Batesford (Batesford)
Batesford is a small township located approximately 10 kilometres west of Geelong and 67 kilometres south-west of the state capital, Melbourne.
It is located on the banks of the Moorabool River and on the Midland Highway. The town is divided between the City of Greater Geelong and Golden Plains Shire.
Batesford is named after Alfred and John Bates who settled here in 1837 at a place where the river could be forded. The township was surveyed in 1854 and was originally named Hopeton after George Hope whose land it formed a part. A feature of Batesford is the bluestone bridge dating from 1859 which now forms part of the service road past the Batesford Hotel (formerly the Derwent or Dog Rocks Hotel). Both these structures are on the Register of the National Estate. The Post Office opened on 18 August 1856 and closed in 1949.
Batesford features a large granite outcrop, the 'Dog Rocks', in a reserve located within the town that obtained its name from local wild dogs that once lived around the rocks. Indigenous Australians believe the 'Dog Rocks' to be haunted. Batesford contains the Dogs Rocks Fauna and Flora Sanctuary, which is home to many endemic species. It was established when the current owner George Belcher’s great grandfather purchased the property in 1856. It is situated adjacent to the Dog Rocks outcrop on the top of a hill in west Batesford. This open eucalyptus woodland nurtures a rich variety of flora and fauna. Rare local native vegetation can be found. The Sanctuary is recognised for its concentration of bird life and provides a protected haven and habitat for them. It also contains a variety of mammals and reptiles which are all part of the complex ecology of the area.
It is located on the banks of the Moorabool River and on the Midland Highway. The town is divided between the City of Greater Geelong and Golden Plains Shire.
Batesford is named after Alfred and John Bates who settled here in 1837 at a place where the river could be forded. The township was surveyed in 1854 and was originally named Hopeton after George Hope whose land it formed a part. A feature of Batesford is the bluestone bridge dating from 1859 which now forms part of the service road past the Batesford Hotel (formerly the Derwent or Dog Rocks Hotel). Both these structures are on the Register of the National Estate. The Post Office opened on 18 August 1856 and closed in 1949.
Batesford features a large granite outcrop, the 'Dog Rocks', in a reserve located within the town that obtained its name from local wild dogs that once lived around the rocks. Indigenous Australians believe the 'Dog Rocks' to be haunted. Batesford contains the Dogs Rocks Fauna and Flora Sanctuary, which is home to many endemic species. It was established when the current owner George Belcher’s great grandfather purchased the property in 1856. It is situated adjacent to the Dog Rocks outcrop on the top of a hill in west Batesford. This open eucalyptus woodland nurtures a rich variety of flora and fauna. Rare local native vegetation can be found. The Sanctuary is recognised for its concentration of bird life and provides a protected haven and habitat for them. It also contains a variety of mammals and reptiles which are all part of the complex ecology of the area.
Map - Batesford (Batesford)
Map
Country - Australia
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The ancestors of Aboriginal Australians began arriving from south east Asia approximately 65,000 years ago, during the last ice age. Arriving by sea, they settled the continent and had formed approximately 250 distinct language groups by the time of European settlement, maintaining some of the longest known continuing artistic and religious traditions in the world. Australia's written history commenced with the European maritime exploration of Australia. The Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon was the first known European to reach Australia, in 1606. In 1770, the British explorer James Cook mapped and claimed the east coast of Australia for Great Britain, and the First Fleet of British ships arrived at Sydney in 1788 to establish the penal colony of New South Wales. The European population grew in subsequent decades, and by the end of the 1850s gold rush, most of the continent had been explored by European settlers and an additional five self-governing British colonies established. Democratic parliaments were gradually established through the 19th century, culminating with a vote for the federation of the six colonies and foundation of the Commonwealth of Australia on 1 January 1901. Australia has since maintained a stable liberal democratic political system and wealthy market economy.
Currency / Language
ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
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AUD | Australian dollar | $ | 2 |
ISO | Language |
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EN | English language |