THE STORY OF BATHURST
A Tourism & Educational Attraction
“From the Dreamtime to a modern regional city”
Part of the Robin McLachlan Heritage Walk
Convict Bolters and Bushrangers
The creation of Stewart’s Police in 1825 at Bathurst (foundation of the NSW Mounted Police); the Ribbon Gang 1831 - largest execution of condemned men (10) in Australia’s history at Ribbon Gang Lane, Bathurst; and later – bushranging, Ben Hall raids in the 1860’s; The new Court House 1870’s and eventual strengthening of the Rule of Law.
Exploring the Interior
Bathurst as the start of the great Australian inland expeditions by Oxley, Cunningham, Evans and many others - 1818 onwards
Gold
Australia’s First Gold Fields: First ever discovery of gold in Australia occurred in the Bathurst district 1823; Hargreaves, Tom and List April 1851; gold fields in the region of Bathurst Ophir May 1851, followed by Tambaroora & Sofala 1851; Cobb & Co, James Rutherford and the Roaring Days from 1862; the largest gold specimen in the world; Hill end 1872; the Holtermann photographs
A Social Revolution
1860’s and 1870’s Bishop Quinn, State Education Act, St Stanislaus College; first TAFE 1891; Establishment of Agricultural Station and origins of Charles Sturt University.
Opening Up Inland NSW
Faster travel and communication: bulk transport; the first telegraph; the coming of the railway to Bathurst (1876) and the economic boom that followed.
Wealth from minerals and the land
The 1870’s brought fine civic, religious, commercial and residential architecture; reliable banking; a city formed and declared in 1885; the first Council; dynasties established; great wealth created for some.
The Origins of Motoring and Motor Racing in Australia
Bathurst’s role; first motor cars in inland Australia were in Bathurst; first overland journey in a motor vehicle Bathurst to Melbourne in Thompson Steam Car in 1904; first inland car and motor bike races were in the Bathurst district (Sunny Corner, Vale Creek Circuit); Mount Panorama 1938 - the foundation of Australia’s and one of the world’s most iconic racing circuits.
In Memory of the Fallen
The Sudan; the Boer War; WW1; Gallipoli; The Carillon built 1933 - Australia’s largest regional war memorial and one of only three War memorial Carillons in the world ; The Official Australian War Historian for WWI was Bathurst by CEW Bean; The Official Australian War Historian for WWII was Bathurst by Gavin Long; The Bathurst Army Camp and the story of the ill-fated 8th Division 1942.
Prime Minister Ben Chifley 1948
Bathurst’s role in Post War reconstruction in Australia; Post War Migration and the Bathurst Migrant Camp 1946-1952: the first footprint for 88,000 displaced persons, refugees and immigrants at Bathurst.
A Modern Regional City
Muticulturalism and ethnic diversity comes to Bathurst and a sophisticated, global culture begins to take root. Population surpasses 50,000 and a modern regional Bathurst emerges as one for the leading regional cities in Australia with a prosperous future.