Casterton, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Casterton is a town in Victoria, Australia
, located on the Glenelg Highway
, 42 kilometres east of the South Australia
n border, in the Shire of Glenelg. The Glenelg River
passes through the town. Casterton derives its name for the Roman word meaning 'walled city', due to the lush green hills which surround the town.
As well as this, Casterton hosts a vintage car
rally and polocrosse
championships in March, horseracing in May, a woodturning
exhibition in August, and street-car drag racing
in November.
The Casterton Memorial Hospital has recently undergone an upgrade and now contains an IVF clinic. Other areas of health care provided by the hospital are Acute Care, Primary Care, Aged Care and Allied Health Services.
The town is serviced by two primary schools, private and public, as well as the Casterton Secondary College. Pre-schoolers may attend the pre-natal clinic, playgroup and kindergarten.
Casterton is roughly halfway between Melbourne and Adelaide, making it a regular overnight stop-over for tourists. The town is centrally located for day trips to the Great Ocean Road, Grampians, Wimmera and Coonawarra regions.
Casterton hosts beautiful wildflowers, bushland, wildlife and bird life. Wilkin Flora and Fauna reserve, west of Casterton, off the Glenelg Highway is a 3600 hectare reserve with wildflowers of special merit such as Orchids, Acicia, native Heath, ferns and wetland vegetation.
Wilkin Reserve is also of particular interest to bird watchers, with the Red Tailed Black Cockatoo being spotted in the region. Mill Swamp within the reserve, hides Magpie Geese, Dusky Woodswallows and even Brolgas. Kangaroos and Emus are regular visitors to many areas around Casterton, usually at dawn and dusk.
River Red Gum and other Eucalypt species can be seen along the valley of the Glenelg River and the local Ess Lagoon is regularly stocked with trout.
The town has an Australian rules football
team competing in the Western Border Football League
.
The Casterton Racing Club schedules around four horse race meetings a year including the Casterton Cup meeting in May or June.
Golfers play at the Casterton Golf Club on Penola Road.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, located on the Glenelg Highway
Glenelg Highway
The Glenelg Highway is a 301 kilometre highway in south-eastern Australia, linking Mount Gambier with Ballarat. Most of the highway is located within the Western part of the state of Victoria; except for a short, 15 km stretch from the South Australia/Victoria state border near Ardno to...
, 42 kilometres east of the South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
n border, in the Shire of Glenelg. The Glenelg River
Glenelg River (Victoria)
The Glenelg River is a river in southwestern Victoria and southeastern South Australia in Australia. The river starts in the Grampian Ranges and runs for over 350 kilometres, making it the longest river in south-west Victoria. A short stretch of the lower end winds through South Australia before...
passes through the town. Casterton derives its name for the Roman word meaning 'walled city', due to the lush green hills which surround the town.
Tradition
Casterton is recognised as the birthplace of the Kelpie breed of Australian working dog and celebrates its role through the Australian Kelpie Muster, Working Dog Auction and Festival each June long weekend. The event is nationally and internationally renowned and since its inception in 1997, it has grown into a successful combination of entertainment and enterprise. The festival is filled with fun activities, which celebrate and demonstrate the Kelpies’ amazing skills. The Working Dog Auction provides a unique chance to observe working dogs demonstrate their skills before sale.As well as this, Casterton hosts a vintage car
Vintage car
A vintage car is commonly defined as a car built between the start of 1919 and the end of 1930 known as the "Vintage era". There is little debate about the start date of the vintage period—the end of World War I is a nicely defined marker there—but the end date is a matter of a little...
rally and polocrosse
Polocrosse
Polocrosse it is a team sport that is played all over the world. It is a combination of polo and lacrosse. It is played outside, on a field , on horseback. Each rider uses a cane stick to which is attached a racquet head with a loose, thread net, in which the ball is carried. The ball is made of...
championships in March, horseracing in May, a woodturning
Woodturning
Woodturning is a form of woodworking that is used to create wooden objects on a lathe . Woodturning differs from most other forms of woodworking in that the wood is moving while a stationary tool is used to cut and shape it...
exhibition in August, and street-car drag racing
Drag racing
Drag racing is a competition in which specially prepared automobiles or motorcycles compete two at a time to be the first to cross a set finish line, from a standing start, in a straight line, over a measured distance, most commonly a ¼-mile straight track....
in November.
Recent times
Nestled amongst the rolling hills and river red gums of the Glenelg River valley, Casterton had been known as a retirement town in the past, but recently young families have settled in the region.The Casterton Memorial Hospital has recently undergone an upgrade and now contains an IVF clinic. Other areas of health care provided by the hospital are Acute Care, Primary Care, Aged Care and Allied Health Services.
The town is serviced by two primary schools, private and public, as well as the Casterton Secondary College. Pre-schoolers may attend the pre-natal clinic, playgroup and kindergarten.
Casterton is roughly halfway between Melbourne and Adelaide, making it a regular overnight stop-over for tourists. The town is centrally located for day trips to the Great Ocean Road, Grampians, Wimmera and Coonawarra regions.
Casterton hosts beautiful wildflowers, bushland, wildlife and bird life. Wilkin Flora and Fauna reserve, west of Casterton, off the Glenelg Highway is a 3600 hectare reserve with wildflowers of special merit such as Orchids, Acicia, native Heath, ferns and wetland vegetation.
Wilkin Reserve is also of particular interest to bird watchers, with the Red Tailed Black Cockatoo being spotted in the region. Mill Swamp within the reserve, hides Magpie Geese, Dusky Woodswallows and even Brolgas. Kangaroos and Emus are regular visitors to many areas around Casterton, usually at dawn and dusk.
River Red Gum and other Eucalypt species can be seen along the valley of the Glenelg River and the local Ess Lagoon is regularly stocked with trout.
Community
The town has an active Community Centre, a weekly local newspaper and hosts many activities throughout the year.The town has an Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
team competing in the Western Border Football League
Western Border Football League
The Western Border Football League is an Australian rules football competition based in the Lower South East region of South Australia, and south-western border region of Victoria. It is an affiliated member of the South Australian National Football League and the Victorian Football League...
.
The Casterton Racing Club schedules around four horse race meetings a year including the Casterton Cup meeting in May or June.
Golfers play at the Casterton Golf Club on Penola Road.