Population 3,303 (2011 census) LGA(s) Shire of Hepburn Mean max temp Mean min temp Postal code 3363 Federal division Division of Ballarat | Postcode(s) 3363 State electorate(s) Ripon Elevation 430 m Local time Saturday 1:48 AM | |
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Location 129 km (80 mi) NW of Melbourne
18 km (11 mi) N of Ballarat Weather 16°C, Wind SE at 24 km/h, 91% Humidity Points of interest Creswick Regional Park, Calembeen Park, St Georges Lake, Creswick Museum | ||
Creswick /ˈkrɛzwɪk/ is a town in west-central Victoria, Australia 18 kilometres north of Ballarat and 129 km northwest of Melbourne, in the Shire of Hepburn. It is 430 metres above sea level. At the 2011 census, Creswick had a population of 3,303. Creswick was named after the Creswick family, the pioneer settlers of the region.
Contents
- Map of Creswick VIC 3363 Australia
- History
- The town today
- Attractions
- Sport
- Notable people
- Transport
- References
Map of Creswick VIC 3363, Australia
History
The area was inhabited by the Dja Dja Wurrung people before white settlement. The pioneer white settlers were Henry, Charles and John Creswick, three brothers who started a large sheep station in 1842.
Creswick is a former gold-mining town, established during the Victorian gold rushes in the 1850s. The Post Office opened on 1 September 1854 but was named Creswick's Creek until around 1857. The population reached a peak of 25,000 during the gold rush. Today, local industries include forestry, grazing and agriculture.
Creswick was the site of the New Australasian Gold Mine disaster on 12 December 1882, Australia's worst mining disaster in which 22 men drowned.
The town today
The original School of Forestry was established in 1910 by the Department of Forestry. It was the first institution set up in Victoria to train and accredit young foresters. Now the campus is part of The University of Melbourne. The campus is situated in Water Street and houses the School of Forest & Ecosystem Science, a highly regarded research and teaching institution.
Creswick has three primary schools—two government and one Catholic: Creswick Primary School, Creswick North Primary School and St Augustines respectively.
The town also has an aged care facility. John Curtin Aged Care was formerly the township's health care hospital, but was converted to a nursing home in 1998.
Attractions
Sport
Notable people
Creswick is the birthplace of the Lindsays, perhaps Australia's best known art family. Famous Lindsays (in birth order) were Percy Lindsay (landscape painter), Sir Lionel Lindsay (printmaker, painter and critic), Norman Lindsay (painter, sculptor and writer), Ruby Lindsay (illustrator) and Sir Daryl Lindsay (painter and arts administrator). Percy Lindsay painted many landscapes of the town and Norman Lindsay immortalised the town in his novel Redheap, a work that was banned for many years.
Other famous Creswickians include John Curtin, Australia's Prime Minister during World War II; Sir Alexander Peacock, a Victorian Premier; Sir Hayden Starke, a Justice of the High Court; and William Spence early trade unionist and co-founder of the Australian Workers Union (AWU). David Temple founded the Creswick Shearers Union. Temple was the General Secretary and Spence the president of the Amalgamated Shearers Union of Australasia.
Transport
Creswick is located on the Midland Highway. Creswick railway station is served by V/Line train services to Ballarat and Maryborough, as well as buses from Ballarat operated by Davis Bus Service.