Charlton (Charlton)
Charlton is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is a small agricultural community straddling the Avoca River, located at the junction of the Calder Highway (A79) and Borung Highway (C239) and positioned in the last of the foothills of the Great Dividing Range. Halfway between Melbourne and Mildura, Charlton is a popular tourist stop.
The traditional owners of the region are the Jaara people, part of the Djadjawurrung language group of the Kulin nation. They called the area "Youanduk", meaning a basin in a rock, because there were a number of depressions in the local rocks providing a reliable water supply. The names of surrounding agricultural districts reflect the legacy of the First Nations inhabitants: Barrakee, Buckrabanyule, Woosang, Wooroonook and Yeungroon.
After extensive travels throughout the region by Major Thomas Mitchell, settlement by Europeans commenced in 1848 when the squatters Robert Cay and William Kaye established a station and named the region after Charlton near Greenwich, England. Unlike many other towns in the region, Charlton was not established as a result of gold mining, but for pastoral purposes and the proximity to a permanent water supply provided by the Avoca River. The town was originally named East Charlton due to its location on the eastern banks of the Avoca River, and because another Victoria town was already named Charlton (renamed Chute in 1879). The East Charlton Post Office opened on 21 December 1876 (renamed Charlton in 1879) replacing an earlier (1854) office nearby named Yowen Hill.
The first bridge crossing the river was erected in 1867 by James Paterson, allowing expansion on both sides of the river. Throughout the history of Charlton, the Avoca River has been known for its regular flooding after heavy rain. Floods have often surrounded the town or, on rare occasions, flooded the town itself. Levee banks were constructed to their present levels in the 1950s, but parts of the town were flooded in September 2010. Minor flooding occurred again in December 2010, with the highest-ever recorded flood level inundating the town in January 2011, some homes within the town being inundated by water more than 1.6 meters above floor level.
A prominent landmark is the former hotel, the "Vale of Avoca", built in 1879 by James and Elizabeth Egan, on the site of an early bark hut inn. Constructed on a reef of stone, Mrs Egan named the building as being in the "vale" or valley of the nearby Avoca River. Delicensed as a hotel in 1942, the building was restored in the 1990s and currently provides bed and breakfast.
The first issue of the local newspaper, the Tribune, was published on 20 May 1876, the founders being H. T. Henningsen and his step-son, R. M. Klunder. In 1925, the business was purchased by Messrs Hogan and Gardiner and then followed other proprietors, Herbert Davies and John S. Richardson, and then, after his death in 1954, his widow, Rena M. Richardson. For many years the Tribune was published twice weekly – Wednesdays and Saturdays – but, during World War II, a shortage of staff and paper necessitated the change to weekly publication. In February 1960, Rena Richardson married William Wood and, in 1961, she sold the Tribune to Ian and Coral Cameron. In 1981, the newspaper was sold by the Camerons to the St. Arnaud Mercury, and the Mercury and Tribune were combined to become the North Central News.
Charlton Magistrates' Court closed on 1 January 1983.
The traditional owners of the region are the Jaara people, part of the Djadjawurrung language group of the Kulin nation. They called the area "Youanduk", meaning a basin in a rock, because there were a number of depressions in the local rocks providing a reliable water supply. The names of surrounding agricultural districts reflect the legacy of the First Nations inhabitants: Barrakee, Buckrabanyule, Woosang, Wooroonook and Yeungroon.
After extensive travels throughout the region by Major Thomas Mitchell, settlement by Europeans commenced in 1848 when the squatters Robert Cay and William Kaye established a station and named the region after Charlton near Greenwich, England. Unlike many other towns in the region, Charlton was not established as a result of gold mining, but for pastoral purposes and the proximity to a permanent water supply provided by the Avoca River. The town was originally named East Charlton due to its location on the eastern banks of the Avoca River, and because another Victoria town was already named Charlton (renamed Chute in 1879). The East Charlton Post Office opened on 21 December 1876 (renamed Charlton in 1879) replacing an earlier (1854) office nearby named Yowen Hill.
The first bridge crossing the river was erected in 1867 by James Paterson, allowing expansion on both sides of the river. Throughout the history of Charlton, the Avoca River has been known for its regular flooding after heavy rain. Floods have often surrounded the town or, on rare occasions, flooded the town itself. Levee banks were constructed to their present levels in the 1950s, but parts of the town were flooded in September 2010. Minor flooding occurred again in December 2010, with the highest-ever recorded flood level inundating the town in January 2011, some homes within the town being inundated by water more than 1.6 meters above floor level.
A prominent landmark is the former hotel, the "Vale of Avoca", built in 1879 by James and Elizabeth Egan, on the site of an early bark hut inn. Constructed on a reef of stone, Mrs Egan named the building as being in the "vale" or valley of the nearby Avoca River. Delicensed as a hotel in 1942, the building was restored in the 1990s and currently provides bed and breakfast.
The first issue of the local newspaper, the Tribune, was published on 20 May 1876, the founders being H. T. Henningsen and his step-son, R. M. Klunder. In 1925, the business was purchased by Messrs Hogan and Gardiner and then followed other proprietors, Herbert Davies and John S. Richardson, and then, after his death in 1954, his widow, Rena M. Richardson. For many years the Tribune was published twice weekly – Wednesdays and Saturdays – but, during World War II, a shortage of staff and paper necessitated the change to weekly publication. In February 1960, Rena Richardson married William Wood and, in 1961, she sold the Tribune to Ian and Coral Cameron. In 1981, the newspaper was sold by the Camerons to the St. Arnaud Mercury, and the Mercury and Tribune were combined to become the North Central News.
Charlton Magistrates' Court closed on 1 January 1983.
Map - Charlton (Charlton)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUD | Australian dollar | $ | 2 |
| ISO | Language |
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| EN | English language |