km (3 mi) from Bendigo
LGA(s)	City of Greater Bendigo
Federal Division(s)	Bendigo
Suburbs around Kangaroo Flat: Lockwood Golden Square Golden Gully Lockwood Kangaroo Flat Mandurang Ravenswood Ravenswood Mandurang

Kangaroo Flat is a suburb of Bendigo in Victoria, Australia. It is located 5 kilometres (3 miles) South-West of the Bendigo CBD. The suburb is neighbours with Golden Square.

History

Prior to the gold rush the Bendigo district was part of a large sheep-station (farming allocation) known as "the Ravenswood Run". But the discovery of very significant gold deposits in the 1850s resulted in a huge influx of people to the region, all eager to seek their fortune. While people came from all over the world, many of those seeking gold came from Mainland China. Chinese miners conducted diligent searches of alluvial and shallow mine-sites. Characteristically "round" Chinese digs are still able to be viewed in places such as Charcoal Gully, a bushland reserve located between Morrison and Thomas Streets to the South-West of Kangaroo Flat's town centre. This Chinese influence was at first resented by other diggers, many who came from European countries with little or no understanding of the Asian lifestyle. Concerted efforts by Chinese settlers to assist the community led eventually to their being embraced and later celebrated in the district. Bendigo and several satellite towns including Kangaroo Flat, Eaglehawk and White Hills, sprung up essentially as tent cities. These gave way to more permanent structures and the current street layout was essentially established by the 1880s. The Post Office opened on 2 February 1857.^[2]

The population of Kangaroo Flat decreased along with the region as the gold rush resided, although the town has always maintained its own cultural heritage and identity. Of historical note Kangaroo Flat is home to the Crusoe reservoir, this reservoir was built in the gold rush to provide a water supply to the Bendigo goldfields. Water for the reservoir came from a series of channels that reached as far as Kyneton, the reservoir is open today as a recreation park and is a unique example of 1850s engineering, including a lime / sand based filtration system.

In more recent times Kangaroo Flat has had a resurgence along with most of the region, with population increasing dramatically over the last decade. As its population edges towards the 10,000 mark, a number of the town's facilities have gone through dramatic upgrades in order to keep pace with community need. Dower Park, Kangaroo Flat's principal sporting complex & home to the local football, cricket, bowling & swimming clubs, has been transformed. A modern sports club with restaurant & gaming facilities was completed in recent years, as was a new grandstand on the Western side of the oval. Suggestions for a new indoor aquatic centre to be built not far away are beginning to air in the local community. Kangaroo Flat Fire Brigade, a busy unit established in 1873, has almost outgrown its current site in Station Street. A new site has been purchased by the Country Fire Authority in Helms Street, adjacent to Charcoal Gully, & it seems likely that this will be the brigade's new home in the not-too-distant future.

A number of lovely old churches, built in the mid-1800s, give testimony to a well-established community with strong British ties. St. Monica's Roman Catholic Church sits at the Northern end of Kangaroo Flat's busy "Main" business & shopping street, striking red brick & white masonry trim creating a unique landmark. Its newly modernised Catholic primary school is located directly opposite on the corner of Station Street. The Kangaroo Flat Uniting Church, (formerly Methodist) occupies a similar prominent spot on the Southern approach to the main street. Standing in an elevated position in Camp Street, it looks West towards Lockwood Road & the town's famous farming district . The Kangaroo Flat Baptist Church is to be found, fittingly, in Church Street, just a short stroll from Camp Street. Formerly the Kangaroo Flat Presbyterian Church, it has a long & proud history in the local area. Possibly the saddest tale though, belongs to St. Mary's Anglican Church (Church of England), situated a little further along Melbourne Road from the Uniting Church. A part of Kangaroo Flat since gold rush times, with a long & fascinating history, St. Mary's was destroyed by a horrific fire in December 2008. Originally constructed around 1862, & featuring light-drenched, airy interiors, the main building had housed stone & stained timber tablets paying tribute to notable community members. A Flight Sergeant killed over England during the Second World War, a much-loved resident Minister, & a young girl from the parish flock; these & others commemorated on St. Mary's walls, hinted at the importance of community itself within the church. A massive oil painting in modern style, completed in the 1950s by a young local girl & depicting the birth, crucifixion & resurrection of the Lord Jesus, formed a striking thematic above the altar. It was lost in the fire along with nearly all of the Parish's history. The church community rallied immediately to raise funds, & at the time of writing were close to commencing construction of a new church building with which to serve their parish & community well into the future.

Today

Two cabins of the A Line caravan park

Kangaroo Flat is home to the Kangaroos Football and Netball team in the Bendigo Football League, Lansell Square, and the Rocklea Homemakers centre which has recently been completed. It is also home to the A Line caravan park. Kangaroo Flat has had a volunteer urban fire brigade (CFA) since 1873 which remains active today. Originally located in Smith Street it moved to the current location in Station Street in the 1960s. At time of writing the Brigade awaits a decision which may provide it with a new, modern station to call home.

Kangaroo Flat is also home to several educational institutions; Crusoe 7-10 Secondary College, Kangaroo Flat Primary School, St. Monica's Primary School, the Bendigo campus of Glenvale Primary School and Bendigo Special Development School.

Lansell Square located on the Calder Highway was opened in 1979 and anchors a K-Mart department store, Coles and Safeway Supermarkets, as well as 55 speciality stores. This centre, already of impressive size and function, is about to be upgraded again, suggestive of the huge population growth experienced by Kangaroo Flat in recent times. . The local railway station is served by V/Line services on the Bendigo line, and upgraded in 2008.^[3]

References