BATHURSTWe live in Bathurst You Can Too A History of Bathurst................................................................................3 Things you need to know ........................................................................5 All that Bathurst has to Offer ................................................................6 Communications............................................................................................7 Migrant Support .............................................................................................7 Transport ........................................................................................................8 Main Industry of the Bathurst Region ..........................................................9 Accommodation...........................................................................................10 Real Estate....................................................................................................12 Childcare ......................................................................................................13 Education .....................................................................................................14 Higher Education .........................................................................................15 Employment Agencies ................................................................................16 Attractions/ Things to Do ............................................................................17 Sporting Clubs/Associations......................................................................19 Community Groups/Associations ..............................................................21 Churches/Religious Services......................................................................28 Financial Institutions ...................................................................................30 Services and Trades ....................................................................................30 Retail Services .............................................................................................35 Cafes/Restaurants .......................................................................................38 CAFÉS...........................................................................................................38 RESTAURANTS............................................................................................39 TAKEAWAYS................................................................................................40 Clubs/Hotels.................................................................................................41 Medical Services ..........................................................................................42 1 A Better Life BathurstWe Live in Bathurst You Can too The Country Careers Program.............................................................43 Health Service Details .................................................................................44 GWAHS Learning & Development Division......................................45 The Institute of Rural Clinical Services and Teaching (IRCST)46 Acknowledgements ................................................................................47 Created by: Catherine Deverell Country Careers Coordinator 22 February 2008 2 A Better Life BATHURSTWe live in Bathurst You Can Too A History of BathBathBathurstBathurstursturst Major historic city on the western side of the Great Dividing Range. Bathurst is located on the Macquarie River 207 km west of Sydney via the Great Western Highway and 670 m above sea-level. Australia's oldest inland city, it has many fine historic buildings. Gregory Blaxland, William Wentworth and William Lawson became the first Europeans to find a way across the Blue Mountains in May 1813 which resulted in settlement beyond the Cumberland Plains. However, it was surveyor George Evans who crossed the main range later that year. During the trek he camped on the future townsite of Bathurst and made a favourable report of the country he saw. Evans named the Macquarie River after Governor Lachlan Macquarie and the Bathurst Plains after Lord Bathurst, the British secretary of state for the colonies. By January 1815 William Cox had completed the considerable feat of building a road over the mountains and in April Governor Macquarie traversed this new route. When he reached the road-building party's depot on the west bank of the Macquarie River he proclaimed it 'a site for the erection of a town at some future period' which was to be named Bathurst. Later that year a government domain, consisting solely of troopers, government personnel and convict labourers, was established. Surrounded by a large government stock reserve, it was used as the launching pad for explorations of the interior by Evans in 1815, John Oxley in 1816, Allan Cunningham in 1823 and Charles Sturt in 1828. In 1832 Thomas Mitchell discovered the Victoria Pass and a much improved route across the mountains was quickly established. Consequently Governor Bourke decided to open up the government reserve at Bathurst to the public. It was surveyed and land sales proceeded in 1833. This new settlement soon became the centre of a major pastoral area and a regular coach service from Sydney had been established by 1835. The depression of the 1840s forestalled expansion but, in 1851, the first payable gold in the country was found at nearby Ophir. This sparked a remarkable gold rush which transformed the entire colony. Due to its location and its early establishment Bathurst was greatly affected. It became a commercial centre for those en route to the diggings and the town's population doubled in the course of the 1850s to over 4000. There were some 3 A Better Life BathurstWe Live in Bathurst You Can too 50 grog shops in operation by 1860. Two years later Bathurst became a municipality. That same year the Cobb & Co coach company expanded its operations from Victoria to NSW, making Bathurst its headquarters. The railway arrived in 1876, opening up the Central West to the Sydney produce markets and proving a further boost to the town's fortunes as a provincial centre. The population increased from 5000 in 1871 to over 9000 by the end of the century with Bathurst declared a city in 1885. By the end of the 19th-century the large wool enterprises of the district were giving way to smaller holdings with an emphasis on cattle, agriculture, market gardening and fruit orchards. The latter enterprise received a boost when returning soldiers were granted land after World War I, turning their efforts largely to orchards. Motor racing also developed in the area from 1911 culminating in the establishment of the Mt Panorama Racing Circuit in 1938. A strong emphasis on the retention of local industries, the development of educational institutions, the establishment of decentralised government departments and tourism have been features of the local economy since World War II. Ben Chifley, the son of a blacksmith and the prime minister of Australia from 1945 to 1949, was born at Bathurst in 1885 and maintained his connections with the city until the end of his life. He joined the NSW railways at 17 and, at 26, became the youngest locomotive driver in the state. Chifley became a union representative in 1913 but was demoted to cleaner due to his involvement in the Great Strike of 1917. He entered parliament as the member for Macquarie (the local seat) in 1928 and became the treasurer and minister for postwar reconstruction in Curtin's government. When Curtin died in the last month of World War II Chifley became prime minister. From 1949 until his death in 1951 he was leader of the opposition. He was interred at Bathurst. Bathurst Court House 4 A Better Life BathurstWe Live in Bathurst You Can too Things you need to know (Facts and Figures) The Climate of Bathurst ranges from a summer climate of 12 - 28 degrees to 0 - 11 degrees in the winter months. Bathurst is only 202.59 kilometres or 3 hours from Sydney. Other major towns near Bathurst include Canberra. Bathurst is only 278.52 kilometres from our Capital, or 3.4 hours. Another large city close to Bathurst is Dubbo, which is 205.46 kilometres or 2.33 hours and also Orange which is 54.19 kilometres or 39.40 minutes. So you are never isolated when you live in Bathurst. Bathurst is Australia’s oldest inland settlement. In the early days of the colony the area was used as an experimental farm. Bathurst was in a prime position to capitalise on the 1851 goldrush, and was the trading service hub for its own goldfields as well as for most of the gold from the fields at Ophir, Hill End and Sofala. These days, with a Population of 37508 people, Bathurst is one of Australia's fastest-growing regional centres. Abercrombie House 5 A Better Life BathurstWe Live in Bathurst You Can too All that Bathurst has to Offer Cultural Services The Bathurst region offers a vibrant cultural life. Bathurst Regional Council is committed to ensure the Region is a major cultural centre. The Regional Art Gallery has a reputation that has gained international recognition. Bathurst Regional Art Gallery (BRAG) is one of the oldest regional galleries in NSW. It is a well equipped and is home to one of the finest collection of Lloyd Rees artworks in regional NSW. BRAG's exhibition program features a diverse range of touring exhibitions, Local Artist Project Shows, exhibitions created from the permanent collection and the work of Hill End Artists.